What is fastdfs?

FastDFS is a file storage system designed to hold large numbers of files across many servers at once. Instead of putting all your files on one machine, FastDFS spreads them across a cluster of storage servers and keeps copies synchronized so that no single machine failure causes data loss. It was built for websites and applications that deal heavily in files, such as photo sharing platforms or video hosting services. The system has two types of components working together. Trackers are the coordinators: they keep track of where files live and direct incoming requests to the right storage server. Storage servers are where the actual files sit. Both types can be added or removed from the cluster while the system keeps running, so you can expand capacity without taking anything offline. Storage servers are organized into groups. Every server in a group holds the same files, which means they back each other up and share the load. When you add a new server to a group, it automatically receives copies of all existing files before going live. To grow total capacity, you simply add a new group of servers. The system assigns each uploaded file a unique ID that acts as its access credential, so there is no separate name server required. FastDFS handles small, medium, and large files and has special support for storing huge numbers of small files efficiently by merging them. It supports multi-threaded uploads and downloads, resuming interrupted transfers, and read-write separation. It can work across data centers and supports hybrid cloud setups. Client libraries are available in C, PHP, Java, and Go, so developers can connect to FastDFS from most common environments. Configuration and installation documentation lives in the project wiki.