Store documents in file system instead of database in SharePoint document library

Question

In a SharePoint document library, is there any way to store the documents on the file system instead of the database?

Answer 1

Documents in a SharePoint document library will always be hosted in the database. That said, you can access the files with a UNC path that masks the fact that they are stored in the database.

\\url\sites\yoursite\folder\

You could also write a custom solution (workflow?) that copies the files into a standard file system once they are added to a document library.

Answer 2

You can make SharePoint store its documents outside the DB using the SharePoint External Storage API. In other words, this isn't some functionality accessible through the SharePoint interface, but the system does offer a way of building it yourself. There are third party providers like StoragePoint that will do the job for you.

Answer 3

Flo is not entire correctly on his assertion regarding the scope of the SharePoint External Storage API. With our solution, StoragePoint, you can actually setup Web Application and Site Collection scoped storage profiles. With our 2010 offering, which will leverage EBS and SQL RBS, you will additionally be able to setup content database scoped storage profiles.

Answer 4

I personally used the the api offered by Microsoft (remember you need to install the hotfix for it or sp1). Check out this link. I was able to get it going within few hours.

http://www.law.com/jsp/lawtechnologynews/PubArticleLTN.jsp?id=1202435564733