Data stored on IITS-managed staff and faculty computers used to be backed up using a program called Code42 and was formerly known as CrashPlan. CrashPlan would run silently in the background and upload a copy of the files and folders on your device to servers hosted in the UTSC Data Centre. These timestamped transfers of data from the device to the server would serve as a data backup, thus ensuring that data can be recovered in the event of a hardware failure, accidental deletion, or ransomware attack. Unfortunately, CrashPlan was retired at the end of Fall 2022 and has since stopped working. To ensure continued protection of data stored on managed Windows and Mac devices, data must be moved to Microsoft OneDrive which is a cloud storage solution. The OneDrive software installed on an IITS-managed computer supports automatic file synchronization to OneDrive's cloud storage and allows users to restore deleted files and even restore a file to a previous file version. All active students, staff, and faculty have access to 1TB of space in OneDrive as a part of the University of Toronto's Microsoft Office365 (M365) subscription. M365 also hosts other key applications like Microsoft Outlook for email, Microsoft Teams for meetings and collaboration, and SharePoint for hosting departmental knowledge bases, files, and more. OneDrive is a secure cloud storage solution and has been approved as recovery tool against ransomware.
IITS will be contacting staff and faculty in phases by email and asking them to book an appointment with the HelpDesk to move their data to OneDrive. When you receive an email, please schedule your appointment using the link provided. Once an appointment has been scheduled, the technician assigned to your appointment will call you at the time and date of your appointment and establish a remote connection to your computer via TeamViewer. You will need a stable Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection and access to a power outlet is essential.
Yes! Even if you use OneDrive, or another backup solution, not all your data may be fully backed up. For example there may be gaps in what CrashPlan was backing up and what your existing solution backs up. As a precaution, it is best to check and make sure all your data is accounted for. We also need to remove CrashPlan from your device(s) as the software is no longer supported and it will not receive any further updates.
To learn more about OneDrive, its security, and how it works, including recovery of deleted or changed files, please refer to the IITS Knowledge Base (UTORid log in is required). Alternatively, please contact the IITS Service Desk: helpdesk.utsc@utoronto.ca / 416-287-HELP (4357). You can also learn more about the IITS supported Security and Backup services here.