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?

Dunaj

Answer 1

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.

Lozier

If you're going to use the SharePoint External Storage API you it will be used for the whole farm. You cannot activate it for a single web application. – Darlleen

@Darlleen that is only true when using the filestream provider, not with third party tools – Openhanded

Answer 2

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.

Senarmontite