# How can I use Great Expectations in a read-only environment?

**URL:** https://discourse.greatexpectations.io/t/how-can-i-use-great-expectations-in-a-read-only-environment/669
**Category:** Archive
**Tags:** how-to
**Created:** [March 18, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://discourse.greatexpectations.io/t/how-can-i-use-great-expectations-in-a-read-only-environment/669 "2021-03-18T18:21:01Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![bhcastleton](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex031/user_avatar/discourse.greatexpectations.io/bhcastleton/32/73_2.png) [@bhcastleton](https://discourse.greatexpectations.io/u/bhcastleton)
#### Post date: [March 18, 2021, 6:21pm UTC](https://discourse.greatexpectations.io/t/how-can-i-use-great-expectations-in-a-read-only-environment/669/1 "2021-03-18T18:21:01Z")

</div>

To write absolutely nothing to the local file system, you can create a Data Context programmatically. [How to instantiate a Data Context without a yml file — great\_expectations documentation](https://docs.greatexpectations.io/en/latest/guides/how_to_guides/configuring_data_contexts/how_to_instantiate_a_data_context_without_a_yml_file.html)

As of March 18, 2021, this documentation only has a V2 API description. For corresponding snippets in V3 API consult the Databricks guide: [How to instantiate a Data Context on Databricks Spark cluster — great\_expectations documentation](https://docs.greatexpectations.io/en/latest/guides/how_to_guides/configuring_data_contexts/how_to_instantiate_a_data_context_on_a_databricks_spark_cluster.html)

Then look up in the “Configuring metadata stores” section of the how-to guide find the instructions for storing Expectations and Validation Results in a cloud storage service or a database: [Configuring metadata stores — great\_expectations documentation](https://docs.greatexpectations.io/en/latest/guides/how_to_guides/configuring_metadata_stores.html).