MongoDB Atlas has updated its cloud database service to include expanded API capabilities, allowing users to manage their backups more efficiently. The new features enable programmatically getting metadata about snapshots, deleting them, or changing their expiration, as well as triggering restore jobs and retrieving them. Additionally, MongoDB Atlas is introducing a new type of managed backup service called cloud provider snapshots, which uses the native snapshot capabilities of cloud providers like Azure to store backups in the same region as managed databases. This allows for better governance over data storage and lower pricing compared to continuous backups. The new feature is available today for replica sets on Microsoft Azure, with plans to support Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform later this year.