Managing existing connections

All server connections defined in the program can be easily configured via the Manage server connections window.

To open this window, go the Dashboard tab of the Administration Panel and click the Manage () button in the upper-right corner of the Defined server connections card (Fig. 1.).

Fig. 1. Opening the server connections management window.

The Manage server connections window allows you to create new connections, view and edit any previously defined connections or delete them, if necessary (Fig. 2.). After you apply any changes to server connections, remember to save them by clicking OK in the Manage server connections window.

Fig. 2. The Manage server connections window.

The window with the defined connections gives you the following information:

• Type: shows whether the connection is for Exchange or SharePoint, based on the type of Microsoft service being backed up.
• Connection name: displays the name assigned by the program, identified by either the admin’s username/UPN or a domain name – used when configuring the connection. 
• Location: indicates if the service being backed up is in the Microsoft 365 cloud (Exchange Online or SharePoint Online) or on-premises (Exchange Server or SharePoint Server).
• Authentication type: lists the authentication method(s) used for the connection:
  • modern – uses OAuth 2.0 authorization protocol.
  • modern and legacy – combines OAuth 2.0 with Basic Authentication – available for SharePoint Online connections only. Learn more
  • legacy – uses Basic Authentication only – available for connections to on-premises Exchange or SharePoint.

Editing the connections

Server connections are edited the same way as they were created. Click the links below to find out how to edit a connection to:

• Exchange Online
• on-premises Exchange Server
• SharePoint Online
• on-premises SharePoint Server

The existing connections can be edited anytime, even if they are used by active jobs. This does not affect any active jobs because each running job keeps a copy of the previously defined server connection. This mechanism ensures that jobs are not interrupted even if you change their current server connection settings. Changes applied to server connections will only impact a job when you restart it or, in the case of continuous backup jobs, when another backup cycle starts.

Obsolete connections

Since version 2.3.x, CodeTwo Backup uses Modern Authentication (OAuth 2.0) when connecting to Exchange Online and since version 2.4.x when connecting to SharePoint Online. Microsoft 365 connections configured in previous versions of the program only use legacy authentication protocols (such as Basic Authentication) and are marked as [obsolete] (Fig. 3.). They still work, but it is recommended to reconfigure them, so that they also use the Modern Authentication protocol. Otherwise, you will not be able to connect to your server after Basic Authentication is disabled for your tenant. Learn more

Fig. 3. An obsolete connection to Exchange Online.

Obsolete SharePoint Online connections

SharePoint Online connections configured in CodeTwo Backup versions prior to 2.4.x use Basic Authentication. To enjoy enhanced security, you need to reconfigure these connections to use Modern Authentication (OAuth 2.0). To this end, select a legacy SharePoint connection in the Manage server connections window, click Edit to the right (see Fig. 3.) and follow the steps in the SharePoint connection wizard.

Keep in mind that if you have previously backed up custom web part page layouts or single-response surveys from SharePoint Online and plan to restore them in the future, you will also need to enable legacy authentication for your connection. Learn more