Vetted and tested by Rice’s Office of Information Technology, CrashPlan has proven successful in preventing the catastrophe of data loss—whether it be result of a stolen computer, or one tragically lost to a spilled cup of coffee. If you store data or files locally on your laptop or desktop, it is highly recommended that you back up those files to protect against hardware malfunctions, accidental deletions/overwrites, or any other mishap. As best described by its creators at Code42, CrashPlan “silently and continuously back[s] up all distributed end-user data for complete visibility and control on a single, secure platform.” CrashPlan is an automatic, tamper-proof backup solution designed to backup data and allows you to restore files from different points in time and from any networked computer. CrashPlan is simple to use, highly efficient, and very secure.
Rice-Owned Machines
Rice has a contract with CrashPlan for Rice-owned machines. Whether your computer is stolen, disabled, or damaged, CrashPlan allows for full data recovery to another Rice owned computer. Many faculty and staff find the automatic backups CrashPlan offers more convenient and effective than having to manually duplicate files to alternate storage solutions (Flash Drives, CD/DVDs, mobile hard drives, etc.). Each employee who contracts with CrashPlan can back-up four Rice-owned laptops or desktop computers. Mobile devices are not currently covered under the CrashPlan service. The annual cost of the service for faculty and staff is less than $85 per year, billed once each year, and is payable with a Rice fund and org code. CrashPlan works with Windows, Apple, Linux and Solaris operating systems, and the amount of storage space for each account is unlimited. Interested staff and faculty can contact the OIT Help Desk to learn more or to purchase CrashPlan.
Personal Machines
The OIT recommends that students, faculty, and staff utilize online backup to prevent loss of their personal data. To set up individual services with CrashPlan, visit http://www.code42.com/products/crashplan/
For more information or to get help setting up CrashPlan, contact the OIT Help Desk:
Web: http://helpdesk.rice.edu/
Email: helpdesk@rice.edu
Phone: 713.348.HELP (4357)