Hi Mark and all, I kind of disagree with a few points. I see no harm in storing the patron images optionally outside of the database as suggested by Owen. I don't think the database is a good place to store files actually, storing them outside makes a lot of sense to me. Patron images are currently stored in their own linked table called patronimage. The setting of paths is usually done in the koha-conf.xml file so I think that would be the place for configuration of patron image storage too. Afaik we already have an option to include index files and uploaded files in the backups - I think it should not be hard to add another option. We could make the switch between database and directory storage a pref maybe. Katrin On 10.04.20 21:49, Mark Tompsett wrote:
Greetings,
We'd like to write a patch to move patron images out of db into a directory in the server.
Mmmm... no. People doing backups might forget to supplement the default Koha backup with that specific directory, and come a system failure and a restore later... they discover the photos are no more.
1. The size of database backup will be decreased, by this way one may store db backups more.
Only if the pictures are on a different server.
2. Database performance will increase
Theoretically, yes. But I don't see how one tiny thing would speed it up that much, unless ... (goes to update his branches and see the schema) Oh... okay... yes, perhaps patron images should be in its own linked table, so that borrower.* won't be hindered with patronimage data.
3. It will be possible to put patron images in different disk in the server 4. Easily put images gathered from other systems like (university system, personnel system, etc)
Putting the files in another collection that gets backed up differently would be okay.
What is your idea?
I prefer the notion of in DB or externally controlled by system preferences. I think system preferences, because librarians may not have access to the technical koha-conf.xml configuration settings file. And patron images would likely fall under the responsibility of librarians, not IT people.
GPML, Mark Tompsett _______________________________________________
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