# File Access on host from remote client **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [September 2, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170 "2010-09-02T13:58:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![StriderPR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@StriderPR](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/StriderPR)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 1:58pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170/1 "2010-09-02T13:58:10Z")
Hi, I am trying to access pdf files stored at the Ignition Gateway Server (No Database) from the clients. Using the PDF Viewer. I read in one of the forums thread that it is possible to do it using FactoryPMI and storing the files in the tomcat/root folder. I tried the same for Ignition with no luck. Any help on this matter will be appreciated. ---
**Author:** ![Robert.McKenzie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/robert.mckenzie/32/4134_2.png) [@Robert.McKenzie](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Robert.McKenzie)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 3:25pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170/2 "2010-09-02T15:25:39Z")
You can put the files in a shared folder and access them by using the windows path to the file. ie: `\\myserver\share\IADocs\mydoc.pdf` ---
**Author:** ![StriderPR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@StriderPR](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/StriderPR)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170/3 "2010-09-02T15:46:48Z")
It worked fine!, but the user has to login to the Gateway Server. I will play a little bit around and see what I found. ---
**Author:** ![Dravik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@Dravik](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Dravik)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170/4 "2010-09-02T16:29:54Z")
If you don’t want the user to have to login, just change the share permissions and give ‘everyone’ readonly access. ---
**Author:** ![StriderPR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@StriderPR](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/StriderPR)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2010, 5:47pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170/5 "2010-09-02T17:47:21Z")
Dravik/Robert… Thanks for your help! ![:thumb_right:](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/1X/2026e28c0c425034352c1b75807edf956adc75f4.gif ":thumb\_right:") ---
**Author:** ![PeterThornton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@PeterThornton](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/PeterThornton)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 10:26am UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170/6 "2013-02-05T10:26:45Z")
I am having this same issue, but I can’t serve the files on a network share. Is there any way to make pdf files available via the Ignition Web Server? ---
**Author:** ![AlThePal](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/althepal/32/3603_2.png) [@AlThePal](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/AlThePal)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 5:22pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170/7 "2013-02-05T17:22:53Z")
The easiest way is to store the files as BLOBs in a database, then access them using a query and write them to a temporary file before displaying them - see the example under system.file.writeFile in the user manual. ---
**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:** [February 5, 2013, 5:53pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170/8 "2013-02-05T17:53:41Z")
Or, follow the link [inductiveautomation.com/support/ … tefile.htm](http://inductiveautomation.com/support/usermanuals/ignition/system_file_writefile.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Robert.McKenzie](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/robert.mckenzie/32/4134_2.png) [@Robert.McKenzie](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Robert.McKenzie)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170/9 "2013-02-05T18:16:21Z")
Another option: 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) One important note: This folder may or may not persist across Ignition version upgrades so always double-check that the files are still in the right spot and it still works when you upgrade. ---
**Author:** ![PeterThornton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/da6949/32.png) [@PeterThornton](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/PeterThornton)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2013, 4:46pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/file-access-on-host-from-remote-client/2170/10 "2013-02-06T16:46:05Z")
Thanks Robert. That’s exactly what I wanted to do.