Database or File System: Where Should Your Documents Reside?

Storing Files: Database vs. File System

As a developer tasked with implementing a Document Management System, it is crucial to determine the optimal storage approach between storing files in a database or on a file system. This decision hinges on factors such as security, retrieval speed, and scalability.

For scenarios involving large volumes of documents in diverse formats, storing files directly in the file system is often preferred for performance reasons. Fast retrieval is a key requirement in this case, and file system storage provides faster access compared to retrieving files from a database.

Securing Files on the File System

While file system storage offers speed benefits, it necessitates careful security precautions:

• Confidentiality: Protect sensitive documents by storing them outside the Apache Document Root and controlling access through a PHP Controller.
• Sharded Path: Divide storage into multiple directories to prevent bottlenecks and improve performance. Consider hashing the filename to distribute files across directories.
• Inode Number: Monitor inode usage to avoid running out of available directory pointers, especially when storing numerous small files.

Using a Database for Metadata

If search capabilities are desired based on file attributes such as date or title, it may be beneficial to store metadata in a database. This approach enables efficient searches without compromising the performance of file retrieval.

It is worth noting that MySQL does not offer a direct equivalent to MS SQL Server's FILESYSTEM column type, which acts as a hybrid between file systems and databases. However, external file storage with supplemental metadata stored in a database remains a viable and effective solution.

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