---
title: Configuring incompatible PingAccess agents to test bearer token authentication
description: Complete this procedure to configure the PingAccess agent for Apache (Windows) to test bearer token authentication.
component: pingaccess
version: 9.1
page_id: pingaccess:pingaccess_user_interface_reference_guide:pa_configuring_incompatible_pa_agents_to_test_bearer_token_auth
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingaccess/9.1/pingaccess_user_interface_reference_guide/pa_configuring_incompatible_pa_agents_to_test_bearer_token_auth.html
llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingaccess/llms.txt
docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md
revdate: April 18, 2025
section_ids:
  about-this-task: About this task
  steps: Steps
---

# Configuring incompatible PingAccess agents to test bearer token authentication

## About this task

Complete this procedure to configure the PingAccess agent for Apache (Windows) to test bearer token authentication.

## Steps

1. In the PingAccess admin console, go to **Applications > Agents** and open the agent configuration that you want to update.

2. To prompt PingAccess to add the private key into the `agent.properties` file, select the [**Require Token Authentication** checkbox](pa_agent_field_descriptions.html).

   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
   | - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | If you clear this checkbox later, you don't need to generate a new `agent.properties` file to update the shared secret. The PingAccess agent will continue to use both the shared secret and the private key from the active `agent.properties` file if you haven't removed them from the file. |

3. Download a new `agent.properties` file for the agent as shown in [Adding agents](pa_adding_agents.html).

   In PingAccess 8.2 and later, the PingAccess server generates a public key and private key in addition to the shared secret. You can find the public key on this page, identified with a timestamp. The updated `agent.properties` file contains the expected private key.

   |   |                                                                                                  |
   | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
   |   | To rotate keys, generate a new `agent.properties` file, then remove the old file and public key. |

4. Clear the **Require Token Authentication** checkbox.

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   | - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | After downloading the new `agent.properties` file, leave the **Require Token Authentication** checkbox cleared until agent compatibility is added and this agent has been updated to the supported version. |

5. (Optional) To confirm that shared secret authentication still works as expected, configure the agent with the updated `agent.properties` file.

   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
   | - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
   |   | After the agents have been updated to support bearer token authentication, make sure to download the latest version of the agents and configure them with the updated `agent.properties` files.Following that, you can select the **Require Token Authentication** checkbox to require the configured PingAccess agent to use bearer token authentication in addition to the shared secret when making requests to the PingAccess engine nodes. |

6. Repeat steps 1 - 5 for all configured agents.