Modify backup file exclusions with CrashPlan API

Overview

To improve performance, stability, and efficiency, CrashPlan adds a number of backup file exclusions to your environment that prevent certain files from backing up when you get started in the CrashPlan cloud. These CrashPlan-defined system backup file exclusions apply to all organizations in your environment and are separate from the backup file exclusions selected for organizations on the Backup tab in Device Backup Default Settings:

• CrashPlan-defined system backup file exclusions do not appear in the CrashPlan console and can only be viewed or modified using the API.
• CrashPlan-defined system backup file exclusions are additive to those defined on the Backup tab in Device Backup Default Settings.

You can use the CrashPlan API to view the system backup file exclusions that CrashPlan has added to your environment. You can also fine-tune these exclusions by adding or deleting exclusions to fit a specific organization's retention needs (for example, for legal hold preservation policies that need to opt out of the global exclusions). If needed, you can reset the backup file exclusions for an organization to return to the CrashPlan list.

Considerations

• The tasks in this article require use of the CrashPlan API.
  • If you are not familiar with using CrashPlan APIs, review CrashPlan API syntax and usage.
  • For assistance with using the CrashPlan API, contact your Customer Success Manager (CSM) to engage the CrashPlan Professional Services team.
• In order to use these API calls, you must have either the Customer Cloud Admin or Security Administrator role.
• To perform tasks in this article, you must:
  • Use basic authentication to obtain a token.
  • Locate your organization's numeric OrgID.

API request values

The examples below use the following placeholders. Replace them with the appropriate values.

• Replace <request_URL> with the address of your CrashPlan environment. For example, https://console.us1.crashplan.com/.
• Replace <OrgID> with your organization's numeric OrgID.
• Replace <AuthToken> with your basic authentication token.
• Replace <OperatingSystem> with the name of the operating system this exclusion applies to. Valid entries:
  • ANY
  • WINDOWS
  • MACOS
  • LINUX
• Replace <PathType> with the type of exclusion to add. Valid entries:
  • CONTAINS
  • STARTSWITH
  • EXTENSION
  • REGEX
  REGEX exclusions are case sensitive
  Exclusions entered using regular expressions are case sensitive. CrashPlan evaluates the regular expression as entered, taking any capitalization used into account.
  
  Capitalization is not considered for CONTAINS, STARTSWITH, or EXTENSION exclusions.
• Replace <ExclPath> with the directory path, extension, or regular expression you want to exclude. For example, C:\Windows, MP3, or Library.

Modify CrashPlan's backup exclusions

Use the CrashPlan API to modify the backup file extensions that CrashPlan has added to your environment in the CrashPlan cloud. You can:

• List the current backup file exclusions
• Add a single new exclusion
• Add multiple exclusions at once
• Update an existing exclusion
• Delete an existing exclusion
• Reset all exclusions to the default CrashPlan list

curl -X GET \
"<request_URL>/api/v3/path-exclusions/backup/list?orgId=<OrgID>" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer <AuthToken>"

A successful response lists CrashPlan-defined system backup file exclusions.

{"data":[{"osRestriction":"WINDOWS","type":"STARTSWITH","value":"C:/Windows"}],"error":null,"warnings":null}

Add a new exclusion

The create API command adds a single new backup file exclusion to the list. You can specify the operating system and the type of path to exclude in the command. Replace the placeholders in the following example with the appropriate API request values.

curl -X POST \
"<request_URL>/api/v3/path-exclusions/backup/create?orgID=<OrgID>" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer <AuthToken>" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "osRestriction":"<OperatingSystem>", "type":"<PathType>", "value":"<ExclPath>"}'

This command doesn't return any results after the new exclusion is added. Use the list API command to verify the new exclusion.

Add multiple exclusions at once

Use the bulk-create API command to add multiple exclusions at once. Replace the placeholders in the following example with the appropriate API request values.

curl -X POST \
"<request_URL>/api/v3/path-exclusions/backup/bulk-create?orgID=<OrgID>" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer <AuthToken>" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '[{ "osRestriction":"<OperatingSystem>", "type":"<PathType>", "value":"<ExclPath>"}, { "osRestriction":"<OperatingSystem>", "type":"<PathType>", "value":"<ExclPath>"}]'

This command doesn't return any results after the new exclusions are added. Use the list API command to verify the new exclusions.

Update an existing exclusion

Use the update API command to modify an existing exclusion to correct errors or add path details. Replace the placeholders in the following example with the appropriate API request values.

curl -X PUT \
"<request_URL>/api/v3/path-exclusions/backup/update?orgID=<OrgID>" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer <AuthToken>" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "existingExclusion": { "osRestriction":"<OperatingSystem>", "type":"<PathType>", "value":"<ExclPath>"}, "updatedExclusion": { "osRestriction":"<OperatingSystem>", "type":"<PathType>", "value":"<ExclPath>"} }'

This command doesn't return any results after the exclusion is updated successfully. Use the list API command to verify the update.

Delete an exclusion

The delete API command removes a backup file exclusion from the list. Replace the placeholders in the following example with the appropriate API request values.

curl -X POST \
"<request_URL>/api/v3/path-exclusions/backup/delete?orgID=<OrgID>" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer <AuthToken>" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{ "osRestriction":"<OperatingSystem>", "type":"<PathType>", "value":"<ExclPath>"}'

This command doesn't return any results after the exclusion is successfully deleted. Use the list API command to verify the exclusion is removed.

Reset exclusions to the default list

Use the reset API command to remove all modifications and return to the CrashPlan-defined system backup file exclusions list. Replace the placeholders in the following example with the appropriate API request values.

Locate the numeric OrgID

1. Sign in to the CrashPlan console.
2. Select Administration > Environment > Organizations.
3. Select the organization for which you want to modify the default backup exclusions.
4. In the web browser's address bar, note the numeric ID in the URL after "organization" but before any query or token parameters. In this example, the OrgID is 123456: https://console.us1.crashplan.com/console/#/organization/123456?t=78910