# Enabling session storage
<a name="manage-storage"></a>

Session storage is a folder on the Amazon DCV server that clients can access when they're connected to a specific Amazon DCV session. When you enable session storage for a session, clients can download files from, and upload files to, the specified folder. This feature enables clients to share files while connected to a session.

**Topics**
+ [Enabling session storage on Windows](#manage-storage-windows)
+ [Enabling session storage on Linux](#manage-storage-linux)
+ [Enabling session storage on macOS](#manage-storage-macos)

## Enabling session storage on a Windows Amazon DCV Server
<a name="manage-storage-windows"></a>

To enable session storage, first create the folder to use for session storage. Then, configure the `storage-root` parameter using the Windows Registry Editor.

**To enable session storage on Windows**

1. Create the folder to use for session storage (for example, `c:\session-storage`).

1. Configure the `storage-root` parameter.

   1. Open the Windows Registry Editor.

   1. Navigate to the **HKEY\$1USERS\$1S-1-5-18\$1Software\$1GSettings\$1com\$1nicesoftware\$1dcv\$1session-management\$1automatic-console-session** key and select the **storage-root** parameter.

      If there's no `storage-root` parameter in the registry key, create one as follows:

      1. In the navigation pane, open the context (right-click) menu for the **session-management/automatic-console-session** key. Then, choose **New**, **String**.

      1. For **Name**, enter `storage-root` and press **Enter**.

   1. Open the **storage-root** parameter. For **Value data**, enter the full path to the folder that's created in step 1.

      You can also use `%home%` in the path to specify the home directory of the user who's currently signed in. For example, the following path uses `c:\Users\username\storage\` as the session storage directory.

      ```
      %home%/storage/
      ```
**Note**  
If the specified subdirectory doesn't exist, then session storage is disabled.

   1. Choose **OK** and close the Windows Registry Editor.

   1. [Stop](manage-stop.md) and [restart](manage-start.md) the Amazon DCV server.

1. Start the session and specify the `--storage-root` option. For more information, see [Starting Amazon DCV sessions](managing-sessions-start.md).

## Enabling session storage on a Linux Amazon DCV Server
<a name="manage-storage-linux"></a>

To enable session storage, create the folder to use for session storage and then configure the `storage-root` parameter in the `dcv.conf` file.

**To enable session storage on Linux**

1. Create the folder to use for session storage (for example, `/opt/session-storage/`).

1. Configure the `storage-root` parameter.

   1. Navigate to `/etc/dcv/` and open the `dcv.conf` with your preferred text editor.

   1. Locate the `storage-root` parameter in the `[session-management/automatic-console-session]` section. Replace the existing path with the full path to the folder that you created in step 1.

      If there's no `storage-root` parameter in the `[session-management/automatic-console-session]` section, add it manually using the following format.

      ```
      [session-management/automatic-console-session]
      storage-root="/opt/session-storage/"
      ```

      You can also use `%home%` in the path to specify the home directory of the user who's currently signed in. For example, the following parameter uses the `$HOME/storage/` directory for session storage.

      ```
      [session-management/automatic-console-session]
      storage-root="%home%/storage/"
      ```
**Note**  
If the specified subdirectory doesn't exist, then session storage is disabled.

1. Save and close the file.

1. [Stop](manage-stop.md) and [restart](manage-start.md) the Amazon DCV server.

1. Start the session and specify the `--storage-root` option. For more information, see [Starting Amazon DCV sessions](managing-sessions-start.md).

## Enabling session storage on a macOS Amazon DCV Server
<a name="manage-storage-macos"></a>

To enable session storage, create the folder to use for session storage and then configure the `storage-root` parameter in the `dcv.conf` file.

**To enable session storage on macOS**

1. Create the folder to use for session storage (for example, `/opt/session-storage/`).

1. Configure the `storage-root` parameter.

   1. Navigate to `/etc/dcv/` and open the `dcv.conf` with your preferred text editor.

   1. Locate the `storage-root` parameter in the `[session-management/automatic-console-session]` section. Replace the existing path with the full path to the folder that you created in step 1.

      If there's no `storage-root` parameter in the `[session-management/automatic-console-session]` section, add it manually using the following format.

      ```
      [session-management/automatic-console-session]
      storage-root="/opt/session-storage/"
      ```
**Note**  
If the specified subdirectory doesn't exist, then session storage is disabled.
**Note**  
The `storage-root` value must be an absolute path on macOS.

1. Save and close the file.

1. [Stop](manage-stop.md) and [restart](manage-start.md) the Amazon DCV server.

1. Start the session and specify the `--storage-root` option. For more information, see [Starting Amazon DCV sessions](managing-sessions-start.md).