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Diffstat (limited to 'doc/development/shared_files.md')
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1 files changed, 6 insertions, 30 deletions
diff --git a/doc/development/shared_files.md b/doc/development/shared_files.md index 6c273f2899d..e26464a5d80 100644 --- a/doc/development/shared_files.md +++ b/doc/development/shared_files.md @@ -6,34 +6,10 @@ info: To determine the technical writer assigned to the Stage/Group associated w # Shared files -Historically, GitLab has been storing shared files in many different -directories: `public/uploads`, `builds`, `tmp/repositories`, `tmp/rebase` (EE), -etc. Having so many shared directories makes it difficult to deploy GitLab on -shared storage (e.g. NFS). Working towards GitLab 9.0 we are consolidating -these different directories under the `shared` directory. +Historically, GitLab supported storing files that could be accessed from multiple application +servers in `shared/`, using a shared storage solution like NFS. Although this is still an option for +some GitLab installations, it must not be the only file storage option for a given feature. This is +because [cloud-native GitLab installations do not support it](architecture.md#adapting-existing-and-introducing-new-components). -This means that if GitLab begins storing puppies in some future version -then we should put them in `shared/puppies`. Temporary puppy files should be -stored in `shared/tmp`. - -In the GitLab application code you can get the full path to the `shared` -directory with `Gitlab.config.shared.path`. - -## What is not a 'shared file' - -Files that belong to only one process, or on only one server, should not go in -`shared`. Examples include PID files and sockets. - -## Temporary files and shared storage - -Sometimes you create a temporary file on disk with the intention of it becoming -'official'. For example you might be first streaming an upload from a user to -disk in a temporary file so you can perform some checks on it. When the checks -pass, you make the file official. In scenarios like this please follow these -rules: - -- Store the temporary file under `shared/tmp`, i.e. on the same file system you - want the official file to be on. -- Use move/rename operations when operating on the file instead of copy - operations where possible, because renaming a file is much faster than - copying it. +Our [uploads documentation](uploads.md) describes how to handle file storage in +such a way that it supports both options: direct disk access and object storage. |