diff --git a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ConsoleServer/Opc.Ua.GlobalDiscoveryServer.Config.xml b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ConsoleServer/Opc.Ua.GlobalDiscoveryServer.Config.xml
index 3f3394d168..c2f07abcc2 100644
--- a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ConsoleServer/Opc.Ua.GlobalDiscoveryServer.Config.xml
+++ b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ConsoleServer/Opc.Ua.GlobalDiscoveryServer.Config.xml
@@ -140,7 +140,8 @@
         </CertificateGroups>
         <KnownHostNames/>
         <ShutdownDelay>5</ShutdownDelay>
-    </GlobalDiscoveryServerConfiguration>
+        <DatabaseStorePath>gdsdb.json</DatabaseStorePath>
+      </GlobalDiscoveryServerConfiguration>
     </ua:XmlElement>
   </Extensions>
 
diff --git a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ConsoleServer/Program.cs b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ConsoleServer/Program.cs
index 5512c9116d..4fc758e90a 100644
--- a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ConsoleServer/Program.cs
+++ b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ConsoleServer/Program.cs
@@ -240,8 +240,12 @@ namespace Opc.Ua.Gds.Server
                 config.CertificateValidator.CertificateValidation += new CertificateValidationEventHandler(CertificateValidator_CertificateValidation);
             }
 
+            // get the DatabaseStorePath configuration parameter.
+            GlobalDiscoveryServerConfiguration gdsConfiguration = config.ParseExtension<GlobalDiscoveryServerConfiguration>();
+            string databaseStorePath = gdsConfiguration.DatabaseStorePath;
+
             // start the server.
-            server = new GlobalDiscoveryServer(BinaryApplicationsDatabase.Load("gdsdb.bin"));
+            server = new GlobalDiscoveryServer(JsonApplicationsDatabase.Load(databaseStorePath));
             await application.Start(server);
 
             // start the status thread
diff --git a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/GlobalDiscoveryServer.cs b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/GlobalDiscoveryServer.cs
index eb1476c40b..fede035e72 100644
Binary files a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/GlobalDiscoveryServer.cs and b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/GlobalDiscoveryServer.cs differ
diff --git a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/GlobalDiscoveryServerConfiguration.cs b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/GlobalDiscoveryServerConfiguration.cs
index d949748961..86b9dd0ad9 100644
--- a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/GlobalDiscoveryServerConfiguration.cs
+++ b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/GlobalDiscoveryServerConfiguration.cs
@@ -82,6 +82,9 @@ namespace Opc.Ua.Gds.Server
 
         [DataMember(Order = 6)]
         public uint ShutdownDelay { get; set; }
+
+        [DataMember(Order = 7)]
+        public string DatabaseStorePath { get; set; }
         #endregion
 
         #region Private Members
diff --git a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/JsonApplicationsDatabase.cs b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/JsonApplicationsDatabase.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..aa4b12069d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/JsonApplicationsDatabase.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+/* ========================================================================
+ * Copyright (c) 2005-2017 The OPC Foundation, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * OPC Foundation MIT License 1.00
+ * 
+ * Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person
+ * obtaining a copy of this software and associated documentation
+ * files (the "Software"), to deal in the Software without
+ * restriction, including without limitation the rights to use,
+ * copy, modify, merge, publish, distribute, sublicense, and/or sell
+ * copies of the Software, and to permit persons to whom the
+ * Software is furnished to do so, subject to the following
+ * conditions:
+ * 
+ * The above copyright notice and this permission notice shall be
+ * included in all copies or substantial portions of the Software.
+ * THE SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED "AS IS", WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND,
+ * EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES
+ * OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE AND
+ * NONINFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AUTHORS OR COPYRIGHT
+ * HOLDERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY CLAIM, DAMAGES OR OTHER LIABILITY,
+ * WHETHER IN AN ACTION OF CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE, ARISING
+ * FROM, OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THE SOFTWARE OR THE USE OR
+ * OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
+ *
+ * The complete license agreement can be found here:
+ * http://opcfoundation.org/License/MIT/1.00/
+ * ======================================================================*/
+
+using System.IO;
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
+
+namespace Opc.Ua.Gds.Server.Database
+{
+    public class JsonApplicationsDatabase : LinqApplicationsDatabase
+    {
+        #region Constructors
+        public JsonApplicationsDatabase(string fileName)
+        {
+            m_fileName = fileName;
+        }
+        static public JsonApplicationsDatabase Load(string fileName)
+        {
+            try
+            {
+                string json = File.ReadAllText(fileName);
+                JsonApplicationsDatabase db = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<JsonApplicationsDatabase>(json);
+                db.FileName = fileName;
+                return db;
+            }
+            catch
+            {
+                return new JsonApplicationsDatabase(fileName);
+            }
+        }
+        #endregion
+        #region Public Members
+        public override void Save()
+        {
+            string json = JsonConvert.SerializeObject(this, Formatting.Indented);
+            File.WriteAllText(m_fileName, json);
+        }
+        [JsonIgnore]
+        public string FileName { get { return m_fileName; } private set { m_fileName = value; } }
+        #endregion
+        #region Private Fields
+        [JsonIgnore]
+        string m_fileName;
+        #endregion
+    }
+}
diff --git a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/LinqApplicationsDatabase.cs b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/LinqApplicationsDatabase.cs
index e13b8af20f..820a2655c2 100644
--- a/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/LinqApplicationsDatabase.cs
+++ b/SampleApplications/Samples/GDS/ServerCommon/LinqApplicationsDatabase.cs
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Linq;
 using System.Runtime.Serialization;
+using Newtonsoft.Json;
 
 namespace Opc.Ua.Gds.Server.Database
 {
@@ -113,18 +114,18 @@ namespace Opc.Ua.Gds.Server.Database
 
                     if (record != null)
                     {
-                        var endpoints = from ii in ServerEndpoints
+                        var endpoints = (from ii in ServerEndpoints
                                         where ii.ApplicationId == record.ApplicationId
-                                        select ii;
+                                        select ii).ToList<ServerEndpoint>();
 
                         foreach (var endpoint in endpoints)
                         {
                             ServerEndpoints.Remove(endpoint);
                         }
 
-                        var names = from ii in ApplicationNames
+                        var names = (from ii in ApplicationNames
                                     where ii.ApplicationId == record.ApplicationId
-                                    select ii;
+                                    select ii).ToList<ApplicationName>();
 
                         foreach (var name in names)
                         {
@@ -706,14 +707,21 @@ namespace Opc.Ua.Gds.Server.Database
             queryCounterResetTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
         }
         #endregion
-        #region Private Fields
-        [NonSerialized] object Lock = new object();
-        [NonSerialized] DateTime queryCounterResetTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
-        ICollection<Application> Applications = new HashSet<Application>();
-        ICollection<ApplicationName> ApplicationNames = new HashSet<ApplicationName>();
-        ICollection<ServerEndpoint> ServerEndpoints = new HashSet<ServerEndpoint>();
-        ICollection<CertificateRequest> CertificateRequests = new HashSet<CertificateRequest>();
-        ICollection<CertificateStore> CertificateStores = new HashSet<CertificateStore>();
+        #region Internal Fields
+        [NonSerialized]
+        internal object Lock = new object();
+        [NonSerialized]
+        internal DateTime queryCounterResetTime = DateTime.UtcNow;
+        [JsonProperty]
+        internal ICollection<Application> Applications = new HashSet<Application>();
+        [JsonProperty]
+        internal ICollection<ApplicationName> ApplicationNames = new HashSet<ApplicationName>();
+        [JsonProperty]
+        internal ICollection<ServerEndpoint> ServerEndpoints = new HashSet<ServerEndpoint>();
+        [JsonProperty]
+        internal ICollection<CertificateRequest> CertificateRequests = new HashSet<CertificateRequest>();
+        [JsonProperty]
+        internal ICollection<CertificateStore> CertificateStores = new HashSet<CertificateStore>();
         #endregion
     }
 }