What feature allows a virtual machine to revert to a previous configuration state?

Snapshots are a powerful feature within virtualization platforms that enable you to capture the exact state of a virtual machine at a specific point in time. When you create a snapshot, it records the VM's configuration, the virtual disk state, and the current memory state. This allows you to revert the virtual machine to that precise moment, effectively undoing any changes that have occurred since the snapshot was taken.

This feature is particularly useful for testing and development environments, where users can experiment with configurations or software installations, and if something goes wrong, they can simply revert to the snapshot without harming the overall system. Snapshots provide a safety net that enhances operational flexibility while maintaining data integrity.

In contrast, the other options do not serve the purpose of reverting a virtual machine to a previous state. Storage I/O Control helps manage storage resources, Bus Sharing relates to how virtual devices communicate, and vSphere High Availability (HA) is focused on keeping VMs running in the event of a host failure—none of these directly enable the reverting of a VM to an earlier configuration.