Cloud Hosting

We've recently spent a fair amount of time talking aboutcloud syncing solutions for PCs and mobile devices. In addition to syncing files and data across multiple devices, these services also provide as much off-site backup as most home users need. But power users andbusinesses often need more controlthan the typical cloud sync service can offerwhether its over what data is backed up and how, which users can use the service, how that data is secured both in transmission and at rest, or any combination of those flavors of control.

For users and system administrators who are less worried about syncing and more worried about keeping their data safe, a cloud backup solution could be the answer. Among cloud backup solutions, CrashPlan is one of the most competitive, both in features and in pricing. For consumers and small businesses, CrashPlan offers a range of versatile and highly configurable products that can back up client data to CrashPlan's cloud servers without requiring users to pay for and maintain their own file servers or network-attached storage devices. Larger businesses and enterprises can also back data up to CrashPlan's cloud, but are given the added option of creating their own on-site backup servers, which should calm security hawks distrustful of using other companies' servers to store important or sensitive data.

Some of the CrashPlan plans.

Though the details sometimes differ, all versions of CrashPlan operate in the same basic way: using client software installed on the computer you want to back up, you specify what files you'd like to back up and where you'd like to back them up to. All versions of CrashPlan can use CrashPlan's hosted servers, but other versions can also back up to locally hosted CrashPlan servers, external drives, or even other client computers. Once backed up, you can use the client to restore files and folders to your system.

Selecting files for backup. Hidden files can also be backed up if desired.

CrashPlan clients are available for Windows, OS X, Linux, and Solaris operating systems. There are also apps available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone that let you view and download any file stored on a CrashPlan server.

All versions of CrashPlan protect user data with client-side encryption. The paid plans encrypt files with 448-bit Blowfish encryption before transmission, and transmissions are protected by another layer of encryption. For CrashPlan+ and CrashPlanProE, that's 128-bit Blowfish; for CrashPlanPro, it's AES encryption. Users can specify their own passwords or 448-bit encryption keys from the client, meaning that no one at CrashPlan can actually access your data. The free version of CrashPlan uses (relatively) less-secure 128-bit Blowfish encryption to protect files.

Just a few of the settings available to CrashPlan users. These can be defined either in the CrashPlan client or, in the Pro plans, by system administrators.

CrashPlan also stands apart from other backup solutions through the power of its client software. Regular end-users can easily perform routine tasks like selecting files and folders for backup and restoration, but power users can also set their own encryption passwords, dictate how much network bandwidth and processor time the backup process can use when the computer is in active use and at idle, and even configure what networks the client can use for backup. You can get pretty specific with that last partnot only can you distinguish between different network media (wired Ethernet vs. WiFi or cellular, for example) but you can also choose between individual wireless networks (letting your computer back up while it's on your desk, but not while you're at Starbucks). The professional versions of CrashPlan also allow you to dictate default values for these settings.

Most backup clients either present a user interface that's so simple that it's restricting (like Dropbox), or so complicated that it's bewildering (likeSpiderOak). CrashPlan does a good job of making user-facing functionality accessible while providing access to advanced options for power users and administrators.

Original post:
Hands-on with CrashPlan: cloud backup for all