# \[Easy\] Storing PDF's **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [July 31, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/easy-storing-pdfs/6961 "2013-07-31T14:33:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![randomranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@randomranger](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/randomranger)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 2:33pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/easy-storing-pdfs/6961/1 "2013-07-31T14:33:26Z")
Hello there, I have what should be an easy question for you guys. I have many PDF’s that I wish to have access to in ignition. I was wondering, what is the best way to store many (anywhere from 50 to over a thousand) PDF’s for access through ignition. I am aware of the option of storing them as BLOBs inside of the database itself, but I also thought that it might be better to store the PDF’s directly on the Gateway, and store a file path in the database. If you believe that the second option is the optimal one, how do I upload something into the Gateway from ignition? I haven’t seen anything in the development guide or on the forums. ---
**Author:** ![greg.simpson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/greg.simpson/32/3135_2.png) [@greg.simpson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/greg.simpson)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:26pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/easy-storing-pdfs/6961/2 "2013-07-31T18:26:04Z")
Your two best options would be to store the files on the individual computers that will need to display them. They will also all need to be saved to the same directory on all computers. This is not the preferred method. The other method would be to store all of the files in a network shared location. Now the path to the file is guaranteed to be the same and this will be the easiest method. ---
**Author:** ![randomranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@randomranger](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/randomranger)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:45pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/easy-storing-pdfs/6961/3 "2013-07-31T18:45:06Z")
Ok, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![greg.simpson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/greg.simpson/32/3135_2.png) [@greg.simpson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/greg.simpson)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 6:58pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/easy-storing-pdfs/6961/4 "2013-07-31T18:58:06Z")
I stand corrected! Check out the following link to another forum thread. This functionality was added not that long ago. Here you go [viewtopic.php?f=72&t=5567&p=32960&hilit=network+share&sid=89af58003258be938bcd5106ff6a258c#p32960](http://inductiveautomation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=5567&p=32960&hilit=network+share&sid=89af58003258be938bcd5106ff6a258c#p32960) Check the second to last post! ![:thumb_left:](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/1X/e26afb081ddde6df016df6ee49159cf56aaca688.gif ":thumb\_left:") ---
**Author:** ![randomranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@randomranger](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/randomranger)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 7:01pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/easy-storing-pdfs/6961/5 "2013-07-31T19:01:06Z")
[quote=“Greg.Simpson”]I stand corrected! Check out the following link to another forum thread. This functionality was added not that long ago. Here you go [inductiveautomation.com/forum/vi … 58c#p32960](http://inductiveautomation.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=72&t=5567&p=32960&hilit=network+share&sid=89af58003258be938bcd5106ff6a258c#p32960) Check the second to last post! ![:thumb_left:](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/1X/e26afb081ddde6df016df6ee49159cf56aaca688.gif ":thumb\_left:")[/quote] Wow, thanks, if my version is recent enough, this could prove very useful. Thanks for going the extra mile 🙂 EDIT: Upon taking a closer look, I notice that this may only work on the machine that hosts the gateway, considering it is the only one with an install directory. How would I do this on something that is only running a client? Is there a way to share that folder outside of Windows’ default “Share” feature? (I can’t use the default because of Workplace/ Domain complications) ---
**Author:** ![greg.simpson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/greg.simpson/32/3135_2.png) [@greg.simpson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/greg.simpson)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2013, 9:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/easy-storing-pdfs/6961/6 "2013-07-31T21:36:31Z")
The client computers will not need to have these directories. You will be retrieving the file itself from the Ignition server. If there are complications with policies on the domain then you may need to go the route of using a shared network location. Follow the instructions from the other forum thread and give it a try, it should work. > [@](#): > > Ignition does have a Tomcat server in it so you can post files to be served up by Ignition. All you have to do is put the files you want available in the \Ignition\tomcat\webapps\main folder. They you can get them out at [hostname:port/main/myfile.ext](http://hostname:port/main/myfile.ext) ---
**Author:** ![randomranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@randomranger](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/randomranger)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 1:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/easy-storing-pdfs/6961/7 "2013-08-01T13:16:00Z")
I understand that they will be getting the file from the server, that’s not a problem. However, at the moment, I need the clients to be able to add files to the folder as well. I can see how this may be done with network folder/ file sharing, but I don’t see how to do the network sharing when the computers are not on the same Windows workgroup/ domain. I have basic knowledge of how networks work, but I’m not a network engineer, so it is possible that I’m speaking rubbish. How do I share a folder over a network to computers not sharing a Domain/ Workgroup. EDIT: Something changed and I no longer need to know how to share the folder. Thanks for all your help Greg 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![greg.simpson](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/greg.simpson/32/3135_2.png) [@greg.simpson](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/greg.simpson)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2013, 11:40pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/easy-storing-pdfs/6961/8 "2013-08-01T23:40:53Z")
OK