# Need technical details behind mapping shared drives **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Created:** [September 1, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/need-technical-details-behind-mapping-shared-drives/78681 "2023-09-01T16:00:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![karnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@karnick](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/karnick)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 4:00pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/need-technical-details-behind-mapping-shared-drives/78681/1 "2023-09-01T16:00:45Z")
We have a system in place called Windream which essentially emulates a windows share. I am being told that this system is being upgraded to a version that no longer supports older operating systems such as Windows 7, so we have to evaluate our existing systems to determine if we will have any compatibility issues. My question is this: Internally, where are mappings to shared drives initiated in Ignition? I know they must be configured in ignition.conf, but if I am trying to determine whether ignition will be compatible with the new version, what info can I provide my IT dept? Is the mapping still handled by the OS, or is it by some libraries in the JVM? Thank you ---
**Author:** ![Kevin.Herron](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/kevin.herron/32/7259_2.png) [@Kevin.Herron](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Kevin.Herron)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 4:05pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/need-technical-details-behind-mapping-shared-drives/78681/2 "2023-09-01T16:05:25Z")
The mapping is handled by the Java Service Wrapper software: [Home - Java Service Wrapper](https://wrapper.tanukisoftware.com/doc/english/home.html) I don't know enough more about how it works to answer your questions, though. ---
**Author:** ![karnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@karnick](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/karnick)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 5:22pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/need-technical-details-behind-mapping-shared-drives/78681/3 "2023-09-01T17:22:11Z")
Thanks Kevin. This should be enough to get the discussions started. ---
**Author:** ![pturmel](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/pturmel/32/3295_2.png) [@pturmel](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/pturmel)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 10:36pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/need-technical-details-behind-mapping-shared-drives/78681/4 "2023-09-01T22:36:07Z")
Seriously consider **not** using mapped drive letters at all. Arrange for the Ignition service user to have credentials on the target server, and use compleye UNC paths everywhere. This approach doesn't suffer from failures to connect/reconnect when the target server is unavailable. (You must restart the entire Ignition service to reconnect mapped drives that break.)