Overview
To help protect your data from loss, CrashPlan for Small Business uses backup to automatically collect and store your files. A backup set is a set of files you have selected to back up. When you first start backing up, the CrashPlan app backs up your default backup set. You can create additional backup sets so that different groups of files can back up to different locations and with different settings.
This tutorial includes important considerations and step-by-step instructions for creating backup sets.
Considerations
This article assumes that you have permission to create backup sets. Your administrator controls this permission.
Different data to a single destination
Multiple backup sets can back up to the same destination or to different destinations. Before creating backup sets that back up to the same destination, review these important considerations.
File exclusions
For most destinations, file exclusions specified for any backup set impact all sets backing up to that same destination.
As an example, suppose Set A and Set B back up to an external hard drive destination. You create an exclusion for Set A indicating that files ending in .mp3 shouldn't back up. MP3s in Set B will back up to the destination normally, but these files are deleted from the destination during archive maintenance due to exclusions made in Set A even though you haven't specified this exclusion for Set B.
Frequency and version settings
For most destinations, you can only apply one set of version and deleted file retention settings to backup sets backing up to the same destination. When multiple backup sets back up to the same destination, the version and deleted file retention settings from the backup set with the highest priority are applied to all sets backing up to that destination.
As an example, backup Set 1 and Set 2 are both backing up to the same destination, and Set 1 has a higher priority than Set 2. You configure Set 1 to back up new versions of files every hour and Set 2 to back them up every 15 minutes. Both sets will back up according to their new versions settings. However, during archive maintenance on the backup destination, Set 2's retained versions are reduced to every hour because Set 1's settings take priority.
Do not set your backup schedules to overlap
If you schedule multiple backup sets to run between specified times, and the backup sets go to the same destination, ensure that these times do not overlap. This ensures good backup performance. You can set backup sets to run on a specific schedule by changing the Backup will run setting to Between specified times.
Same data to different destinations
It is possible to create separate backup sets that contain the same file or folder. This is often useful when creating redundant backups of the same data to different destinations.
If you select the same file or folder in multiple backup sets, removing it from one backup set does not remove it from others.
Create backup sets from the CrashPlan app
Step 1: Create backup set
- Open the CrashPlan app.
- Click the arrow next to your device name.
- Choose Add backup set.
Step 2: Manage files and destinations
- (Optional) Select Rename and enter a new backup set name.
- Next to File Selection, click Change.
- Select files to add to your backup set.
- Click Save.
- Next to Destinations, click Change.
- Choose a destination or add a local destination.
- Click Save.
- Click Add Set.
Your backup set appears on the device details screen.
Step 3: Change backup settings
- Open the backup settings:
- Select
. - Select Backup Sets.
- From Backup Sets, specify backup settings:
- Next to Backup Schedule, select Change to set the time period during which the CrashPlan app is allowed to back up files.
- Next to Frequency and Versions, select Change to set how often you want to keep a version of your files. Note: Your administrator may prevent editing the frequency and versions settings.
- Next to File Exclusions, select Change to add exclusions.
- Next to Destinations, select Change to manage which destination the set is backing up to.
- Next to Priority, select Change to specify the priority of the back up set.
- Click Done.
Create backup sets from the CrashPlan console
From the CrashPlan console, you can create and edit backup sets.
Step 1: Enable backup sets
Enable the backup sets feature to start creating backup sets:
- Sign in to the CrashPlan console.
- Navigate to the device's device details:
- Click Devices.
- Select the device.
- From the action menu, choose Edit.
- Select Backup.
- Click Backup sets: Enable.
Step 2: Add backup set
Once backup sets are enabled, follow the steps below to complete setup of your backup set.
- Click Add.
You can change the assigned name in the Name field. - In the Name field, enter the name for this backup set.
-
(Optional) Change the priority for this backup set by changing the number in the Priority field.
New backup sets are assigned incrementally lower priority in the backup queue as you add them. You can adjust the priority for each backup set. - Under File Selection, change the file selection by clicking Select Files to browse the computer. Alternatively, you can enter the file path and click +
- (Optional) Set Exclusions, Frequency And Versions, and Advanced Settings.
- Click Save.
- After you have added the backup set, select the destination using the CrashPlan app
Select the destination for the backup set
CrashPlan for Small Business users cannot add the destination in the CrashPlan console. Instead, you must do so in the CrashPlan app.
- Open the CrashPlan app.
- Click Settings .
- Select Backup Sets.
- In the Destinations row, click Change.
The Destinations dialog appears. - Select your destination and click Save.
View backup sets from the CrashPlan console
Device Details displays information for only one backup set at a time. To display other backup sets:
- Sign in to the CrashPlan console.
- Navigate to the device's device details:
- Click Devices > Active.
- Select the device.
- Select Backup Sets.
The default backup set is displayed under General.
- From General, click the name of the backup set. If you have more than one backup set, a list of additional backup sets appears.
- Select a different backup set.
Move files from one backup set to another
Since backup sets allow you to use different backup settings for different groups of files, you may decide that you want to move some files you have already backed up into a new backup set with different settings.
For example, your default backup set may include all files from your user folder and back up to a cloud destination every 15 minutes. If you want to change the backup settings for a folder of large video files so they only back up every hour, follow these steps:
- Make sure all of your existing backup sets are 100% backed up.
- Create a new backup set.
- Configure the new backup set to include the file selection, version and frequency settings, and any file exclusions.
- Allow all backup sets (both new and existing) to synchronize and reach 100% completion.
- Adjust the existing backup sets as needed by removing files from the selection or updating exclusions or version settings.
Following the steps above ensures your files are completely backed up in both sets before you remove them from one set. In addition, if the backup sets use the same destination, you save time and bandwidth because the CrashPlan app uses data de-duplication to prevent the same file from being backed up twice.