Effortlessly Managing Unfinished Large File Uploads with B2 Cloud Storage

Digital clutter isn't just inefficient, it can be costly. And if cleaning up digital clutter in your business operations is one of your New Year's resolutions for 2025, this post is for you. We're talking about managing unfinished large file uploads.

One big culprit of digital clutter when it comes to cloud storage is unfinished large files. Managing unfinished large file uploads can be a complex task. If they are not managed well, they can consume space and incur costs without any benefit.

To address this, we've introduced a feature in Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage that automatically cancels unfinished large file uploads, saving you both time and money.

The challenge: Unfinished large file uploads

To upload a large file, you break it into smaller parts. You initiate the start notification. Each part is uploaded in parallel, and once all parts are received, a finish notification is sent. Only after the final step does the file become consumable. Sometimes, things don't go as planned-network hiccups, API timeouts, or user interruptions can leave large file uploads unfinished. The process then likely restarts and completes successfully, but this leaves you with both a complete file and a partially completed file in your cloud storage instance. These unfinished uploads still take up storage space, leading to unnecessary costs.

Previously, users had to manually track down and delete these unfinished uploads. It's error prone and time-consuming, and not an easy task especially with a large volume of files.

The solution: Canceling unfinished uploads through lifecycle rules

To streamline the process, we've added a feature that allows users to automatically cancel these incomplete uploads after a set number of days. By setting lifecycle rules through the B2 Native API, users can now specify how many days an unfinished large file can remain before it's automatically deleted.

For detailed guidance on configuring this rule, check out our Lifecycle Rules Documentation.

Why it matters

This feature is useful in a variety of scenarios:

1. Network failures: If a network interruption prevents the final completion step, the unfinished upload will no longer remain indefinitely. Instead, it will be automatically cleared after the defined period, ensuring you aren't paying for useless storage.
2. User interruptions: If an upload is manually paused or forgotten before completion, lifecycle rules will take care of these fragments, preventing forgotten uploads from lingering in storage.
3. Script failures: If your script fails or times out during the upload process, any incomplete files won't go unnoticed. They'll be cleared as per your rules, ensuring efficient storage management.

Cost-saving benefits

Unfinished uploads can quickly add up, both in storage usage and costs. By automatically canceling incomplete uploads, users can significantly reduce unnecessary expenses, keeping storage budgets under control. This is especially important for businesses with large-scale data transfers, where managing storage efficiency can have a direct impact on the bottom line.

What's next?

Most users configure lifecycle rules through the console or Backblaze B2 command line tool (CLI), so we introduced this feature for the B2 Native API to address immediate customer needs while also laying the groundwork for integrating it into the B2 Cloud Storage web console. You can now use this feature via the CLI or B2 Native API. We're working on adding UI support to make configuration even more accessible. Let us know in the comments if you're looking for access to this feature via a different user interface.

In the meantime, here are a few steps you can take:

1. Implement lifecycle rules: Set rules that fit your upload behavior. Choose a reasonable timeframe to cancel unfinished large file uploads that balances with your cost-management goals.
2. Test the feature: Try configuring the lifecycle rule for a few test uploads to make sure it behaves as expected. Monitor how it handles interruptions or failures to ensure it aligns with your needs.
3. Monitor storage costs: Check your storage usage and billing before and after setting these rules to understand the impact on costs. Use the feedback to fine-tune your settings.
4. Stay tuned for UI updates: Keep an eye out for announcements regarding UI support for this feature. We're committed to making it as intuitive and accessible as possible.

By leveraging lifecycle rules for unfinished large file uploads, you can maintain a cleaner, more efficient storage environment while saving money. For more details on configuring lifecycle rules, visit our API documentation.

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