We’re currently running a large UNA installation, and our /storage directory has grown to over 400 GB. After reviewing the structure, it seems that much of the content may be old or unused media (timeline uploads, resized/cached images, temporary files, etc.).
We recently figured out how we can migrate the storage to a CDN-style external drive, which will make scaling and performance management much easier.
However, before we do that, we’d really like to clean things up properly — removing or archiving unnecessary files to avoid syncing a bloated library.
Before taking action, I wanted to check with the community:
- Has anyone here cleaned up or archived old media files from UNA before?
- Is there a recommended approach or script to detect orphaned files (not referenced in the database)?
- Could someone help clarify which /storage sub-directories are safe to clear (cache/temp, etc.) and which are essential for site operation?
- Are there any UNA utilities or third-party tools for safely pruning timeline photos, videos, or older uploads?
We’ve already successfully mounted additional drives to handle space growth, but would like to take a more structured approach before moving to CDN storage.
Environment details:
- UNA version: 14
- Hosting: VPS
- Approx. total storage: ~400 GB (mostly media)
Any insight, tools, or real-world examples from others who’ve tackled this would be greatly appreciated! 🙏
Best regards,
Chris Buys
Also visit https://unacms.com/d/question-migrating-existing-site-to-use#cmt-anchor-bx-forum-18792-53448
How to migrate an existing or standard unacms site where the storage has grown uncontrollably large. There is hope even so you think not.
Hello @Chris Andre Buys !
Wow, 400Gb of media...
Frist of all, you may enabled the pruning for the non-active accounts to clean them with their content. It is possible to do in the Studio->Settings->Account area:
The unused media can be found in the Manage section of the every media module, just clean all there without author.
The content of the cache, cache_public and tmp folders can be clear before migration - just leave there the .htaccess files only.
@LeonidS This is great news man... and means a lot coming from the unacms team.. I didn't know these things hey, wow
Related Threat :
https://unacms.com/d/changing-storage-location
@Chris una storage already has pruning build in, if file isn't accessed for the certain period of time then the resized images are automatically safely deleted (since they can be automatically recreated upon new access again).
Whether pruning enabled or not can be checked in `sys_objects_transcoder` table:
Can this be done in the dashboard I have read LeondidS replay as well
@Alex T⚜️ Your feedback together with @LeonidS indeed confirm not only how doable it is, but how reliefed one can be. The nightmare of starting off the wrong way by not implementing proper storage management had made us think the only option was to keep increasing disk space. Until now, we hadn’t even considered managing our content at this level — this insight truly feels like a breakthrough.
@Clubhouse It gets done in studio/settings... that easy...never to know how simple it really is...
But these guys has even given us the dirty detail as to how we can even tweak it on database level.
I have completed this thanks
Good to know that the discussion raised made a difference.