CrashPlan administrator resources glossary

Overview

List of administrator-related terms and definitions.

Definitions

Account password

Password you supplied when you registered your user account.

Administration console

See CrashPlan console.

Adopt

See replace device.

Archive

An archive contains backed-up data for a single device. Each archive is securely encrypted using an archive encryption key.

Archive key password

The password supplied when you enable the archive key password option for your archive’s encryption. If you enable this option, you must supply the archive key password to restore your files. See also account password and secured key.

Archive maintenance

A task that checks the health of each active archive on a regular schedule. Archive maintenance removes excess file versions, deleted files, and files no longer selected for backup. It also identifies and corrects corrupted data. 

Administrators can start the archive maintenance manually from the CrashPlan console. Users can start the archive maintenance in the CrashPlan app with the Run Maintenance button.

Authentication

The process of identifying and verifying users in a system. Methods for authentication include: 

• Local CrashPlan directory
• Single sign-on (SSO)
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Authentication provider

Allows access to CrashPlan. When enabled, users sign in using the authentication provider instead of CrashPlan. Examples of authentication providers include Okta, Google SSO, Ping, Entra ID, OneLogin, and Microsoft AD FS. 

Backup

1. The files that you saved to another location, so you can restore them in case of loss. Also known as “backup archive.”
2. The operation in which files are sent and stored in the CrashPlan cloud or a local destination, as in, “Your backup is in progress.”

Backup frequency

The setting for how often the CrashPlan app backs up files or file revisions.

Backup set

A group of files backed up to a specific location or with specific settings.

Block

Devices, users, and organizations can be blocked. This is non-destructive, and no data is lost. Blocked devices continue to back up, but blocked users cannot sign in or restore files on any of their devices. Blocked organizations prevent all of that organization’s users from signing in or restoring files. A blocked user continues to use a subscription.

Breadcrumbs

Links that appear at the top of a web page to show you where you are in the website and help with website navigation.

CrashPlan cloud

CrashPlan’s Enterprise SaaS solution; all administrative functions and storage are managed by the CrashPlan cloud.

CrashPlan console

The web-based interface used to detect and investigate security concerns, and to perform administrative functions (such as managing users, organizations, and numerous other settings) for the CrashPlan environment.

Formerly called the "administration console."

CrashPlan environment

A broad term for all parts of a CrashPlan installation, which might include the CrashPlan console, organizations, users, and devices. 

CrashPlan platform

Used to describe all aspects of the CrashPlan environment, including servers, clients, storage, data transport, and user management. 

CrashPlan service

The engine that runs backup operations in the background on a device running the CrashPlan app.

Cold storage

Temporary holding state for archives after they are deactivated but before they expire and are permanently deleted. This is similar to a file in your computer’s Recycle Bin or Trash. A user who has an archive in cold storage still consumes a user subscription. Administrators can retrieve archives from cold storage throughout the cold storage retention period.

Compact

The final step of archive maintenance. Compaction reclaims disk space by removing the following from the backup archive: old file versions and old deleted files (according to user or administrator settings), and files no longer selected for backup.

Compression

Reduces the size of files so they take less space and less time to send. The CrashPlan app compresses files before sending them for backup, which increases the overall backup speed. This compression is lossless. The CrashPlan app does not compress certain types of files, such as files ending in .zip.

CrashPlan service

See CrashPlan service.

Custom key

An encryption key that is user-created (using the Passphrase or Generate options) and is used instead of the encryption key generated by the CrashPlan app. The custom key option greatly increases user responsibility because there is no way to recover a backup if the custom key is lost or forgotten, and our technical support engineers have no way to help recover a custom key.

Dashboard

A page of the CrashPlan console with stats and graphs across all organizations.

Data de-duplication

Process in which duplicate files (and parts of files) are identified and backed up only once. Data de-duplication runs on each source device.

Deactivate

Stop a backup and move the archive into cold storage (for eventual deletion). Subscriptions are not immediately freed by deactivation. Devices, users, and organizations can be deactivated. Deactivated users cannot sign in and cannot be added to a legal hold.

Deauthorize

Cause the CrashPlan app on a device to sign out. This is non-destructive and no files are deleted, however, backups stop. The user of the device will be able to sign in again. A deauthorized device continues to use a subscription. Only devices can be deauthorized; users and organizations cannot. 

Destination

Location where your files are backed up. For example: an external drive or CrashPlan cloud storage.

Device

A single computer within your CrashPlan environment, identified by its GUID. May be used interchangeably with endpoint. 

Download

The process of getting files from a backup destination. Downloading allows you to get backed-up files from any device, any time.

Early access

New features and functionality are considered early access (EA) when they are released, but still may undergo minor refinements and improvements before general availability.

Encrypt

Encode files so no unauthorized persons can read them.

Encryption key

A string that a cryptographic algorithm uses to encrypt files.

Endpoint

A single computer within your CrashPlan environment, generally running the CrashPlan app software and uniquely identified by its GUID. May be used interchangeably with device. 

Endpoint monitoring

A CrashPlan security feature that uses the CrashPlan app to capture file activity on user devices in real time, helping administrators identify the following types of potential data leaks or security problems:

• Removable media
• File sharing on cloud services
• File uploads and downloads in web browsers and other applications

Enhanced security

An encryption level upgraded from the standard security option. CrashPlan has two enhanced security options: archive key password and custom key. Also called upgraded security.

External address

A device's public IP address.

External keystore

A service outside of CrashPlan that stores encryption keys for customers. By default, the CrashPlan cloud uses a Vault server owned and managed by CrashPlan. CrashPlan cloud customers can also use their own Vault server.

File metadata

Data about a file. For example, file size, file type, date created, date last modified, etc.

General availability

New features and functionality are considered generally available (GA) when they are released and there are no known refinements or improvements immediately necessary. However, even after GA, CrashPlan may continue to evolve and improve functionality in future releases. 

GUID

1. Globally Unique IDentifier. A number generated and assigned to each device, plan, and server in the CrashPlan environment. Used by CrashPlan to associate each device with its backup archive.
2. A CrashPlan app command-line interface command to view and manipulate the GUID value for the current device.

Identity management

An IT administrative area or market that deals with users in a IT system and gives them access to the right resources within the system. 

Identity provider (IdP)

A general term to refer to a system that contains user identities. Identity provider can refer to a system performing authentication, provisioning, or both. Examples of identity providers include Okta, Google SSO, Ping, Entra ID, and OneLogin. 

Incremental backup

The process of saving only the parts of files that changed since the last backup.

Initial backup

The very first backup performed on a specific source device. The initial backup of files takes significantly longer than later, incremental backups. 

Legal hold

The process when selected files on a user’s device are preserved, for example if a lawsuit is anticipated. CrashPlan provides a central, well-organized archive for the discovery of electronically stored information (ESI) on laptops and desktops in the event of litigation. The CrashPlan Legal Hold application enables legal teams to create and manage their organizations’ legal holds.

Limited early access

New features and functionality are considered limited early access (LEA) when they are released only to specific CrashPlan customer environments, typically as a result of direct communication with your Customer Success Manager (CSM) or other CrashPlan personnel. Limited early access features and functionality may still require refinements and improvements before early access or general availability.

Local folder

A type of backup destination that is attached directly to the same device. For example, a folder in the file system or an external drive.

Local user

A user that is managed within CrashPlan. This means the user's credentials are stored in the CrashPlan database, rather than using a third-party authentication method like single sign-on. Additionally, the local user's authorization is managed within the CrashPlan console, not through a third-party authorization method like LDAP. 

Online

A type of backup in which files are transmitted over the Internet or WAN. In the CrashPlan app, all CrashPlan cloud destinations are considered online destinations.

Organization

The hierarchical level in the CrashPlan environment for users and their devices. Each user can belong to only one organization. You can define many settings at the organization level; different organizations can have different settings. An organization can contain child organizations, and an organization can exist without containing any users.

Provider storage

See CrashPlan cloud.

Provisioning provider

Automates user management. Applications like CrashPlan sync with a provisioning provider and then create, update, or remove users based on the provisioning provider's user profile. Examples of provisioning providers include Okta, Ping, and Entra ID. 

Public cloud

See CrashPlan cloud.

Real-time backup

The process of backing up files immediately after the files were created or changed. This protects you from loss that might occur if backups are scheduled only at specific times.

Registration key

A 16-character string that activates your subscription. The registration key is required to purchase user subscriptions or support plans.

Replace device

The process of a new device taking the place of a device that has been lost, stolen, sold, reformatted, etc. The replace device process is optional when CrashPlan detects a new device on an existing account. The replace device process transfers the backup archive, backup file selection, and backup settings to the new device. It also deactivates the other device so it can longer back up.

Reporting web app

The online tool that administrators can use to search, filter, and export usage statistics about their CrashPlan environment.

Restore

See download.

SCIM provisioning

An open standard protocol for automating user management. 

Secured key

An archive encryption key that is protected with an account password (default security) or an archive key password (enhanced security).

Single sign-on (SSO)

 SSO is one type of authentication method. It allows a user to use the same credentials to sign in to multiple applications.

Storage provider

See CrashPlan cloud.

Synchronize

A process where the source device and the storage destination compare what files the source has sent vs. what files are actually stored on the destination.

System property

An attribute that defines functions and features of the CrashPlan environment. System properties are usually enabled, disabled, or configured from the CrashPlan console command-line interface.

User

A single account in your CrashPlan environment. A user account has a single set of sign-in credentials (username and password) and a single encryption key for all backups. A user always belongs to one (and only one) organization.

Version retention

Setting to specify how many versions of a file to keep over time. Removing older and less relevant versions can reduce the size of your backup archive. The default setting keeps more of your recent versions and fewer of your older ones.

Web restore

The ability to restore files from the CrashPlan console and download files from a web browser. Web restore is a secondary method of restoring files.

Windows user profile backup

This feature uses Microsoft's User State Migration Tool (USMT) to create a backup of user profile settings. Administrators can download the user profile to a new device as part of the replace device process.