Operate CALIBER
Storage and state
The operator guide to where CALIBER keeps metadata, files, workflow workspaces, and retention-controlled artifacts.
Use this page when the practical question is where CALIBER keeps state, what must be backed up, and which storage surface to inspect when something is missing or inconsistent.
At a glance
| State surface | What it stores | Related settings |
|---|---|---|
| Metadata database | CALIBER metadata and control-plane state | CALIBER_DATABASE_URL |
| Object store | uploaded files, previews, extracted artifacts, log sink targets | CALIBER_OBJECT_STORE_* |
| Workflow storage | workflow-run workspaces and files | CALIBER_WORKFLOW_STORAGE_* |
| Retention policy | how long finalized run files remain | CALIBER_WORKFLOW_STORAGE_RETENTION_* |
1. Separate metadata from file storage
CALIBER does not keep every operational artifact in the same place.
That means:
- a metadata record may exist even if file storage is unhealthy
- file storage may be present even if the metadata database is unavailable
Treat those as separate failure domains during diagnosis.
2. Workflow storage is its own operator concern
Workflow-run file storage has its own backend, endpoint, limits, signing, and retention controls. Do not assume the generic object-store settings cover the full workflow storage path.
3. Common failure modes
| Symptom | First thing to check |
|---|---|
| Metadata exists but files are missing | workflow storage or object-store backend health |
| Uploads succeed locally but fail in another environment | endpoint, region, path-style, or credential-source differences |
| Old run files disappeared | retention policy and janitor expectations |