File Storage Providers¶

Apilane supports four file storage providers for uploaded files. Files can be stored on the local server file system or in cloud object storage.

Local File System¶

Best for: Getting started, prototyping, single-server deployments.

No additional configuration required beyond the FilesPath environment variable. Apilane stores uploaded files directly on the API server's file system.

Configuration:

"FileStorage": {
  "Provider": "LocalFileSystem"
}

Google Cloud Storage (GCS)¶

Best for: Applications deployed on Google Cloud Platform, scalable cloud storage.

Stores files in a Google Cloud Storage bucket. Requires a service account with Storage Object Admin permissions.

Configuration:

"FileStorage": {
  "Provider": "GoogleCloudStorage",
  "ConnectionString": "/run/secrets/gcs-sa.json",
  "BucketName": "my-app-files-bucket"
}

Setup Steps¶

1. Create a GCS bucket in your Google Cloud project
2. Create a service account with Storage Object Admin role on the bucket
3. Download the service account JSON key
4. Mount the JSON file as a secret in Docker/Kubernetes:

# Kubernetes Secret example
apiVersion: v1
kind: Secret
metadata:
  name: gcs-credentials
type: Opaque
stringData:
  gcs-sa.json: |
    {
      "type": "service_account",
      "project_id": "my-project",
      "private_key_id": "...",
      ...
    }
---
# Mount in Deployment
volumes:
  - name: gcs-secret
    secret:
      secretName: gcs-credentials
volumeMounts:
  - name: gcs-secret
    mountPath: /run/secrets
    readOnly: true

AWS S3¶

Best for: Applications deployed on AWS, S3-compatible storage (Backblaze B2, MinIO).

Stores files in an Amazon S3 bucket or S3-compatible storage.

Configuration:

"FileStorage": {
  "Provider": "AwsS3",
  "ConnectionString": "AccessKey=AKIA...;SecretKey=...;Region=us-east-1",
  "BucketName": "my-app-files-bucket"
}

Setup Steps¶

1. Create an S3 bucket in your AWS account
2. Create an IAM user or role with s3:PutObject, s3:GetObject, s3:DeleteObject permissions on the bucket
3. Generate access keys (or use IAM roles for EC2/EKS)
4. Set connection string via environment variables or appsettings

# Docker environment variable example
docker run -e "FileStorage__ConnectionString=AccessKey=AKIA...;SecretKey=...;Region=us-east-1" \
           -e "FileStorage__BucketName=my-app-files-bucket" \
           -e "FileStorage__Provider=AwsS3" \
           raptis/apilane:api-8.4.9

S3-Compatible Storage (Backblaze B2, MinIO)¶

For S3-compatible providers, use the ServiceUrl parameter:

"ConnectionString": "AccessKey=...;SecretKey=...;ServiceUrl=https://s3.us-west-004.backblazeb2.com"

Azure Blob Storage¶

Best for: Applications deployed on Microsoft Azure.

Stores files in an Azure Blob Storage container.

Configuration:

"FileStorage": {
  "Provider": "AzureBlobStorage",
  "ConnectionString": "DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=myaccount;AccountKey=...;EndpointSuffix=core.windows.net",
  "BucketName": "my-container-name"
}

Setup Steps¶

1. Create an Azure Storage Account
2. Create a Blob container in the storage account
3. Copy the connection string from the Azure Portal (Access Keys section)
4. Set connection string via environment variables or appsettings

# Docker environment variable example
docker run -e "FileStorage__ConnectionString=DefaultEndpointsProtocol=https;AccountName=...;AccountKey=..." \
           -e "FileStorage__BucketName=my-container-name" \
           -e "FileStorage__Provider=AzureBlobStorage" \
           raptis/apilane:api-8.4.9

Choosing a Provider¶

Security Considerations¶

• Never commit credentials to source control. Use environment variables, Docker secrets, or Kubernetes secrets.
• Use managed identities when available (Workload Identity for GKE, IAM Roles for EKS, Managed Identity for AKS).
• Bucket/container permissions: Restrict access to only the API service account. Do not make buckets public unless required.
• Rotate credentials regularly and use least-privilege IAM policies.

See Security Considerations for more details on credential management.

Migration¶

To migrate from LocalFileSystem to a cloud provider:

1. Upload existing files from FilesPath to your cloud bucket using the provider's CLI or SDK
2. Preserve the file structure: {applicationToken}/files/{fileUID}
3. Update FileStorage configuration to point to the cloud provider
4. Restart the API service
5. Verify file downloads still work