I ran out of room on my hosting server. I have too many products at a large size. So for the digidownloads part can I have it access files outside from another server?

Terry (Redsei)

Hi Terry
You could have files on another server but what you couldn't do then is have the download "secure" in any way. All you could have would be an HTTP link which would be available to anyone.
But 200 gigs is a lot of data. There is an "Unreferenced Image" option in the Database Utility part of the admin which may help. But maybe there are other ways of reducing the amount of data?

Vince

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Well reducing the images is not an option as I want to grow that as well. Another option is to find a new way of hosting these images without killing the pocket book. I think the best solution is to have it the way ecommercetemplates has it setup now, but I need more room. I had hoped to sell videos as well, and that is way more storage.

Vince do you know of a hosting solution or possibly another way around this that would allow files to be stored and referenced possibly by a temporary link?

I mean I would just store everything on my side and MANUALLY fill the orders as they come in but I was hoping for a more automated system.

Terry (Redsei)

Get an Amazon S3 account and move your large images there and serve them from there.
That's what I would do.
David

Yeah I thought about that... so Dave, when they are up there it gives you a link that works with the store?

Terry (Redsei)

You can set your S3 bucket to public and then just link to your images there instead of your current server.
I would continue to serve my digital download from your own server, but put those really large 20 x 20 images on S3 perhaps.

For over a year now, I host my site and others on Amazon EC2 and I absolutely love being my own host.
No hateful support to deal with - pointing fingers and failing to accept responsibility over and over.
I'm done giving money to rude hosting companies!

If I need another 10g in space, I can add it in about 2 minutes and it cost just a few bucks a month additional and I can keep adding more and more as needed.

David

So David, I have done what you said and it seems everything is working but I have one big question.

This link is available to everyone out there. Is there a way to protect this so that the only way you can have this link usable is through the store? What's stopping someone from copying the link to someone else....?

Terry (Redsei)

Hi Terry, sorry I didn't get a chance to reply to your message.
What files have you moved to S3?
is it product images?
Or maybe you put your digitialdownload files there?

David

I have put some of the larger files up there. I have collections that contain sometimes 1000 images, zipped together. I tried the package feature but found it was crazy at the cart section where it would list all of those, so I have been zipping all of those together. Makes for larger files for sure.

Again, though, my worry is that link is visible and open to the world.

Terry (Redsei)

Have you considered putting your product images on S3 and leaving your digital download items on your own server?
Another option, you may be able to go into S3 and only allow access from a specific server, or something along those lines.

David

Yes from a specific server would be the way to do it. You haven’t done that though?

Terry (Redsei)

Hi Terry, no. I use S3 for backup storage of some of my local systems (NAS, etc..)

I do know that EC2 has many tools for granting access, and I am guessing that S3 does too. You might have to poke around in there.
I am in the middle of some projects, but I can have a look at some point...

David