# Clarification on GatewayContext Data Storage

**URL:** <https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/clarification-on-gatewaycontext-data-storage/107207>\
**Category:** Module Development\
**Tags:** ignition81, ignition79, ignition80\
**Created:** [June 10, 2025, 5:39am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/clarification-on-gatewaycontext-data-storage/107207 "2025-06-10T05:39:18Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![j.kennedy1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@j.kennedy1](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/j.kennedy1)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 5:39am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/clarification-on-gatewaycontext-data-storage/107207/1 "2025-06-10T05:39:18Z")

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In later versions of the SDK documentation I'm not able to find methods for accessing the data directories of Ignition.

Specifically this guide: [Storing Configuration Data | Ignition SDK Programmer's Guide](https://www.sdk-docs.inductiveautomation.com/docs/getting-started/key-design-concepts/storing-config-data) mentions `GatewayContext.getHome()` but this only seems applicable to older versions.

Is there a change to the mechanisms for dealing with file storage in Ignition?

Specifically - I'm simply wanting to allow document upload for a module however other forum posts mention using BLOBs in database instead, is file-based storage no longer supported?

See: [GatewayContext (ignition 7.8.4-rc1 API)](https://files.inductiveautomation.com/sdk/javadoc/ignition784rc1/com/inductiveautomation/ignition/gateway/model/GatewayContext.html)

And: [GatewayContext](https://files.inductiveautomation.com/sdk/javadoc/earlyaccess/ignition83/8.3.0-SNAPSHOT/com/inductiveautomation/ignition/gateway/model/GatewayContext.html) (8.3)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![j.kennedy1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@j.kennedy1](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/j.kennedy1)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 5:41am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/clarification-on-gatewaycontext-data-storage/107207/2 "2025-06-10T05:41:52Z")

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Right after posting I came across this topic which seems to locate the required method: [Is there a way withthe SDK to obtain the gateway data directory path? - #4 by PGriffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/is-there-a-way-withthe-sdk-to-obtain-the-gateway-data-directory-path/33584/4)

I'm suspecting the SDK guide is out of date?

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**Author:** ![bmusson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/bmusson/32/87530_2.png) [@bmusson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/bmusson)\
**Post date:** [June 10, 2025, 10:47am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/clarification-on-gatewaycontext-data-storage/107207/3 "2025-06-10T10:47:32Z")

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You can get a `SystemManager` from the `GatewayContext`, that can tell you a bunch of different paths.

> **[SystemManager](https://files.inductiveautomation.com/sdk/javadoc/ignition81/8.1.33/com/inductiveautomation/ignition/gateway/system/SystemManager.html#getDataDir())**
>
> declaration: package: com.inductiveautomation.ignition.gateway.system, interface: SystemManager