Control computer-to-computer backup
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Overview
To preserve network bandwidth or if storing archives on users' devices conflicts with your organization's security policy, you can disable computer-to-computer backup for all users or a specific organization. This tutorial explains how to control whether computer-to-computer backups are allowed in Code42 for Enterprise.
Before you begin
If you want to disable computer-to-computer backups, determine if any users have configured backups to computer destinations. Additional steps are required to disable computer-to-computer backups that are already configured.
Computer-to-computer backups could only be initiated in Code42 app version 4.x, which is no longer supported. In addition:
- Computer-to-computer backups continue when version 4.x Code42 apps are upgraded to version 5.x, but can only be managed via the administration console, not the Code42 app.
- Code42 app version 6.x completely removes support for computer-to-computer backups (backups do not continue, but you can follow the steps below to remove existing archives).
Computer-to-computer backup settings
There are two settings that control users' ability to back up to other computers.
- The Account devices destination setting either offers or revokes the ability to see other computers on the same account.
- Accept inbound backups allows the creation of new computer-to-computer backups.
Interaction between backup settings
The combination of these two settings gives several options when selecting the settings for your Code42 environment.
| Offered Account devices destination | Revoked Account devices destination | |
|---|---|---|
| Accept inbound backup enabled | Users can create computer-to-computer backups. | Already created backups will continue, but no new backups can be created. |
| Accept inbound backup disabled and unlocked | Users can create computer-to-computer backups. | Already created backups will continue, but no new backups can be created. |
| Accept inbound backup disabled and locked | All computer-to-computer backups are stopped and archives are deleted. Users can see other computers on their account, but cannot back up to them. | All computer-to-computer backups are stopped and archives are deleted. Users cannot see other computers on their account. |
Recommended combinations of backup settings
To avoid ambiguity, we recommend using one of the following combinations of backup settings.
- To allow all computer-to-computer backup, leave the computer-to-computer backup settings at the defaults:
- Account devices destination offered
- Accept inbound backups disabled and unlocked
- To deny all computer-to-computer backup, change the default settings to:
- Account devices destination not offered
- Accept inbound backups disabled and locked
Offer or revoke account device destinations
When the Account devices destination is offered in the administration console, users can see the Destinations > Computers screen within the Code42 app. Disabling the setting removes the option for new computer-to-computer backups system wide, or by organization.
If you disable the Account devices backup destination after users have configured computer-to-computer backups, those backups are unaffected. To stop existing computer-to-computer backups and remove the archives, disable existing computer-to-computer backups.
Option 1: Configure account device destinations for all organizations
- Sign in to the administration console.
- Navigate to Settings > Organization > Destinations.
- Select or deselect Offer next to Account devices.
- Selected: Allows users to add computer destinations to their backup plans.
- Deselected: Prevents users from adding computer destinations to their backup plans.
- Click Save.
If you disable inheritance for an organization, that organization is not affected by changes to its parent organization.
Option 2: Configure account device destinations for a specific organization
- Sign in to the administration console.
- Navigate to Organizations.
- Select the organization.
- Select action menu > Edit > Destinations.
- Deselect Inherit destination settings from parent if necessary.
- Select or deselect Offer next to Account devices.
- Selected: Allows users to add computer destinations to their backup plans.
- Deselected: Prevents users from adding computer destinations to their backup plans.
- Click Save.
Disable existing computer-to-computer backups
The Accept inbound backups option in Backup Settings can prevent configuring new computer-to-computer backups system wide, by organization, or by device. Disable and lock Accept inbound backups in the administration console to disable existing computer-to-computer backups and remove the archives.
You can disable inbound backup for a specific device by navigating to Devices, then selecting the device you want to disable. Go to action menu > Edit to deselect Accept inbound backups.
Option 1: Disable existing computer-to-computer backups for all organizations
If you disable and lock Accept inbound backups, all computer-to-computer archives are deleted.
- Sign in to the administration console.
- Navigate to Settings > Device Backup > General.
- Make sure Accept inbound backups is deselected to prevent computers from accepting inbound backups, then click Lock.
When you update existing, locked settings, you must unlock and relock the settings to apply them to existing archives. If you don't, new files will follow the new settings, but existing archives are not affected.
Option 2: Disable existing computer-to-computer backups for a specific organization
If you disable and lock Accept inbound backups, all computer-to-computer archives are deleted.
- Sign in to the administration console.
- Navigate to Organizations.
- Select the organization.
- Select action menu > Device Backup Defaults.
- Deselect Use device defaults from parent if necessary.
- Make sure Accept inbound backups is deselected to prevent computers from accepting inbound backups, then click Lock.
When you update existing, locked settings, you must unlock and relock the settings to apply them to existing archives. If you don't, new files will follow the new settings, but existing archives are not affected.