Streaming

Stream mode enables direct file transfer from uploader to downloader — nothing is stored on the server.

How It Works

1. The uploader sends a file via the UI or CLI or API with stream mode enabled
2. The upload request blocks until a downloader connects
3. Data flows directly from uploader → server → downloader
4. Once the transfer is complete, both connections close
5. No data is persisted on disk

Usage

CLI

plik --stream myfile.txt

API

Create an upload with stream: true:

POST /upload
{
    "stream": true,
    "files": [
        { "fileName": "myfile.txt", "fileSize": 12345 }
    ]
}

TIP

For stream mode, you need to know the file ID before the upload starts (since it will block). Pass a files array in the upload creation request to get file IDs assigned upfront.

Multi-Instance Deployment

Stream mode is stateful

Stream mode is not stateless. The uploader request blocks on one Plik instance, so the downloader request must be routed to the same instance. Your load balancer must hash on the file ID to route stream requests correctly.

Nginx with LUA

Here's how to route stream requests to the correct instance using Nginx with LUA scripting. Make sure your Nginx is built with LUA support (the nginx-extras Debian package ≥1.7.2 includes it).

upstream plik {
    server 127.0.0.1:8080;
    server 127.0.0.1:8081;
}

upstream stream {
    server 127.0.0.1:8080;
    server 127.0.0.1:8081;
    hash $hash_key;
}

server {
    listen 9000;

    location / {
        set $upstream "";
        set $hash_key "";
        access_by_lua '
            _,_,file_id = string.find(ngx.var.request_uri, "^/stream/[a-zA-Z0-9]+/([a-zA-Z0-9]+)/.*$")
            if file_id == nil then
                ngx.var.upstream = "plik"
            else
                ngx.var.upstream = "stream"
                ngx.var.hash_key = file_id
            end
        ';
        proxy_pass http://$upstream;
    }
}

This configuration:

• Routes /stream/ requests to a consistent upstream based on the file ID hash
• Routes all other requests with standard load balancing