How to store images in a web application.
I have a web application currently being developed in JSP/Servlets. The application allows users to upload image files for each user account. what is the best way to store the images. Please consider the following features that I'd like to have before your answer;

1. I am using MySQL now, but there could be a possibility of moving to a different database.

2. I can store the images as flat files but I want the "admin" account to have an option to backup the complete database and reload it later. Ideally the backup/reload should work with the images too [even if the backup was done from a different physical machine and reload was done from a different machine.

3. Using BLOB/CLOB is an option that solves problem 2 but what if my user base becomes very large.
How to store images in a web application.
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I have a web application currently being developed in JSP/Servlets. The application allows users to upload image files for each user account. what is the best way to store the images. Please consider the following features that I'd like to have before your answer;

1. I am using MySQL now, but there could be a possibility of moving to a different database.

2. I can store the images as flat files but I want the "admin" account to have an option to backup the complete database and reload it later. Ideally the backup/reload should work with the images too [even if the backup was done from a different physical machine and reload was done from a different machine.

3. Using BLOB/CLOB is an option that solves problem 2 but what if my user base becomes very large.