# Storage

The dm3 protocol does not specify where the user has to store his messages. Depending on the use case and the requirements of the user, the messages can be stored in different places and ways. The user should always be in full control of his/her decision, where and how to manage conversation data.

The following approaches are possible, although not the only ones.

* **Local File Storage:** All conversations including attached media are stored in the local file system. All stored information is encrypted. While local storage is the most privacy preserving (conversation data is only stored an the user's device and in full control of the user), synchronization between devices is restricted or not possible.
* **Web3 Decentralized Storage:** The conversations are organized and pinned in IPFS. The information is stored fully encrypted. Multiple devices of the user can access the decentrally managed data.
* **Cloud Storage:** The conversations are stored at a cloud service of the user (like Google drive). The information is stored fully encrypted. The user decides whether and/or which cloud service provider to use. The availability of the conversation data thus depends on the availability of the cloud service provider. Synchronization between different devices is easy as long as the cloud drive is accessible.
* **dm3 Service Storage:** A special variant of cloud storage is the data service of a dm3 node (delivery service). As an optional service, this can offer the storage of encrypted conversations. To access the conversation history, the client must be connected to this delivery service. Synchronization between multiple delivery service nodes is optional.

*\[IMAGE to visualize storage]*

For performance reasons, a client can/should cache current conversations so that it does not have to fetch the data from a possibly remote storage each time it is accessed. If additional data is needed (e.g. earlier parts of the communication history), it can be retrieved sequentially.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://specification.dm3.network/utility-extensions/message-storage-protocol-dm3msp/storage.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.