Configure device backup settings
Overview
This article outlines how to use the administration console to define end-user backup settings at a system-wide, organizational, or device level. Configuring these settings allows you to fine tune a number of items, including:
- User device settings related to timing of backups, CPU usage, and bandwidth allocation
- Specific file paths and file types to include or exclude in backups
- Timing and thresholds for sending alerts
- Password and archive encryption settings
- Network bandwidth limits and overrides
Before you begin
The default backup settings in Code42's CrashPlan serve as a foundation for defining backup policies in a wide array of environments. However, every business has unique circumstances that may require customized settings. Before configuring your device backup settings, review our considerations for defining your backup policies.
Considerations
- Most options in this article can only be configured by users with administrative role privileges (Code42 CrashPlan (previously CrashPlan PROe)) or administrators (CrashPlan for Small Business (previously CrashPlan PRO)).
- Some settings available in the administration console may not be visible to the end user.
- (Code42 CrashPlan (previously CrashPlan PROe) only) Changes can be applied only to your master server (storage servers inherit settings).
Set device defaults
Device defaults allows you to predefine configuration settings for endpoint devices. They can be set at the system-wide, organization, or device level.
System-wide settings
System-wide settings are those that apply to all users and all destinations in your production environment. For example, you can limit network bandwidth for all devices connecting to the Code42 environment. To apply device backup settings to all users and destinations in your production environment:
- From the administration console, go to Settings > Device Backup
- Select from the tabs to configure specific settings:
- General: Specify client settings related to CPU power and bandwidth allocation, alert thresholds, and file exclusions.
- Backup: Define how and when backup operations take place, what files to include and exclude from backup, the frequency of backup, and how long to retain file versions. Advanced settings allow you to control backup processes like real-time watching, data de-duplication, encryption, and compression.
- Reporting: Specify when and what reports are sent and to whom.
- Security: Set the default encryption key policy for all users (new and existing). After the encryption policy is elevated, upgraded Code42 environments can never downgrade their policy.
- Changing your account password or private password does not require that you restart your backup archive.
- Changing your data encryption key requires that you restart your backup archive.
- Network: Control connection performance settings for WAN and LAN networks, exclude wireless networks, exclude network interfaces, or configure proxy settings.
- (Optional) Choose to push or lock settings.
- Click Save to apply changes.
Organization level settings
Code42 CrashPlan (previously CrashPlan PROe) only
Organization settings apply only to users within a single organization. For example, you can create an "Executive" organization that does not have a limit on the amount of data that can be stored. All other non-Executive organizations could be restricted to a set amount of data storage.
If inheritance is disabled for an organization, that organization is not affected by changes to its parent organization.
To apply settings to an individual organization:
- From the administration console, go to Organizations > Overview
- Select the desired organization
- Click the action menu in the upper-right corner
- Select Device Backup Defaults
- Select from the tabs to configure specific settings
The Device Default Settings provides the same tabbed options as described in System-Wide Settings above. The difference is that these settings apply to a single organization without affecting the others.
Device level settings
To apply settings to an individual device:
- From the administration console, go to Devices > Overview
- Select the desired device
- Click the action menu in the upper-right corner
- Select Edit
- Select from the tabs to configure specific settings
The Device Level Settings provides the same tabbed options as described in System-Wide Settings above. The difference is that these settings apply only to a single device.
Push and lock settings
Settings can be pushed to users as suggested defaults. You can also lock settings to prevent end users from changing them. For example, you can save storage space by locking a user's file selection tab to prevent backups of personal photos or music.
- Saving a setting applies it for new devices in the future. Saving settings does not affect any existing devices.
Pushing a setting changes it on user devices, but still allows users to change the setting later.
Locking a setting pushes it out to user devices and also prevents users from changing the setting later.
Learn more about applying settings.
Code42 recommends against modifying the default security settings because they affect the entire server or organization, and elevated encryption key security cannot be downgraded.
Apply settings considerations
- When editing settings for a single device, any changes are automatically pushed to that device.
- You need to turn off inherit settings from the parent before you can change settings for organizations. (Code42 CrashPlan (previously CrashPlan PROe) only).
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When you push or lock, a confirmation dialog appears asking to apply the settings to organizations, for example:
- Only <number> inheriting organizations including <number> devices
Change the setting in inheriting organizations and the selected organization. - All <number> organizations including <number> devices
Change the setting in all organizations.
- Only <number> inheriting organizations including <number> devices
Turn off use device defaults from parent
Code42 CrashPlan (previously CrashPlan PROe) only
By default, organizations are set to inherit settings from the parent organization. For example, organizations inherit settings from the system-wide defaults, child organizations inherit settings from the parent organization, and devices inherit settings from the organizations to which their users belong.
You can only edit an individual organization's device settings if it is not using the device defaults from parent. If the organization inherits settings from its parent organization, then you can view the values established at the parent level, but you cannot change them.
To turn off inherited settings for an organization's devices (and enable changes):
- From the administration console, go to Organizations > Overview
- Select the desired organization
- Click the action menu in the upper-right corner
- Select Device Backup Defaults
- Select General
- Deselect the box next to Use device defaults from parent (usually from the system-wide organization)
- Click Save to apply changes
Additional information about inherited organization settings is available in the Organizations Overview.