Copied files..Where are they actually located if they do not count towards storage quota?

[qmartin]

So if a copied file from one course to another does not count towards storage space, where is it stored? Is it linked from the original location or does it actually reside in the new course? There are some security issues..

[kmeeusen · Accepted solution]

Hi @qmartin 

Since Canvas is a relational database, the file copy resides in a table in that database, and is associated with the course it is copied into - in other words, it is in that second course, but has been flagged somehow within that database to not count towards your course limit.

But you really need to talk to a Canvas engineer for the full skinny!  Your school's CSM (Customer Success Manager) can likely hook you up.

Good luck,

Kelley

[danaleeling]

This behavior has puzzled me as well. As far as I can tell, with only a couple years on the platform, the copied file does not count against the current course quota. In effect, one gets a new 500 Mb each and every term. This means that while one cannot upload a file larger than 500 Mb in any one term, over the course of four terms a course could contain two gigabytes of files - 500 Mb of effective storage space being added each term. I am left wondering how Instructure copes with the cloud storage costs this approach engenders.

One other subtlety reported by one of my faculty: videos uploaded to files count against the storage quota but videos uploaded in Studio apparently do not. I cannot confirm that behavior.