Overview
This reference guide describes an organization's backup settings for when backup operations take place, what files to include and exclude from backup, the frequency of backups, and how long versions should be retained.
Access device backup settings
To view the general device backup settings, choose Administration > Environment > Organizations. When the Active tab opens, click the organization name. (You may need to expand the parent organization.) Scroll down to Device Backup Defaults and click the Backup tab.
To change these default settings for the organization, from the action menu on the Organization Details page, choose Device Backup Defaults, then click the Backup tab.
General
| Item | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| a | Backup sets | Displays the Backup Sets tab, in which you can create and configure backup sets. |
| b | Backup will run |
Indicates whether backups are always running or running only at specific times.
|
| c | Preferred time for verification scan | Scans the system for file changes and deleted files within your backup selection at the interval and time of day that you specify. If the device is powered off or asleep at the scheduled scan time, the scan runs 15 minutes after the device reconnects. |
| d | Lock |
Locks this setting to prevent users from changing it in their personal settings. |
| e | Push |
Applies these settings to existing users in addition to new users. |
Consideration: When the General backup settings are locked it will prevent changes to any of the sections within the Backup settings.
File selection
| Item | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| a | Included files | Adds pathnames of directories that should be included in backups of devices. Pathnames are case-sensitive (see the alert below). |
| b | Add item |
Adds the item to the Included Files list. |
| c | Included filenames list |
Displays pathnames of directories that are included in backups.
If the File Selection settings are not locked, users can add to this list and to remove selections from this list. Click X to remove an item from the list. |
| d | Excluded files | Adds pathnames of directories that should be excluded from backups of this device. |
| e | Add item |
Adds the item to the Excluded Files list. |
| f | Excluded filenames list |
Displays pathnames of directories that are excluded from backups.
If the File Selection settings are not locked, users are allowed to add to this list, and to remove selections from this list. Click the X to remove an item from the list. |
| g | Lock |
Locks this setting to prevent users from changing it in their personal settings. |
| h | Push |
Applies these settings to existing users in addition to new users. |
User profile backup
This section allows you to view or modify Windows user profile backup settings for all organizations in your CrashPlan environment.
| Item | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| a | Enable User Profile Backup | Enables Windows user profile backup. |
| b | Backup Frequency | Defines how often Windows user profiles are backed up. |
| c | User | Specifies a custom MigUser.xml file. When an .xml file is selected, the filename is displayed. |
| d | App | Specifies a custom MigApp.xml file. When an .xml file is selected, the filename is displayed. |
| e | Docs | Specifies a custom MigDocs.xml file. When an .xml file is selected, the filename is displayed. |
| f | Exclusion | Specifies a custom Custom.xml file. When an .xml file is selected, the filename is displayed. |
| g | Custom | Specifies a custom .xml file. When an .xml file is selected, the filename is displayed. |
| h | ScanState Options | Specifies command-line options for the USMT ScanState. |
| i | LoadState Options | Deprecated - no effect. |
| j | Push |
Applies these settings to existing users in addition to new users. |
Destinations
This section allows you to choose which destinations are used by newly added devices immediately upon first signing in.
Selecting a destination causes new devices to automatically start backing up to it. Deselecting a destination allows users to back up to the destination by clicking Start Backup in the CrashPlan app.
When you select at least one destination, the label changes from Auto-start to Use:
Source code exclusions
This selection allows you to exclude source code repositories from your backup selection.
Filename exclusions
| Item | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| a | Platforms | Tabs display the filename patterns to hide. |
| b | Exclude files and folders ending with | Enter the filename pattern to exclude from backup. |
| c | Regular Expression | Enter text in the form of a regular expression (regex). |
| d | Add item |
Adds the item to the Filename Exclusions list. |
| e | Import | Displays a window in which you can paste the contents of a text file that specifies the filename patterns or regex items to exclude. |
| f | Export | Displays a window in which you can copy the contents of the hidden files list. You can then paste these contents into your favorite text editor for editing. |
| g | Lock |
Locks this setting to prevent users from changing it in their personal settings. |
| h | Push |
Applies these settings to existing users in addition to new users. |
Frequency and versions
| Item | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| a | Frequency - Back up changes every | Indicates how often files are backed up and changed file versions are added to your archive. |
| b | Lock |
Locks this setting to prevent users from changing it in their personal settings. |
| c | Push |
Applies these settings to existing users in addition to new users. |
| d | For one week, keep a version | Indicates which versions to keep from last week (not including today). |
| e | After one week, keep a version | Indicates which versions to keep from last 90 days (not including last week). |
| f | After 90 days, keep a version | Indicates which versions to keep from last year (not including the last 90 days). |
| g | After one year, keep a version | Indicates which versions to keep from previous years (not including last year). |
| h | Remove deleted files | Period after which deleted files are removed from the archive. |
Changes to frequency and version settings are applied to each backup archive after the user's device connects to the CrashPlan cloud.
Advanced settings
| Item | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| a | Back up open files | Indicates whether files that are open (in use) at the time of back up are backed up. |
| b | Lock |
Locks this setting to prevent users from changing it in their personal settings. |
| c | Push |
Applies these settings to existing users in addition to new users. |
Advanced settings in the CrashPlan API
In version 6.8.3, the following settings were removed from Advanced settings in the CrashPlan console. These settings improve the performance and security of your CrashPlan environment and should always be enabled. You can use the CrashPlan API to enable these settings if they were disabled previously. For assistance with setting these APIs, contact your Account Executive to engage the CrashPlan Professional Services team.
For documentation of the APIs, see the appropriate section of the API Documentation Viewer:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Data de-duplication |
API: dataDeDuplication Controls data de-duplication rate.
You can set the API only to FULL or its current value. Once you set the API's value to FULL, you cannot change it to another value. |
| Compression |
API: compression Controls how the CrashPlan service compresses your backup. Compressed backups use less bandwidth and less disk space. Compression does consume some CPU, but not enough to offset overhead due to maxing out your bandwidth or I/O. Because you generally have more CPU available than bandwidth or disk I/O, you should not turn off compression.
You can set the API only to On or its current value. Once you set the API's value to On, you cannot change it to another value. |
| Encryption enabled |
API: encryptionEnabled Indicates whether encryption is turned on.
You can set the API only to True or its current value. Once you set the API's value to True, you cannot change it to another value. |
| Watch file system in real-time |
API: watchFiles Indicates whether the CrashPlan service is constantly monitoring for file changes.
|
Pausing controls
| Item | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| a | Backup | Allow users of the CrashPlan app to pause backups. Leave unselected to remove all pause controls from the CrashPlan app. |
| b | Legal Hold Backup | Allow backups of files under legal hold to be paused. Leave unselected to disallow pausing of backups with files under legal hold. |
| c | Lock |
Locks this setting to prevent users from changing it in their personal settings in the CrashPlan console. |