Overview
You can change CPU usage settings in the CrashPlan console to specify the maximum amount of CPU processing time allocated to the CrashPlan app on user devices. You can set CPU usage for when users are present at their devices or away from their devices. This article explains the CPU settings and how to configure them.
Considerations
- If administrators do not lock the CPU settings in the CrashPlan console, CrashPlan app users can change the CPU settings in the CrashPlan app.
- The method used to detect away/present status varies by operating system and CrashPlan app version. For complete details, see How does the CrashPlan app detect away and present settings? (CrashPlan)
Steps
- Sign in to the CrashPlan console.
- Select Administration > Environment > Organizations.
- Select the organization for which you want to change CPU usage.
- From the action menu in the upper-right corner, select Device Backup Defaults.
The General tab appears.
- If selected, deselect Use device defaults from parent.
- Change the following CPU usage settings:
-
When user is away, use up to
Enter the maximum percentage of CPU time to devote to CrashPlan app processes when users are not actively using their devices. -
When user is present, use up to
Enter the maximum percentage of CPU time to devote to CrashPlan app processes when users are actively using their devices.
-
When user is away, use up to
- Choose to apply the CPU usage settings to devices in this organization for:
-
Backup processes only
Applies the CPU settings only to backup activity.
CrashPlan app version 8.0 and earlier only. Beginning in CrashPlan app version 8.2, selecting Backup processes only applies CPU settings to both backup activity and security processes. -
Backup and security processes
Applies the CPU settings to both backup activity and to security processes.
-
Backup processes only
-
Push or lock the setting:
-
Push
Send the settings to devices in the organization, but still allow users to change the settings in the CrashPlan app. -
Lock
Send the settings to devices in the organization, and lock the settings so that users are unable to change them in the CrashPlan app.
-
Push
- Select Save.
About CPU usage settings
Administrators can configure CPU usage in the General tab of the device backup default settings of the CrashPlan console with these settings:
- When user is away, use up to __ % CPU
- When user is present, use up to __ % CPU
Setting When user is away to a higher setting than When user is present balances CPU usage so that more CPU processing time is dedicated to CrashPlan app requests when users are away from their devices than when users are using their devices.
Why the settings do not match CPU usage shown in devices
CPU settings apply to the amount of CPU processing time dedicated to CrashPlan app work, not to total CPU processing capacity. Therefore, while % CPU may be set at 20, for example, a system monitor may show that 70% of CPU capacity is used for the CrashPlan app at a particular point in time.
The processing time of the CPU is measured in instruction cycles. When you set the maximum percent CPU for the CrashPlan app to use, you are specifying that the CrashPlan app is allowed use as much of the CPU capacity as it needs for up to X% of the available cycles. For example, if When user is present, use up to is set at 20 % CPU, the CrashPlan app can use the CPU up to 100% capacity, but only up to 20% of the time it sends requests to the CPU. The remaining 80% of the time, other process requests use the CPU. This allows the CrashPlan app to work as efficiently as possible when it requests CPU resources, but limits the amount of time it ties up the CPU.
If you set the maximum allowed percentage of CPU time to 100%, the CrashPlan app can use all the CPU capacity for 100% of the time it sends requests. Other processes can still make requests and have them processed by the CPU when it has available instruction cycles, it's just that the CrashPlan app is allowed to use up to 100% of the available instruction cycles when it requests them.
External Resources
Wikipedia: Instruction cycle