I wrote a quick batch file for Windows that will let me temporarily redirect the CrashPlan Desktop client to point to my Synology DS411j NAS, a Linux-based server running CrashPlan in headless mode. The basic idea was that normally when I run the CrashPlan Desktop UI on my Windows notebook, I am managing the backup for the local notebook. However, when I run the batch file, I point the CrashPlan Desktop UI to the NAS and I am managing the backup for the Linux server.

I’m essentially posting this for my own records, but maybe it’ll be useful to others.

Prerequisite steps:

1. Install the CrashPlan client on the Windows notebook. Install CrashPlan in headless mode on the Synology NAS. (The batch file should work for any Linux server, though.)
2. Install putty and plink on the Windows notebook. In my case, I put them in C:\bin.
3. Make two copies of C:\Program Files\CrashPlan\conf\ui.properties – one that corresponds to your desktop (called ui.properties-local) and a second that corresponds to your server (called ui.properties-remote). In the case of ui.properties-remote, just add the following line as instructed by CrashPlan:

   serviceHost=192.168.1.1 (or wherever your NAS is)
   servicePort=4243

4. Create the following file somewhere and use a shortcut it to to launch CrashPlan but pointing to your remote server, to manage it’s backup. Use the regular CrashPlan shortcut when you want to manage the local backup. Customize IP addresses and passwords as required for your configuration.

@echo off

rem Start SSH tunnel
echo Starting SSH tunnel…
start c:\bin\plink -L 4200:localhost:4243 root@192.168.215.10 -pw YOUR_PASSWORD_HERE -N

rem Open the UI
echo Starting UI…
pushd
c:
cd \Program Files\CrashPlan\
copy /y conf\ui.properties-remote conf\ui.properties
CrashPlanDesktop.exe
copy /y conf\ui.properties-local conf\ui.properties

rem Close the SSH tunnel
taskkill /im plink.exe
popd