How to Build a FastDFS Distributed File System with Nginx and cpolar for Remote Access

FastDFS is an open‑source lightweight distributed file system that manages file storage, synchronization, and access, making it ideal for online services such as photo albums and video sites. By installing FastDFS locally and forwarding the uploaded files through cpolar, you can dramatically reduce server costs while providing high‑availability file services.

1. Install FastDFS locally

1.1 Environment installation

yum -y install gcc-c++

yum -y install libevent

1.2 Install libfastcommon

Download libfastcommon from GitHub and extract it.

cd /usr/local
wget https://github.com/happyfish100/libfastcommon/releases/download/V1.0.7/libfastcommonV1.0.7.tar.gz
tar -zxvf libfastcommonV1.0.7.tar.gz
cd libfastcommon-1.0.7
./make.sh
./make.sh install
cp /usr/lib64/libfastcommon.so /usr/lib/

1.3 Install FastDFS

Download FastDFS source, extract, compile and install.

cd /usr/local
wget https://sourceforge.net/projects/fastdfs/files/FastDFS%20Nginx%20Module%20Source%20Code/fastdfs-nginx-module_v1.16.tar.gz/download -O fastdfs-nginx-module_v1.16.tar.gz
wget https://sourceforge.net/projects/fastdfs/ -O FastDFS_v5.05.tar.gz
tar -zxvf FastDFS_v5.05.tar.gz
cd FastDFS
./make.sh
./make.sh install
cp conf/* /etc/fdfs/

1.4 Configure Tracker

Edit /etc/fdfs/tracker.conf and set base_path=/home/fastdfs. Then create the directory and start the tracker.

mkdir /home/fastdfs
/usr/bin/fdfs_trackerd /etc/fdfs/tracker.conf restart

Add the start command to /etc/rc.d/rc.local for automatic boot.

1.5 Configure Storage

Edit /etc/fdfs/storage.conf to set base_path=/home/fastdfs, store_path0=/home/fastdfs/fdfs_storage, and the tracker server IP (e.g., tracker_server=192.168.1.100:22122). Create the storage directory and start the storage daemon.

mkdir /home/fastdfs/fdfs_storage
/usr/bin/fdfs_storaged /etc/fdfs/storage.conf restart

Add the storage start command to /etc/rc.d/rc.local for boot‑time launch.

1.6 Test upload and download

Modify /etc/fdfs/client.conf with the same base_path and tracker address, then use /usr/bin/fdfs_test to upload a file.

/usr/bin/fdfs_test /etc/fdfs/client.conf upload /usr/local/test23.png

The command returns a file URL, which can be accessed via Nginx after integration.

1.7 Integrate with Nginx

Download the FastDFS Nginx module, extract it, and compile Nginx with the module.

cd /usr/local
wget http://nginx.org/en/download.html -O nginx-1.16.1.tar.gz
tar -zxvf nginx-1.16.1.tar.gz
cd nginx-1.16.1
./configure \
  --prefix=/usr/local/nginx \
  --add-module=/usr/local/fastdfs-nginx-module/src \
  --with-http_gzip_static_module \
  --http-client-body-temp-path=/var/temp/nginx/client \
  --http-proxy-temp-path=/var/temp/nginx/proxy \
  --http-fastcgi-temp-path=/var/temp/nginx/fastcgi \
  --http-uwsgi-temp-path=/var/temp/nginx/uwsgi \
  --http-scgi-temp-path=/var/temp/nginx/scgi
make
make install

Copy the generated mod_fastdfs.conf to /etc/fdfs/ and adjust paths (e.g., base_path=/home/fastdfs, store_path0=/home/fastdfs/fdfs_storage, url_have_group_name=true).

1.8 Configure Nginx

Add a server block to /usr/local/nginx/conf/nginx.conf to listen on a custom port (e.g., 8089) and route FastDFS URLs.

server {
    listen 8089;
    server_name 192.168.59.133;
    location /group1/M00/ {
        ngx_fastdfs_module;
    }
}

Start Nginx and ensure the PID directory exists.

mkdir -p /var/run/nginx
/usr/local/nginx/sbin/nginx

2. Test LAN access

Upload a file again with fdfs_test and open the returned URL through the Nginx server to verify the file is served correctly.

3. Install cpolar for internet tunneling

curl -L https://www.cpolar.com/static/downloads/install-release-cpolar.sh | sudo bash
cpolar authtoken YOUR_TOKEN
sudo systemctl enable cpolar
sudo systemctl start cpolar

4. Configure public address

Create an HTTP tunnel in the cpolar web UI that forwards to the Nginx port (8089). Use the generated public URL to access FastDFS files from anywhere.

5. Reserve a fixed sub‑domain

Upgrade to a paid cpolar plan, reserve a sub‑domain (e.g., fasttest), and bind it to the tunnel. The fixed address remains stable as long as the tunnel stays online.

6. Verify remote access

Open the reserved sub‑domain in a browser, append the FastDFS file path, and confirm the image loads, proving that the distributed file system is reachable over the public internet without a dedicated IP.

All steps together provide a complete, low‑cost solution for deploying a FastDFS cluster, exposing it via Nginx, and making it reachable from anywhere through a stable cpolar public sub‑domain.