1. File System
1.1 Pros
- Performance can be better. If you store large files in db then it may slow down the performance because a Select * query to retrieve the filename will also load the file data.
- Saving the files and downloading them in the file system is much simpler. A simple Save as function is enough. Downloading can be done by addressing an URL with the location of the saved file.
- Migrating the data is an easy process here. You can just copy and paste the folder to your desired destination while ensuring right write permissions.
- Economical in most of the cases to expand your web server rather than paying for certain Databases.
- Easy to migrate it to Cloud storage like Amazon S3 or CDNs etc in the future.
1.2 Cons
- Loosely packed. No ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) operations. Consider a scenario if your files are deleted from the location manually, you might not know whether the file exists or not.
- Low Security. Since your files can be saved in a folder where you should have provided write permissions, it is prone to safety issues and invites troubles like hacking.
1.3 Preferred Use Cases
- If your application is liable to handle Large files of size more than 5MB and the massive number say thousands of file uploads.
- If your application will have a large number of users.
2. Database
2.1 Pros
- ACID (Atomicity, Consistency, Isolation, Durability) consistency which includes a rollback of an update that is complicated when the files are stored outside the database.
- Files are in sync with the database so cannot be orphaned from it which gives you an upper hand in tracking transactions.
- Backups automatically include file binaries.
- More Secure than saving in a File System.
2.2 Cons
- May have to convert the files to blob in order to store it in db.
- Database Backups will become more hefty and heavy.
- Memory ineffective. Often RDBMS’s are RAM driven. So all data has to go to RAM first.
2.3 Preferred Use Cases
- If your user’s file needs to be more tightly coupled, secured and confidential.
- If your application will not demand a large number of files from a large number of users.
3. Questions to help decide
- Do you need object management?
- Do you need object relationship management?
- Do you need transactional data operations?
- Do you need concurrent access to your data?
- Do you need indexed data for fast lookups?
- Do you need intelligent memory managed data?
- Do you need data redundancy?
- Will your data management requirements change?
Answering “yes” to any of the above questions may indicate a DBMS is a more appropriate data store.
