Amazon S3

[disciple]

Hi,

Is it or could/would it be possible to serve downloadable files from another server such as an Amazon S3 using Zen-Cart.

Example: Zen-Cart would be running on one server and after a customer purchased a product (downloadable file) it would be served (downloaded) from an Amazon S3 storage solution

Thanks,

Rick

[DrByte]

At the present time, downloads are only offered via the same server, since serving from any other server completely removes all security over the actual download access.

[disciple]

Dr. Byte,

Thanks for the info.

Could an application be written to utilize this and still keep downloads safe?

Thanks

Rick

[yellow1912]

I would imagine you have to do something like this:
1. Have a file transfer app on the storage server
2. When someone purchase the file from your store, you need to give him/her a download code and the link to the storage server
3. This person goes to your storage server, enter the download code to download, the file transfer app will check the code and serve the file.

Now you have to come up with a way to issue and verify the code, it can be created in such a way that there is no need to connect to the "store" server to verify, or you can store the code in the "store" database or you can ping the storage server at the end of the purchase etc... so many ways.

[kuroi]

Hi Rick

You have a very large number of digital assets and I can see the benefits in both server load and transmission cost of serving them from S3 or a similar (but cheaper) service such SimpleCDN.

However, the answer to your question really needs to start at that end with what facilities they can offer to maintain secure access to the assets, yet allow them to be served to whomever you designate. The last thing you would want is competitors, or even your designers, linking directly to your assets as you would not only be losing sales, but be out of pocket for the transmission too.

Once what they offer is understood the if and how Zen Cart can play into those specific services becomes answerable.

[disciple]

Hi Peter,

Good to hear from you. Merry Christmas!

So, since I see you understand what I am thinking maybe you could do a little checking and let me know if this could be done.

Thanks

Rick

[kuroi]

Hi Rick

It could be done via Amazon which already allows you to create an expiring link. So a customer would puchase one of your downloadables and in place of the normal Zen Cart link would be given a link that would expire after a period of time which you set. The Zen Cart login process ensures that only legitimate customers receive the links to which they are entitled, the Amazon expiry ensures that the links can't simply be posted (or re-sold) for others to use. If the customer needs to download again later, Zen Cart can issue a new expiring link.

Unfortunately SimpleCDN don't offer expiring links yet - but promises that they're coming soon.

Possibly more of an issue for you would be how to get your designers' products onto the storage server. I'm doubting that you would want to give them access to this space. So you'd probably need an additional mod to allow them to upload via Zen Cart, which then ships them onto S3 and ensures that the location is accurately recorded against each product so that it can be passed to customers once purchased.

[radmoose]

Has anyone made any headway into providing Amazon S3 (Simple Storage Server) use?

S3 does provide support for expiring links and they could even work along the same lines as the current ZC experience, where you are not sending the actual S3 links to the customer, but sending a link on the site that they have to click on which in turn generates an immediate (and short-lived) S3 link.

This process would be no less secure than the current ZC process.

While I don't need the ability to upload the files to S3 via ZC, that can be automated as well. (The Amazon dev site has working code/class info on uploading, downloading, as well as generating expiring links. I use it on another non-ZC site myself.)

BTW, I use JungleDisk and BucketExplorer to manipulate S3 files hence why I don't need that aspect within ZC.

[yellow1912]

@radmoose: Im not using S3, but this may help you

I use a file download system that, upon user successful purchase i will insert info into a table to authenticate them to download certain files.

I created a new download page(define page) which will then check these info and the list the files as well as serving the files to them.

The whole process can be pretty simple.