Distributed File Storage System

A distributed cloud-based file storage system with a load balancer, built using Java, JavaFX, Docker, and MySQL. Features role-based access, AES encryption, 1MB file chunking with CRC32 integrity checking, and multiple scheduling algorithms.

Tech Stack

• Language: Java (Maven)
• GUI: JavaFX
• Database: MySQL (Dockerised)
• Infrastructure: Docker & Docker Compose
• Security: AES-256 encryption, PBKDF2 password hashing with salt
• Build: Maven

Features

File Management

• Upload and download files of any size
• Automatic 1MB file chunking with CRC32 integrity validation
• AES-256 encryption of all chunks before storage
• Decryption on download — transparent to the user
• Cross-session persistence — files survive application restarts

Load Balancer

• Distributes file chunks evenly across multiple storage nodes
• Multiple scheduling algorithms — Round Robin, FCFS, Priority, Shortest Job Next, Round Robin, and Multiple-Level Queues
• Health checks — automatically excludes unhealthy storage nodes
• Artificial delay simulation (30-90 seconds) to emulate real cloud latency
• Performance metrics — tracks upload/download times, storage distribution, and load balancer efficiency

User System

• Register and login with PBKDF2 hashed passwords and salt
• Role-based access — Admin and Standard users
• File sharing between users with read/write permission controls
• Access control lists enforced on all file operations

Interface

• JavaFX GUI for full file management
• Built-in terminal command interface
• Supported commands: mv, cp, ls, mkdir, ps, whoami, tree, nano
• Log viewer and metrics dashboard

Architecture

The system is built around a clear class structure separating concerns:

Class	Responsibility
FileManagementController	Main GUI controller for all file operations
TerminalController	Handles terminal command input and execution
MetricsViewerController	Displays load balancer performance metrics
LogViewerController	Displays system and operation logs
PrimaryController	Login and authentication interface
RegisterController	New user registration interface
LoadBalancerService	Distributes chunks across storage nodes using scheduling algorithms
EncryptionService	AES-256 encryption and decryption of file chunks
FileService	File chunking, reconstruction, and CRC32 validation
UserDAO	Database operations for user management
FileDAO	Database operations for file metadata and sharing
AppUser	User entity with role and permission data
FileModel	File entity with chunk references and metadata

Distributed File Storage System

A distributed cloud-based file storage system with a load balancer, built using Java, JavaFX, Docker, and MySQL. Features role-based access, AES encryption, 1MB file chunking with CRC32 integrity checking, and multiple scheduling algorithms.

Tech Stack

• Language: Java (Maven)
• GUI: JavaFX
• Database: MySQL (Dockerised)
• Infrastructure: Docker & Docker Compose
• Security: AES-256 encryption, PBKDF2 password hashing with salt
• Build: Maven

Features

File Management

• Upload and download files of any size
• Automatic 1MB file chunking with CRC32 integrity validation
• AES-256 encryption of all chunks before storage
• Decryption on download — transparent to the user
• Cross-session persistence — files survive application restarts

Load Balancer

• Distributes file chunks evenly across multiple storage nodes
• Multiple scheduling algorithms — Round Robin, FCFS, Priority, Shortest Job Next, Round Robin, and Multiple-Level Queues
• Health checks — automatically excludes unhealthy storage nodes
• Artificial delay simulation (30-90 seconds) to emulate real cloud latency
• Performance metrics — tracks upload/download times, storage distribution, and load balancer efficiency

User System

• Register and login with PBKDF2 hashed passwords and salt
• Role-based access — Admin and Standard users
• File sharing between users with read/write permission controls
• Access control lists enforced on all file operations

Interface

• JavaFX GUI for full file management
• Built-in terminal command interface
• Supported commands: mv, cp, ls, mkdir, ps, whoami, tree, nano
• Log viewer and metrics dashboard

Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │ JavaFX GUI Application │ │ (File Management + Terminal) │ ├─────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Load Balancer │ │ (Scheduling + Health Checks) │ ├──────────────────┬──────────────────┤ │ File Storage │ File Storage │ │ Node 1 │ Node 2 │ ├──────────────────┴──────────────────┤ │ MySQL Database │ │ (Docker containerised) │ └─────────────────────────────────────┘

How to Run

Prerequisites:

• Java 20+
• Maven
• Docker Desktop

Step 1 — Start the database:

docker-compose up -d

Step 2 — Build the project:

mvn clean install

Step 3 — Run the application:

mvn javafx:run

See docker_database.sql for the full database schema.

Project Structure

cloud-load-balancer/
├── app/
│   └── JavaFXApplication1/
│       ├── src/main/java/com/mycompany/javafxapplication1/
│       │   ├── database/
│       │   ├── models/
│       │   ├── services/
│       │   ├── FileManagementController.java
│       │   ├── TerminalController.java
│       │   ├── MetricsViewerController.java
│       │   ├── LogViewerController.java
│       │   ├── PrimaryController.java
│       │   ├── RegisterController.java
│       │   └── App.java
│       ├── src/main/resources/
│       │   ├── filemanagement.fxml
│       │   ├── terminal.fxml
│       │   ├── metricsviewer.fxml
│       │   ├── logviewer.fxml
│       │   ├── primary.fxml
│       │   ├── register.fxml
│       │   └── secondary.fxml
│       ├── docker-compose.yml
│       └── pom.xml
├── database-schema.sql
└── README.md

Development Timeline

Built across 10 days — core file system, MySQL integration, user roles and file sharing, AES encryption and password hashing, terminal command interface, load balancer scheduling algorithms, Docker containerisation, health checking, artificial delay simulation, and performance metrics.

How to Run

Prerequisites:

• Java 20+
• Maven
• Docker Desktop

Step 1 — Start the database:

docker-compose up -d

Step 2 — Build the project:

mvn clean install

Step 3 — Run the application:

mvn javafx:run

See docker_database.sql for the full database schema.

Project Structure

cloud-load-balancer/ ├── app/ │ └── JavaFXApplication1/ │ ├── src/main/java/com/mycompany/javafxapplication1/ │ │ ├── database/ # DAO classes and DB connection │ │ ├── models/ # User, File, Chunk entities │ │ ├── services/ # Load balancer, encryption, file services │ │ ├── FileManagementController.java │ │ ├── TerminalController.java │ │ ├── MetricsViewerController.java │ │ └── App.java │ ├── src/main/resources/ # FXML layout files │ ├── docker-compose.yml │ └── pom.xml ├── database-schema.sql └── README.md

Development Timeline

Built across 10 days — core file system, MySQL integration, user roles and file sharing, AES encryption and password hashing, terminal command interface, load balancer scheduling algorithms, Docker containerisation, health checking, artificial delay simulation, and performance metrics.