Cloud Storage

Chamilo 2.0 supports cloud storage backends for user-uploaded files through Flysystem, a PHP filesystem abstraction library integrated into Symfony. This allows you to store files on cloud services instead of (or in addition to) the local filesystem.

Why Use Cloud Storage?

• Scalability -- Cloud storage grows with your platform without managing disk space.

• Multi-server deployments -- When running multiple web servers behind a load balancer, cloud storage ensures all servers access the same files.

• Durability -- Cloud providers offer built-in redundancy and backup.

• Cost -- Object storage is often cheaper per gigabyte than block storage attached to servers.

Supported Providers

Provider	Flysystem Adapter
Amazon S3	league/flysystem-aws-s3-v3
Google Cloud Storage	league/flysystem-google-cloud-storage
Azure Blob Storage	league/flysystem-azure-blob-storage
MinIO (S3-compatible)	Uses the S3 adapter with a custom endpoint
Local filesystem	Default, no additional packages needed

Installation

Chamilo already comes with the following pre-installed providers:

# Amazon S3
league/flysystem-aws-s3-v3

# Google Cloud Storage
league/flysystem-google-cloud-storage

# Azure Blob Storage
league/flysystem-azure-blob-storage

Configuration

Chamilo splits its files across several Flysystem mounts — assets, assets cache, resources, resources cache, themes, and plugins. Each mount can target a different bucket or container. The cloud configuration in config/packages/oneup_flysystem.yaml is selected by environment using when@ conditions and reads the variables you set in .env.

Amazon S3

# .env — common credentials
AWS_S3_STORAGE_VERSION=latest
AWS_S3_STORAGE_REGION=eu-central-1
AWS_S3_STORAGE_ACCESS_KEY=your-access-key
AWS_S3_STORAGE_ACCESS_SECRET=your-secret-key

# Per-mount buckets (each mount can be a different bucket)
AWS_S3_STORAGE_ASSET_BUCKET=chamilo-assets
AWS_S3_STORAGE_ASSET_CACHE_BUCKET=chamilo-asset-cache
AWS_S3_STORAGE_RESOURCE_BUCKET=chamilo-resources
AWS_S3_STORAGE_RESOURCE_CACHE_BUCKET=chamilo-resource-cache
AWS_S3_STORAGE_THEMES_BUCKET=chamilo-themes
AWS_S3_STORAGE_PLUGINS_BUCKET=chamilo-plugins

# Optional path prefixes inside a bucket — useful to share buckets across portals
AWS_S3_STORAGE_ASSET_PREFIX=portal1/assets
AWS_S3_STORAGE_RESOURCE_PREFIX=portal1/resources

Azure Blob Storage

# .env
AZURE_STORAGE_CONNECTION_STRING='DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=...;AccountKey=...'
AZURE_STORAGE_ASSET_CONTAINER=asset-container
AZURE_STORAGE_ASSET_CACHE_CONTAINER=asset-cache-container
AZURE_STORAGE_RESOURCE_CONTAINER=resources-container
AZURE_STORAGE_RESOURCE_CACHE_CONTAINER=resources-cache-container
AZURE_STORAGE_THEMES_CONTAINER=themes-container
# Optional prefixes
AZURE_STORAGE_ASSET_PREFIX=optional/prefix

Google Cloud Storage

Configure GCS the same way as S3, using GCS-specific environment variables and one bucket per mount. Refer to the oneup_flysystem.yaml shipped with your release for the exact variable names — they are also documented in .env.

MinIO (S3-Compatible)

MinIO works through the S3 adapter with a custom endpoint and path-style addressing — set AWS_S3_STORAGE_* as for S3 and add the MinIO endpoint and path-style flags supported by the bundle.

The full set of variable names is listed in the .env.dist file shipped with Chamilo. Copy only the lines for the provider you actually use into your .env and uncomment them.

Migrating Existing Files

If you are switching from local storage to cloud storage on an existing platform, you must migrate the existing files:

1. Configure the new storage adapter as described above.

2. Copy existing files from the local var/upload/ directory to your cloud storage bucket, preserving the directory structure.

3. Verify that files are accessible through the platform after migration.

Permissions and Access

Ensure your cloud storage bucket is not publicly accessible unless you explicitly need public file URLs. Chamilo serves files through its own access control layer, so direct public access to the bucket is unnecessary and a security risk.

For S3, use a bucket policy that restricts access to the IAM credentials configured above.

Tips

• Test with MinIO locally before deploying to a cloud provider -- MinIO is a free, S3-compatible server you can run on your own machine.

• Use a dedicated bucket for Chamilo rather than sharing a bucket with other applications.

• Set up lifecycle policies on your cloud bucket to manage storage costs (e.g., move old files to cheaper storage tiers).