The information on this page describes how you can view and access various system files in your Cloud Platform environments.

You can download your database backups using the Databases page in the Cloud Platform interface, as described in Automated database backups. You can download your logs using the Logs page, as described in About Cloud Platform logging.

You can also access and transfer your files using the sftp, scp, rsync, or ssh commands. You must connect using the SSH syntax provided near the bottom of the Environment (glossary term, activate to view definition) Overview page in the Cloud user interface.

File locations

You can access the file paths and directories for each of your environments at the following locations:

• [site]: Your application (glossary term, activate to view definition)’s site name

Modifying the private files directory

You can change the private files directory by setting the file_private_path variable in your application’s settings.php file. Although the directory may be set to one of the Cloud Platform default locations described in the previous table, it may also be set to /mnt/files/[site].[env]/sites/default/files-private (where [site] is the sitename, [env] is the environment name, and [sitedir] is the directory for the multisite).

If you want to use a different location for private files, save the file system form for all websites in all environments which, when processed, will create the correct directories. To set a different location, complete the following steps:

1. Add the following code to your website’s settings.php file to detect both the Acquia environment and the current Drupal multisite:

   Drupal version	Code
   Drupal 7	copy if (isset($_ENV['AH_SITE_ENVIRONMENT'])) { $files_private_conf_path = conf_path(); $conf['file_private_path'] = '/mnt/files/' . $_ENV['AH_SITE_GROUP'] . '.' . $_ENV['AH_SITE_ENVIRONMENT'] . '/' . $files_private_conf_path . '/files-private'; } else { $conf['file_private_path'] = '{PATH}'; }
   Current Drupal version	copy if (isset($_ENV['AH_SITE_ENVIRONMENT'])) { $settings['file_private_path'] = '/mnt/files/' . $_ENV['AH_SITE_GROUP'] . '.' . $_ENV['AH_SITE_ENVIRONMENT'] . '/' . $site_path . '/files-private'; } else { $settings['file_private_path'] = '{PATH}'; }

   where {PATH} is the path for the local infrastructure’s private files directory. The code allows you to set a non-Acquia private files location for working on a local infrastructure’s copy of the website.

2. Save your settings.php file changes.
3. Sign in to your Drupal website as an administrator.

You can find the path for your private files directory in the text area under Private file system path. Cloud Platform users can also set their private file directory to ../acquia-files/files-private in Drupal. This setting will propagate across all their environments.

After you save the private files directory, it will persist until you delete it. Saving a private files directory creates an .htaccess file containing the command Deny from all, which prevents the serving of files from the private directory.

After you save the private file system path, fields in Drupal can use it. For example, you can add a file field to the Articles content type. As you configure the file field, you can choose the file’s Upload destination by selecting either Public files or Private files. Files uploaded to this field are stored in your database’s files_managed table with the private: protocol, instead of the public: protocol.

You can control access to files uploaded through a file field by clearing the Display checkbox next to the file before publishing the piece of content the file is attached to. As the file will not display, users cannot click it, nor can they navigate directly to any files in the private directory.

For a more detailed level of access to private files, you can write custom modules to interact with Drupal’s private file system.

Related Topics

• Importing your files
• About Cloud Platform logging
• Getting started with SSH
• About Drupal multisite installations
• Temporary files

Accessing system files