Documentation

Getting started

Everything you need to install, activate, and run CloudDelta Backup in your environment.

System Requirements

CloudDelta Backup is a Windows desktop application. Before installing, confirm your environment meets the following requirements.

  • Operating System: Windows 11 (64-bit) or Windows Server 2022 or later
  • Privileges: Administrator rights are required. CloudDelta Backup must be run as Administrator.
  • Internet access: Required for Laserfiche Cloud authentication and license validation.
  • Laserfiche Cloud account: You must have an active Laserfiche Cloud subscription with valid credentials.
  • Disk space: Varies based on your document volume. Ensure the backup destination has sufficient free space to store your documents in their original formats.
Note: CloudDelta Backup requires Administrator privileges because it creates and manages Windows Scheduled Tasks for automated backup runs. If you decline the UAC prompt, automation features will not be available.

Installation

CloudDelta Backup is distributed as a Windows installer. You will receive a download link after your license is confirmed.

1
Download the installer

Download the installer from the link provided in your purchase confirmation email. Save it to your desktop or a location you can easily find.

2
Run as Administrator

Right-click the installer and choose Run as administrator. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete installation. The default installation path is C:\Program Files\CloudDelta Backup.

3
Launch the application

After installation, launch CloudDelta Backup from the Start Menu or desktop shortcut. If prompted by Windows UAC, click Yes to allow Administrator access.

License Activation

On first launch, you will be prompted to enter your license key. You received this key in your purchase confirmation email.

1
Enter your license key

Paste or type your license key into the activation dialog and click Activate. An internet connection is required to complete activation.

2
Activation confirmation

Once activated, the application will display your license tier and expiration date at the bottom of the main window. Activation is tied to this machine.

Offline environments: If the machine does not have internet access at activation time, contact us for offline activation options.

User Accounts & Access

CloudDelta Backup includes an application-level user authentication system. All users must log in to CloudDelta before accessing any part of the application. This is separate from your Laserfiche credentials and governs access to CloudDelta itself.

First launch

On first launch, you will be prompted to create the initial Administrator account. You will choose a username, display name, and password. A one-time recovery code will then be displayed — copy it immediately and store it somewhere safe (a password manager is recommended). This code is shown only once and cannot be retrieved later. It is your only fallback if all administrator credentials are lost.

Recovery code: If all administrator accounts are lost and your recovery code is unavailable, contact support@clouddelta.ai for emergency recovery assistance. Do not move or modify the database — doing so may make recovery impossible.

Roles

Every user is assigned one of two roles:

  • Administrator — full access to all tabs and functions, including Backup, Automation, Database & Encryption settings, and user management.
  • Read-Only — can browse and search backed-up documents in the Recovery tab, view audit records and reconciliation results, and check storage statistics. Cannot run backups, modify settings, manage users, or change license or encryption configuration.

Managing users

Administrators can add, edit, and deactivate user accounts from the User Admin tab. Up to 10 user accounts are supported. An administrator account cannot be deactivated if it is the last active administrator in the system.

Account lockout

After 5 consecutive failed login attempts, an account is locked for 15 minutes. Administrators can reset locked accounts from the User Admin tab.

MFA Setup

If your Laserfiche Cloud account is protected by multi-factor authentication (MFA), CloudDelta Backup supports TOTP-based MFA — the same standard used by Google Authenticator and similar apps. Automated backup runs can authenticate silently without disabling MFA or requiring any changes to your Laserfiche account configuration.

1
Get your TOTP secret key from Laserfiche

When enrolling or re-enrolling MFA on your Laserfiche account, Laserfiche presents a QR code along with a plain-text secret key (usually shown under a link such as “Can’t scan? Enter this code manually”). Scan the QR code with Google Authenticator as normal for your day-to-day logins, then separately copy the plain-text secret key — you will need it for the next step.

2
Enter the secret key in CloudDelta

On the CloudDelta login screen, enter your MFA secret key in the MFA Secret Key (optional) field before saving your credentials. CloudDelta stores this securely and uses it to generate the correct authentication code silently during automated backup runs.

If MFA is reset on the Laserfiche account: Any time MFA is re-enrolled (new phone, lost authenticator app, etc.), the MFA secret key in CloudDelta must also be updated with the new secret. Until it is updated, automated backup runs will fail at the authentication step. The autorun log will clearly indicate an MFA-related failure.

Your First Backup

After activation, you'll be prompted to log in to your Laserfiche Cloud account. CloudDelta Backup uses your existing Laserfiche credentials — no additional configuration is required in Laserfiche.

1
Log in to Laserfiche Cloud

Enter your Laserfiche account ID, username, and password. CloudDelta Backup will authenticate and connect to your repository.

2
Set a backup destination

On the Backup tab, click Browse and select the folder where you want documents saved. This can be a local drive or a mapped network share. CloudDelta Backup supports file-level encryption of backed-up documents — encryption settings are available within the application to ensure your records are protected at rest.

3
Enter a tag to back up

Enter the name of a Laserfiche tag. CloudDelta Backup will find all documents with that tag in your repository and download them in their original file format — Word documents as .docx, PDFs as PDFs, and so on — along with each document's Laserfiche template and field metadata. Folder structure is preserved exactly as it exists in Laserfiche. Note: only the current version of each document is backed up; version history is not included.

4
Click Search, then Download

Click Search to preview the documents that will be backed up, then click Download to begin. Progress is shown in real time. Results are logged automatically.

Scheduling Automation

Standard, Professional, and Enterprise licenses include scheduled automation. Scheduled backups run automatically via Windows Task Scheduler — no user login required at run time.

License requirement: Scheduled automation is not available on the CloudDelta Basic tier. Upgrade to Standard or higher to enable this feature.
1
Open the Automation tab

In the main window, click the Automation tab. If your license tier does not include automation, you will see an upgrade prompt here.

2
Enable automation and configure the schedule

Check Enable automated backups, enter the tag to back up, choose Daily or Weekly, and set the time. Weekly backups allow you to select the day of the week.

3
Save settings

Click Save Automation Settings. CloudDelta Backup will register a Windows Scheduled Task. You can verify the task in Windows Task Scheduler under the name CloudDeltaBackup.

Document Recovery

The Recovery tab gives you a familiar folder and document view — similar to how you navigate in Laserfiche — so you can browse your backed-up repository, find exactly what you need, and restore it on your terms.

You can locate documents three ways:

  • Folder browse — navigate your backed-up folder structure visually, exactly as it was organized in Laserfiche. Open folders, browse subfolders, and select individual documents or entire folders to restore.
  • Document search — search by document name across your entire backup to quickly locate a specific file without browsing manually.
  • Template and field search — filter by Laserfiche template and field values to find documents by their metadata — useful when you know the record type or field content but not the exact file name or location.

Once you've located the document or folder you want, select it and click Restore to send it back to your Laserfiche Cloud repository in its original format.

Disaster Recovery

If the machine running CloudDelta Backup is replaced, its OS is reinstalled, or the application data in C:\ProgramData\CloudDeltaBackup is lost, you can fully recover your installation as long as your database and your .cdckey file are intact.

What you need before you begin

  • Your backed-up database (SQL Server database name and server, or the CloudDeltaBackup.db SQLite file)
  • Your .cdckey key file and its PIN (only required if the root key is not already in the database)
  • Your Laserfiche Cloud credentials (you will re-enter these once after recovery)
1
Install CloudDelta Backup on the new machine

Download and run the installer as normal. On first launch, instead of a fresh setup prompt, a Recovery Setup dialog will appear because no database configuration file is found.

2
Choose "Recover Existing Installation"

In the Recovery Setup dialog, select Recover Existing Installation. Choose your database backend (SQLite or SQL Server), enter the connection details, and click Connect to Database.

3
Import your key file if prompted

If the root security key is present in the database, recovery proceeds automatically. If the key is missing (for example, the database was restored from a backup that predates key generation), you will be prompted to browse for your .cdckey file and enter your PIN. Once imported, the key is written back to the database.

4
Complete recovery and log in

Click Complete Recovery. The application will start normally. Log in with your existing CloudDelta user credentials. You will be prompted to re-enter your Laserfiche Cloud credentials once — after that, automated backups and all other features resume as before.

If you cannot recover: If your database is unrecoverable and your key file is also lost, contact support@clouddelta.ai. Your previously backed-up document files on disk are unaffected and remain readable if encryption was not enabled. If encryption was enabled and the key is gone, the encrypted files cannot be decrypted.

Email Reports

CloudDelta Backup can send an email summary after each automated backup run. Reports include the number of documents processed, any errors, and the full run log.

Email reports are configured on the Automation tab. Standard SMTP configuration is used — you will need your SMTP server address, port, and credentials.

App Passwords: Yahoo, Google, and many other third-party email providers require an App Password rather than your standard account password for SMTP access. Links to provider-specific setup instructions are available inside the application.

File Encryption

CloudDelta Backup can encrypt backed-up documents at rest on your local infrastructure. Encryption is optional but strongly recommended for organizations with regulatory or policy requirements around data protection.

CloudDelta uses a root security key stored in your database to protect all sensitive data — saved credentials, SMTP settings, and encrypted backup files all depend on this key. Before encryption is fully active, the application requires you to export a PIN-protected backup of this key to an offline location. This step cannot be skipped.

Critical — read before enabling encryption: If your root key file and its PIN are both lost, all encrypted backup files and saved credentials are permanently unrecoverable — no exceptions. CloudDelta has no back door and no reset process. Store the exported key file and its PIN in separate secure locations (for example, a password manager for the PIN and an offline USB or secure file share for the key file).
1
Enable encryption

Open the Database & Encryption tab and check Enable file encryption. A root security key is generated and stored in your database immediately.

2
Export and back up your key file

A hard-stop dialog will appear requiring you to acknowledge the recovery warning and export a PIN-protected .cdckey file. You must check all three acknowledgement boxes and complete the export before the dialog can be closed. Choose a PIN you will remember — it is required to import the key during a recovery. Store the .cdckey file somewhere off this machine (USB drive, secure network share, or similar).

3
Encrypt existing files (optional)

If you have previously backed-up documents that are not yet encrypted, CloudDelta will offer to encrypt them in place immediately after the key is backed up. This is recommended to ensure your entire backup archive is consistently protected.

Recovery tab and encrypted files: When browsing or restoring encrypted documents, CloudDelta loads the key automatically from secure local storage. If the key is not available on the current machine (for example, after a recovery scenario), you will be prompted to import your .cdckey file and enter your PIN.

Audit Trail

CloudDelta maintains a tamper-evident audit log of document removal operations. The audit trail is designed to support compliance, legal holds, and internal governance requirements.

Audit records are grouped by session — each removal operation creates a session entry showing the date and time, the number of documents affected, and the individual document records. Each session is protected by an HMAC signature so any tampering with the log is clearly detectable.

From the Audit tab you can:

  • Browse audit sessions by date range using the tree view on the left
  • Select any session to view its individual document records in detail
  • Export the selected session as a CSV or PDF for records submission or filing
  • Identify sessions where log integrity cannot be verified — these are clearly flagged in the session list

Reconciliation

The Reconciliation feature compares your local backup database against your live Laserfiche Cloud repository to identify gaps in either direction, without making a per-document call to Laserfiche for every file.

1
Sync the Laserfiche Cloud index

On the Reconcile tab, click Sync LF Cloud Index. CloudDelta scans your entire Laserfiche repository and stores a lightweight index locally. Progress is shown as pages are retrieved. Subsequent reconciliation runs use the local index without contacting Laserfiche again until you choose to re-sync.

2
Run reconciliation

Click Run Reconciliation. Results are displayed in a color-coded grid: red rows indicate documents that are in your backup database but no longer present in Laserfiche Cloud; yellow rows indicate documents that exist in Laserfiche Cloud but have never been backed up.

3
Export the report

Click Export Report (CSV) to save the reconciliation results for review, filing, or follow-up action.

SQL Server required: Reconciliation is available on Professional and Enterprise tiers, which include SQL Server database support. It is not available on Basic or Standard installations.

Offline Mode

If CloudDelta Backup cannot reach Laserfiche Cloud at login time — due to a network issue, DNS failure, or service disruption — you can continue working in Offline Mode rather than waiting or restarting the application.

The following remain fully functional in Offline Mode:

  • Recovery tab — browse, search, and export previously backed-up documents
  • Audit tab — full read access to audit records and export
  • Reconcile tab — run reconciliation against the last synced local index
  • Storage & Stats tab — view backup statistics and file integrity results
  • Automation tab — view and modify schedule settings (changes take effect when connectivity is restored)
  • Settings — view and modify local configuration

The following are disabled in Offline Mode:

  • Backup tab — document download and search require a live Laserfiche session
  • Any operation that requires real-time access to your Laserfiche repository

An amber banner is displayed at the top of the application while running in Offline Mode. Click Reconnect in the banner to re-authenticate without restarting the application.

Troubleshooting

Login fails or browser window doesn't appear

Ensure the machine has a working internet connection and can reach app.laserfiche.com. If your organization uses a web proxy, CloudDelta Backup must be able to reach Laserfiche Cloud through it.

Scheduled backup runs but no documents are downloaded

Verify that the tag name entered in the Automation tab exactly matches a tag that exists in your Laserfiche repository (case-sensitive). Use the manual Search on the Backup tab to confirm documents are found before relying on the schedule.

License activation fails

Confirm the machine has outbound internet access. If activation continues to fail, contact us at info@clouddelta.ai with your license key and we will assist.

Need more help?

Contact us at info@clouddelta.ai. Please include your license tier and a description of what you're seeing.