Syntax options: SNAPSHOT IS IMMEDIATE | SNAPSHOT IS DEFERRED Specifies when read/write transactions write database changes to the snapshot file used by read-only transactions. The ENABLED IMMEDIATE option is the default and causes read/write transactions to write copies of rows they modify to the snapshot file, regardless of whether or not a read-only transaction is active. Although ENABLED IMMEDIATE is the default, if you set snapshots ENABLED DEFERRED, you must specify both ENABLED and IMMEDIATE options to return the database to the default setting. The ENABLED DEFERRED option lets read/write transactions avoid writing copies of rows they modify to the snapshot file (unless a read-only transaction is already active). Deferring snapshot writing in this manner improves the performance for the read/write transaction. However, read-only transactions that start after an active read/write transaction starts must wait for all active read/write users to complete their transactions.