[Koha] Taking patron images out of db into a directory

[Katrin Fischer]

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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