Enable External Storage Connection for XenForo 2 Attachments

We have added External Storage Connection support for XenForo 2, allowing you to store XenForo attachments on an external PHP storage server automatically.

Automatic or Manual Processing

• Files can be offloaded automatically every hour using a cron job.
• Alternatively, run manually via Tools → Rebuild Caches for flexibility.

Forum, Resource, and Direct Message Support
Apply external storage to specific forums, resource categories, or direct messages.

Flexible Filtering

• Filter attachments by file extensions.
• Apply minimum and maximum file size thresholds to control which attachments are stored externally.

PHP Storage Server Compatibility
Requires a simple storage.php endpoint on your external PHP server to handle the connection securely and reliably.

This system helps reduce your main server storage load while allowing large files and specific content to be stored on scalable external servers.

Will be integrated in XenVn 2.3.4

 

Chunked Attachment Range Support for XenForo 2

[lindaline]

The new XenVn feature that allows attachments to be offloaded to an external PHP server is a great step forward for scalability and cost control—but it's not for everyone. Here's my evaluation of who benefits most from this feature, and what you should consider in terms of backup and monitoring.
Who is this for?

• Forums with a large number of media attachments, such as downloads, images, audio, video, or PDFs
• Communities that are running into storage limits or want to reduce load on the main server
• Admins who have access to a second PHP-enabled server or web hosting space
• Technically experienced users who are comfortable managing their own infrastructure

If your forum only occasionally uses small attachments or you don't have access to a secondary PHP server, it might be better to stick with the default solution or consider cloud options like S3 or DigitalOcean Spaces.

Backups and Monitoring

1. Backups are essential
Since attachments are no longer stored on the main server, you must set up regular backups for the external storage. Recommended options include:

• A Cron job with rsync or rclone
• Daily backups to a third location (such as a NAS, secondary VPS, or cloud storage)

2. Monitoring is critical
If the external storage goes offline, attachments will be temporarily unavailable to users. To prevent issues:

• Use tools like Uptime Kuma, Cronitor, or Healthchecks.io to monitor the external server
• Check logs regularly (error.log or a dedicated storage.log)
• Consider adding admin notifications in XenForo if connection errors occur

Conclusion
This feature is especially useful for large, media-heavy forums with technical capacity to manage external storage. However, it absolutely requires a reliable backup strategy and active monitoring. If those are in place, it offers a cost-effective and flexible way to reduce main server storage usage while maintaining full control over your data.

 

[xenvn]

Yes, when you move files to another server, backup is important.

The External Storage feature will keep the file directory structure of your main server and the data storage server intact.
So the recovery will be easier, consistent.

In addition, when moving or restoring files, I also add a process to check the MD5 code of the file, to ensure the data is always correct.