distribution / distribution

What is Storage Drivers?

Storage drivers are responsible for managing the storage of artifacts within the Distribution registry. They provide a way to interact with different storage backends, such as file systems, cloud object stores, and in-memory caches. docs/topics/storage-drivers.md

Why is Storage Drivers important?

Storage drivers are essential for the following reasons:

  • Flexibility: Allows the Distribution registry to interact with various storage backends, providing adaptability to different deployment environments and requirements.
  • Scalability: Different storage drivers offer varying levels of scalability, enabling the registry to handle high volumes of artifacts and requests.
  • Performance: The choice of storage driver can impact the performance of the registry, particularly for operations like artifact uploads, downloads, and metadata retrieval.
  • Cost optimization: Different storage backends have different pricing models, and the appropriate storage driver can help optimize storage costs.

Available Storage Drivers

The Distribution registry supports the following storage drivers:

Filesystem

The filesystem storage driver utilizes the local file system to store artifacts.

Example Configuration:

storage:
            driver: "filesystem"
            path: "/var/lib/registry"

Amazon S3

The Amazon S3 storage driver uses Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) to store artifacts.

Example Configuration:

storage:
            driver: "s3"
            bucket: "my-registry-bucket"
            access_key_id: "AKIAXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
            secret_access_key: "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
            region: "us-east-1"

Azure Blob Storage

The Azure Blob Storage driver utilizes Azure Blob Storage to store artifacts.

Example Configuration:

storage:
            driver: "azure"
            account_name: "my-storage-account"
            account_key: "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
            container: "my-registry-container"
            region: "westus2"

Google Cloud Storage (GCS)

The Google Cloud Storage (GCS) driver uses Google Cloud Storage to store artifacts.

Example Configuration:

storage:
            driver: "gcs"
            bucket: "my-registry-bucket"
            access_key_id: "my-service-account-id@gcp-sa-distribution.iam.gserviceaccount.com"
            secret_access_key: "XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX"
            region: "us-central1"

Redis Cache

The Redis Cache storage driver leverages Redis to cache registry metadata, enhancing performance. This driver is typically used in conjunction with another storage driver for storing actual artifacts.

Example Configuration:

storage:
            driver: "redis"
            host: "localhost"
            port: 6379
            db: 0

Choosing the Right Storage Driver

The selection of the appropriate storage driver depends on several factors, including:

  • Deployment environment: The storage driver must be compatible with the underlying infrastructure.
  • Scalability requirements: The chosen storage driver should be able to handle anticipated artifact volumes and request loads.
  • Cost considerations: Different storage drivers have different pricing models, and the most cost-effective option should be chosen.
  • Performance needs: The chosen storage driver should meet the performance requirements of the registry, especially for critical operations like artifact uploads and downloads.

Additional Considerations

  • Storage driver configuration: Each storage driver has specific configuration options that need to be properly set up. Refer to the documentation for each driver for detailed instructions.
  • Authentication and authorization: When using cloud storage providers, ensure appropriate authentication and authorization settings are configured.
  • Monitoring and logging: Monitor the storage driver’s performance and health to identify and address any issues.

By understanding the various storage drivers available and considering the factors mentioned above, developers can make informed decisions about the storage solution best suited for their specific deployment and usage scenarios.

Top-Level Directory Explanations

registry/ - This directory is related to the GitHub Package Registry functionality of the distribution project. It includes various subdirectories for API, auth, handlers, listener, middleware, proxy, storage, and more.