# Proper vs improper use of Storages

**URL:** <https://forum.alumio.com/t/proper-vs-improper-use-of-storages/947>\
**Category:** Storages\
**Tags:** best-practice\
**Created:** [January 22, 2024, 6:30pm UTC](https://forum.alumio.com/t/proper-vs-improper-use-of-storages/947 "2024-01-22T18:30:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![steven.ferrell](https://forum.alumio.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/s/ed8c4c/32.png) [@steven.ferrell](https://forum.alumio.com/u/steven.ferrell)\
**Post date:** [January 22, 2024, 6:30pm UTC](https://forum.alumio.com/t/proper-vs-improper-use-of-storages/947/1 "2024-01-22T18:30:48Z")

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Like I’m sure many of us do, I have need in a few of my transformers to map a part of incoming data to the correct value for the outgoing side. An example would be Product A = Product B. I’ve been using a simple database setup to manage these style cross-references.

Recently the database server crashed and I rebuilt my most critical cross-reference structure as a Storage until we could restore the database(maybe 10 or 11 storage entities mapping in and out shipping conditions). I certainly didnt(and dont) want to hard-code these in a transformer as values may change over time.

This made me question if this is acceptable use of Alumio storages? Up until now I’ve just been using them more as a “cache” of entities, but is using the Storage in the form of a simple collection of permanent records not acceptable? I worry that one day I might log in to find the Storage has been “flushed” by an upgraded or something.

Maybe there is a better way to handle these mappings all together?

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**Author:** ![l.jumatiawan](https://forum.alumio.com/user_avatar/forum.alumio.com/l.jumatiawan/32/1354_2.png) [@l.jumatiawan](https://forum.alumio.com/u/l.jumatiawan)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 12:21pm UTC](https://forum.alumio.com/t/proper-vs-improper-use-of-storages/947/2 "2024-01-24T12:21:47Z")

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Hi Steven.  
Thanks for the question.

You can use the storage and no flush in every update.

However, common users are using transformers for mapping.  
And there are some limitations such as storage full, inodes full, etc. Then you have to check the storage periodically.

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**Author:** ![Alumio\_Bot](https://forum.alumio.com/user_avatar/forum.alumio.com/alumio_bot/32/1824_2.png) [@Alumio\_Bot](https://forum.alumio.com/u/Alumio_Bot)\
**Post date:** [January 24, 2024, 12:25pm UTC](https://forum.alumio.com/t/proper-vs-improper-use-of-storages/947/3 "2024-01-24T12:25:26Z")

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> [@steven.ferrell](#):
>
> I’ve just been using them more as a “cache” of entities, but is using the Storage in the form of a simple collection of permanent records not acceptable? I worry that one day I might log in to find the Storage has been “flushed” by an upgraded or something.

You can use the storage as permanent storage.  
Like Lathif said, you just need to keep an eye on the amount of storage used.  
Updates/upgrades don’t flush the storage.