rclone/docs/content/union.md
2022-07-09 18:09:25 +01:00

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---
title: "Union"
description: "Remote Unification"
---
# {{< icon "fa fa-link" >}} Union
The `union` remote provides a unification similar to UnionFS using other remotes.
Paths may be as deep as required or a local path,
e.g. `remote:directory/subdirectory` or `/directory/subdirectory`.
During the initial setup with `rclone config` you will specify the upstream
remotes as a space separated list. The upstream remotes can either be a local paths or other remotes.
Attribute `:ro` and `:nc` can be attach to the end of path to tag the remote as **read only** or **no create**,
e.g. `remote:directory/subdirectory:ro` or `remote:directory/subdirectory:nc`.
Subfolders can be used in upstream remotes. Assume a union remote named `backup`
with the remotes `mydrive:private/backup`. Invoking `rclone mkdir backup:desktop`
is exactly the same as invoking `rclone mkdir mydrive:private/backup/desktop`.
There will be no special handling of paths containing `..` segments.
Invoking `rclone mkdir backup:../desktop` is exactly the same as invoking
`rclone mkdir mydrive:private/backup/../desktop`.
## Configuration
Here is an example of how to make a union called `remote` for local folders.
First run:
rclone config
This will guide you through an interactive setup process:
```
No remotes found, make a new one?
n) New remote
s) Set configuration password
q) Quit config
n/s/q> n
name> remote
Type of storage to configure.
Choose a number from below, or type in your own value
[snip]
XX / Union merges the contents of several remotes
\ "union"
[snip]
Storage> union
List of space separated upstreams.
Can be 'upstreama:test/dir upstreamb:', '\"upstreama:test/space:ro dir\" upstreamb:', etc.
Enter a string value. Press Enter for the default ("").
upstreams> remote1:dir1 remote2:dir2 remote3:dir3
Policy to choose upstream on ACTION class.
Enter a string value. Press Enter for the default ("epall").
action_policy>
Policy to choose upstream on CREATE class.
Enter a string value. Press Enter for the default ("epmfs").
create_policy>
Policy to choose upstream on SEARCH class.
Enter a string value. Press Enter for the default ("ff").
search_policy>
Cache time of usage and free space (in seconds). This option is only useful when a path preserving policy is used.
Enter a signed integer. Press Enter for the default ("120").
cache_time>
Remote config
--------------------
[remote]
type = union
upstreams = remote1:dir1 remote2:dir2 remote3:dir3
--------------------
y) Yes this is OK
e) Edit this remote
d) Delete this remote
y/e/d> y
Current remotes:
Name Type
==== ====
remote union
e) Edit existing remote
n) New remote
d) Delete remote
r) Rename remote
c) Copy remote
s) Set configuration password
q) Quit config
e/n/d/r/c/s/q> q
```
Once configured you can then use `rclone` like this,
List directories in top level in `remote1:dir1`, `remote2:dir2` and `remote3:dir3`
rclone lsd remote:
List all the files in `remote1:dir1`, `remote2:dir2` and `remote3:dir3`
rclone ls remote:
Copy another local directory to the union directory called source, which will be placed into `remote3:dir3`
rclone copy C:\source remote:source
### Behavior / Policies
The behavior of union backend is inspired by [trapexit/mergerfs](https://github.com/trapexit/mergerfs). All functions are grouped into 3 categories: **action**, **create** and **search**. These functions and categories can be assigned a policy which dictates what file or directory is chosen when performing that behavior. Any policy can be assigned to a function or category though some may not be very useful in practice. For instance: **rand** (random) may be useful for file creation (create) but could lead to very odd behavior if used for `delete` if there were more than one copy of the file.
### Function / Category classifications
| Category | Description | Functions |
|----------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| action | Writing Existing file | move, rmdir, rmdirs, delete, purge and copy, sync (as destination when file exist) |
| create | Create non-existing file | copy, sync (as destination when file not exist) |
| search | Reading and listing file | ls, lsd, lsl, cat, md5sum, sha1sum and copy, sync (as source) |
| N/A | | size, about |
### Path Preservation
Policies, as described below, are of two basic types. `path preserving` and `non-path preserving`.
All policies which start with `ep` (**epff**, **eplfs**, **eplus**, **epmfs**, **eprand**) are `path preserving`. `ep` stands for `existing path`.
A path preserving policy will only consider upstreams where the relative path being accessed already exists.
When using non-path preserving policies paths will be created in target upstreams as necessary.
### Quota Relevant Policies
Some policies rely on quota information. These policies should be used only if your upstreams support the respective quota fields.
| Policy | Required Field |
|------------|----------------|
| lfs, eplfs | Free |
| mfs, epmfs | Free |
| lus, eplus | Used |
| lno, eplno | Objects |
To check if your upstream supports the field, run `rclone about remote: [flags]` and see if the required field exists.
### Filters
Policies basically search upstream remotes and create a list of files / paths for functions to work on. The policy is responsible for filtering and sorting. The policy type defines the sorting but filtering is mostly uniform as described below.
* No **search** policies filter.
* All **action** policies will filter out remotes which are tagged as **read-only**.
* All **create** policies will filter out remotes which are tagged **read-only** or **no-create**.
If all remotes are filtered an error will be returned.
### Policy descriptions
The policies definition are inspired by [trapexit/mergerfs](https://github.com/trapexit/mergerfs) but not exactly the same. Some policy definition could be different due to the much larger latency of remote file systems.
| Policy | Description |
|------------------|------------------------------------------------------------|
| all | Search category: same as **epall**. Action category: same as **epall**. Create category: act on all upstreams. |
| epall (existing path, all) | Search category: Given this order configured, act on the first one found where the relative path exists. Action category: apply to all found. Create category: act on all upstreams where the relative path exists. |
| epff (existing path, first found) | Act on the first one found, by the time upstreams reply, where the relative path exists. |
| eplfs (existing path, least free space) | Of all the upstreams on which the relative path exists choose the one with the least free space. |
| eplus (existing path, least used space) | Of all the upstreams on which the relative path exists choose the one with the least used space. |
| eplno (existing path, least number of objects) | Of all the upstreams on which the relative path exists choose the one with the least number of objects. |
| epmfs (existing path, most free space) | Of all the upstreams on which the relative path exists choose the one with the most free space. |
| eprand (existing path, random) | Calls **epall** and then randomizes. Returns only one upstream. |
| ff (first found) | Search category: same as **epff**. Action category: same as **epff**. Create category: Act on the first one found by the time upstreams reply. |
| lfs (least free space) | Search category: same as **eplfs**. Action category: same as **eplfs**. Create category: Pick the upstream with the least available free space. |
| lus (least used space) | Search category: same as **eplus**. Action category: same as **eplus**. Create category: Pick the upstream with the least used space. |
| lno (least number of objects) | Search category: same as **eplno**. Action category: same as **eplno**. Create category: Pick the upstream with the least number of objects. |
| mfs (most free space) | Search category: same as **epmfs**. Action category: same as **epmfs**. Create category: Pick the upstream with the most available free space. |
| newest | Pick the file / directory with the largest mtime. |
| rand (random) | Calls **all** and then randomizes. Returns only one upstream. |
{{< rem autogenerated options start" - DO NOT EDIT - instead edit fs.RegInfo in backend/union/union.go then run make backenddocs" >}}
### Standard options
Here are the Standard options specific to union (Union merges the contents of several upstream fs).
#### --union-upstreams
List of space separated upstreams.
Can be 'upstreama:test/dir upstreamb:', '"upstreama:test/space:ro dir" upstreamb:', etc.
Properties:
- Config: upstreams
- Env Var: RCLONE_UNION_UPSTREAMS
- Type: string
- Required: true
#### --union-action-policy
Policy to choose upstream on ACTION category.
Properties:
- Config: action_policy
- Env Var: RCLONE_UNION_ACTION_POLICY
- Type: string
- Default: "epall"
#### --union-create-policy
Policy to choose upstream on CREATE category.
Properties:
- Config: create_policy
- Env Var: RCLONE_UNION_CREATE_POLICY
- Type: string
- Default: "epmfs"
#### --union-search-policy
Policy to choose upstream on SEARCH category.
Properties:
- Config: search_policy
- Env Var: RCLONE_UNION_SEARCH_POLICY
- Type: string
- Default: "ff"
#### --union-cache-time
Cache time of usage and free space (in seconds).
This option is only useful when a path preserving policy is used.
Properties:
- Config: cache_time
- Env Var: RCLONE_UNION_CACHE_TIME
- Type: int
- Default: 120
### Advanced options
Here are the Advanced options specific to union (Union merges the contents of several upstream fs).
#### --union-min-free-space
Minimum viable free space for lfs/eplfs policies.
If a remote has less than this much free space then it won't be
considered for use in lfs or eplfs policies.
Properties:
- Config: min_free_space
- Env Var: RCLONE_UNION_MIN_FREE_SPACE
- Type: SizeSuffix
- Default: 1Gi
### Metadata
Any metadata supported by the underlying remote is read and written.
See the [metadata](/docs/#metadata) docs for more info.
{{< rem autogenerated options stop >}}