CrashPlan PRO Review
Our Rating:
Reviewed Jul 13, 2011
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CrashPlan PRO rated 3.25 stars based on 4 votes |
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Pros
- Flexible payment options (pay per computer, or for block of storage space)
- Unlimited space option
- Unthrottled uploads
- Online Dashboard
- Numerous support options
Cons
- No server support (including SQL Server and Exchange Servers)
- No mobile app
- No sharing files (collaboration)
- No file sync
Complete Review
Intro
CrashPlan PRO is the business solution from Code 42, maker of CrashPlan. Just as robust as their consumer product, CrashPlan PRO is available for SMBs with up to 200 computers. Pricing can be per computer ($7.49 per month for unlimited space) or pay for a block of backup space (50GB to 4TB) and use it over unlimited computers.
Deployment
Once you've set-up your CrashPlan PRO account, you can now start adding computers to be backed up. CrashPlan has a video which explains how this is done:
The options are to either Invite others, Add computers, or Add Multiple computers at once.
To invite users, sign-in to CrashPlan PRO online, go to the users screen, then click on Invite Users. You can enter your own message, then enter the user(s) email address(es).
However, sometimes you want more control when adding users. In this case, you can add users one-by-one, specifying their name, email, and password. Then, install CrashPlan PRO on their computer, login with the account you've created, and start the backup.
Backup
With CrashPlan PRO, you can create multiple backup sets and specify different rules for each set. For example, maybe you want to backup one set of data to a connected USB drive (called Folders in CrashPlan PRO), and another set to sent to CrashPlan's data center (called "Online"). Or, maybe some data you want to keep 30 days of file versions, and another set you want to keep every version. CrashPlan PRO allows you to make these choices.
Restore
To restore lost or corrupted files, simply open the CrashPlan PRO client application, choose which files you want to restore by checking the boxes next to the file or folder. After you've chosen which version of the file to restore (most recent, or a specific date) and where you want to restore the files to (a new folder, or the original location) click Restore and the files are prepared and downloaded to your system.
Remote Access
Unfortunately at this time, the only remote access you get with CrashPlan PRO is logging into your online account and restoring it via the web. Mobile apps are not yet available.
Administrative Console
CrashPlan PRO has one of the nicest Administrative Dashboards we've seen in a business online backup product.
From the dashboard, you can quickly see how many computers are currently online, how many GB of data is backed up, how many users are in the account, how many computers are currently backing up, and restore stats & history.
Clicking on the users menu, you'll be able to see how many devices each user is backing up, how many GB are selected for backup, their progress in uploading all of that data, and when the last backup was.
You can also set the device default settings, which will help administer computers in the field, making sure they get backed up in a timely manner without impacting the user while they work.
A nice feature of CrashPlan PRO, especially when dealing with laptops, is the ability to locate a computer. We've seen this in Backblaze's consumer product, but it's nice to see a business backup solution like CrashPlan PRO include it.
Support
Code 42 stands behind CrashPlan PRO, offering you numerous support options:- Live chat, available Monday – Friday from 9am to 5pm CST
- Phone support 612-333-4242
- Online Forums, Documentation and FAQ
- E-mail support at support@crashplanpro.com
Summary
If the simplified pricing (unlimited backup for $7.49 per month, or unlimited computers sharing a fixed amount of backup space) didn't sell you on CrashPlan PRO, the dashboard will. CrashPlan PRO handles Windows, Mac and Linux computers, but will not backup SQL Server or Exchange Server. In addition, CrashPlan PRO does not, at this time, have a mobile app or sync and sharing capabilities. But for a secure, robust backup solution, CrashPlan PRO is a great solution.- Get started with a free 30-day trial of CrashPlan PRO (with no credit card required)
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Review by Online Backups Review
