Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Eugene Matusov -
Number of replies: 14

Hello--

I have faced with the following Moodle problem that I need help. Our teachers (including me) have an innovative pedagogical activity that we call "Self-Study" for each class session, where our students can explore diverse inquires for each class session topic of the course. To facilitate their exploration, we provide them with diverse interesting, thought provoking and informative sources that often include pictures, videos, and articles that we keep. We accumulate and keep all these useful sources in the repository directory. Each time we place a source to a class session page (actually on a special Self-Study forum attached to each class session), the file adds to the course. Of course, especially video files are huge. Thus, courses become excessively big and make > 2GB on the server and in addition it makes near impossible to achieve (and later to restore).

My question for you is whether there is a way for Moodle not to add/import files but to create just links to them. For  example, if instead of keeping all our files in the repository directory we keep them in Dropbox or Google Drive, would it make any difference or not?

Any idea or advice how to solve this problem is very welcome.

I appreciate all your help,

Eugene

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Eugene Matusov

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Rick Jerz -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers

For what it is worth, I never load (or import) anything into my Moodle, I always link to items on my webpage, but this is my own technique that works well.  In the graphic below you will see how a "topic" is presented to students in my Moodle.  The first item "Resources" is the major link to activities.

I am one who believes that course resources can be managed better outside of moodle.  Within moodle, yes, I use the forum, quiz, assignment, grade book and other features that are the strength of the LMS.

Here is what a student sees when they click on the Resources link:

Ch05 Resources and Activities


Using this approach, my moodle backups remain relatively small.  Unless you have a powerful server, videos often work better from outside of your server, such as a dedicated video server or video service. 

Incidentally, I use Dreamweaver for managing all of my content.  This provides many features that don't exist in LMSs.  One example is that my Resources webpage is "responsive."  Try accessing it from your smartphone to see what I mean.

URL

Completed: Ch05 Resources and Activities

Attachment A topic.jpg
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Eugene Matusov -

Dear Rick--

I had tried but failed to setup up a media streaming separate server on my Windows 2102R sever sad If you know how to do that, I'd appreciate your help....

Thanks,

Eugene

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Eugene Matusov

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Rick Jerz -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers

No, I don't.  My university has set this up and I really don't have a clue how they did it.  All that I know is that it works really well.  This is where I keep all of my videos (probably 100-150, may 25-35GB.)  My students never complain about videos not playing.

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Eugene Matusov -

Dear Rick--

Thanks for your reply.

My students also do not have complains either about inserted videos. All, even very big, videos can play -- no problem. The problem that I experience is the following. I cannot create backups for some of my courses when their backup is bigger than 2GB. The reason for big backups is that when we include videos (and audios and pdf) files, these files are copied in the course space rather than links to these files are created. Does it make sense?

Any ideas?

Eugene

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Eugene Matusov

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Rick Jerz -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers

Yes, makes sense.  If your server has adequate bandwidth, maybe all that you need to do is give your instructors their own "folder" outside of moodle.  My moodle is in a folder on my website mywebsite/moodle.  But all of my resources are at the mywebsite area.  For example, I have mywebsite/courses/business_statistics.  This is where I put all of my business statistics course resources.  I hope this makes sense to you.  Yes, I realize that this can complicate lives of some faculty, but this is what I do.  I have my own VPS for moodle and my website.

All of my course resources are on my Mac and get backup up with Time Machine, almost continuously.  Then, Dreamweaver synchronizes my website files on my Mac to my VPS.  I backup my moodle every night. 

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Eugene Matusov -

Thanks, Rick!

Eugene

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Rick Jerz

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
Hi Rick

You wrote:
> For example, I have mywebsite/courses/business_statistics. This is where I put all of my business statistics course resources.

Does it mean that anybody who knows the URL get the resources without being a user of your Moodle? Not that it is wrong - I use a similar set-up myself - but not everybody wants that.
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Eugene Matusov

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
Hi

Your problem surprises me because the whole new (since Moodle 2) repository system has been invented to stop wastage of disk space due to duplicate uploads.

You wrote:
> We accumulate and keep all these useful sources in the repository directory.

You meant the https://docs.moodle.org/en/File_system_repository, I assume.

> Each time we place a source to a class session page ([...]), the file adds to the course.

That doesn't make sense to me. The files in Moodle's repositories are not attached to courses. They are in a "neutral" place. Read https://docs.moodle.org/en/Repositories.

> Thus, courses become excessively big and make > 2GB on the server and in addition it makes near impossible to achieve (and later to restore).

May be by "the file adds to the course" you meant that they make course backups bigger. Could you explain your work process in detail?

> For example, if instead of keeping all our files in the repository directory we keep them in Dropbox or Google Drive, would it make any difference or not?

Of course it should! Read https://docs.moodle.org/en/Dropbox_repository and https://docs.moodle.org/en/Google_Drive_repository.

@Mod, I think this topic is better suited for the Repositories forum.
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Eugene Matusov -

Dear Visvanath--

What you wrote makes PERFECT sense to me but... it does not seem to work as it is supposed. One problem could be that on the Configuration for file system repository setting the option "Allow relative files" was not checked up. However, when I check it up and tried to add a video to a forum posting, it seems again add the file to the course. I think so because I can see a new record in mdl-files (unless this record add even when the link is added and not files).

Also, when I try to add a file to a posting, I cannot see the option "Create an alias/shortcut to the file". This is what I see instead:


Any suggestions,

Eugene

Attachment capture.PNG
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Eugene Matusov

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Mary Cooch -
Picture of Documentation writers Picture of Moodle HQ Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Testers Picture of Translators

Hello. (I have just moved this to the Repositories forum as suggested by Visvanath.) The documentation on Working with files lists areas where an alias/shortcut cannot be made.

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Mary Cooch

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Eugene Matusov -

Dear Mary--

Thanks for very helpful info. When I try to add a video to the forum discussion, I can see the alias/shortcut option. When I used it, I see 4 records in the mdl_files table associated with this file but all 4 records show 0 byte for the file size.

So, I guess I need to inform all my teachers to use the alias/shortcut option.

I wish I was able to use this option for database modules as well.

Thanks,

Eugene




Average of ratings: -
In reply to Eugene Matusov

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Visvanath Ratnaweera -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers Picture of Translators
Hi Eugene

You wrote:
> What you wrote makes PERFECT sense to me

Glad to hear that.

> but... it does not seem to work as it is supposed.

I can not say the same thing about your answer. You haven't answered my questions (in a manner I understand). You can quote what I said, and either confirm it or, if you don't agree, say so, with explanation. For example:
===
>> We accumulate and keep all these useful sources in the repository directory.
>>
> You meant the https://docs.moodle.org/en/File_system_repository, I assume.

Yes, we upload all our files to a common File system repository and call them from the repo when they are needed.
===

> One problem could be that on the Configuration for file system repository setting the option "Allow relative files" was not checked up.

Haven't used the File system repository for some time, so can not answer. I hope there'll be others who could help you from here.
Average of ratings: -
In reply to Visvanath Ratnaweera

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Eugene Matusov -

Dear Visvanath--

Thanks to Mary Cooch's posting (please see below), I realized that not all forms and modules allow an alias/shortcuts in Moodle. Fortunately, our teachers mostly use the discussion post of the forum to add their big files while discussion post allows the shortcut. Also, I edited moodle/files/render.php to make sure that allias/shortcut option is listed first and it is the default option on the file picker page (see the attached picture):

Take care and thanks for all your help,

Eugene

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Mary Cooch - Saturday, 9 January 2016, 3:53 PM

Hello. (I have just moved this to the Repositories forum as suggested by Visvanath.) The documentation on Working with files lists areas where an alias/shortcut cannot be made.

Show parent | Reply

See this post in context

Average of ratings: -
In reply to Eugene Matusov

Re: Preventing excessive use of files: How can files to be linked to a course rather than than to be imported

by Ken Task -
Picture of Particularly helpful Moodlers

See you already have two reponses ... as promised, will add 2 cents ...

MooGoo Example

git4moodlemac contains videos about git and Moodle.  
Videos are provided in 4 formats so users get to pick their own poison:
webm, ogv, mp4, and swf.

Am talking the approach busy k12 educators would take ... don't have time to fiddle with a lot of stuff ... just 'get 'er done'! ;)   Something SIMPLE!

Shared the folder/directory to anyone who has the URL
and copied that URL into a Moodle resource ... link to a URL, set to popup window.

So this does keep the large videos OUT of Moodle and off your internal servers, yet still accessible.  And, even though the topic is about git (the directory shared has nothing but videos), one could place PDF's and or other documents into a 'collection' of resources.

Multiple teachers/classes could then also use the URL.

With everything there is yin/yang (depends) - since you are K12 entity there are some 'extra considerations' (which can be controlled).

If your entity has a Google Domain, someone shares the URL with anyone outside the school, they can view ONLY IF Google Domain admin allows.

IF your entity has a Google Domain then the share option would be
'share this with anyone in the domain'  Link acts like the 'anyone with link', but Google restricts to only those request coming from your entities Google Domain.

Backups are smaller ... obviously.

Restores, however, presents potential issues (depending):
IF restoring to the same server, then the links will work.
IF restoring to a different server, and the Google Drive links were shared with 'anyone in this domain', then the links will not work.

You give up some controls over appearance ... etc.  but the resource can be used on multiple devices without author having to do anything but upload!   Sometimes it's best to just 'get them to the beef'!

MooGoo Course Example: Guest access allowed, but if you desire to play some more you can acquire an account on the server using your Google credentials.   Contact me via the course and I can elevate your access level to teacher/manager if you like.   Remember, this instance NOT part of a Google Domain for any other entity.

http://sos.tcea.org/moodle29/course/view.php?id=17

There is a link to download that course contained in the course link above for you to restore to your Moodle.   Contains no users.  Contains no special blocks/mods etc.

'spirit of sharing', Ken

Average of ratings: -