App_Data in a load-balanced scenario suggestions

Vote:

Hi there,

I'm wondering what anyone who has run into a load-balanced Epi environment has used for storing the App_Data blobs folder? Storing it locally for each site is obviously not ideal since each web server will then have its own copy of all media. A UNC path to a separate file storage server is an option, but if that goes down for some reason -- all media would be at the mercy of whatever caching is in place.

For the moment we went with a DFS-based solution (a UNC path to a DFS-replicated thing), but the IT department on this project is wondering if there are any other alternatives because they don't trust DFS working that great.

Any other cool auto-replicating solutions anyone else here has used in this scenario besides DFS? Is Azure blob storage an option with an on-premises (non-DXC) hosted website maybe!?

Thanks! :)

#182486

Sep 21, 2017 2:51

Dejan Caric

Vote:

You can store blobs in SQL Server Database using https://github.com/BVNetwork/SqlBlobProvider

It's available on Episerver's nuget feed.

#182493

Edited, Sep 21, 2017 10:06

valdis

Vote:

azure blob is always an option, but don't think it's most optimal in prem-cloud cases..

#182506

Sep 21, 2017 16:07

Vote:

Dejan, Valdis,

Thanks for your replies! I've looked into it a bit, and SqlBlobProvider does look like a good option.

Valdis -- can I ask, what did you mean that it's not optimal in prem-cloud cases? Like a DXC installation with some pieces remaining on-prem for the customer?

#182972

Oct 02, 2017 21:21

valdis

Vote:

no, if it's DXC - then data transfer is within data-center (kinda). what I meant is that episerver is on-premises and storage in up in the cloud. we have sort of this setup in one of the projects.

#182981

Oct 02, 2017 22:46

Vote:

Gotcha, that makes sense. Yeah, Azure blob storage, or something along those lines, alongside an on-premises setup is definitely something I considered. So you're saying you had issues with that?

Also, regarding storing it in SQL, I suppose one big thing to consider is that the databases would obviously grow really large, and back-up and restore processes would definitely be impacted by that. Plus the reliance on an unsupported module altogether (it's listed that SqlBlobProvider isn't supported and to use it at one's own risk, haha).

#182986

Oct 03, 2017 0:59