---
title: Step 1. Prepare your servers
description: To install AM in a demo or test environment with a single DS server acting as the configuration store, identity store and CTS token store, perform the following prerequisite tasks:
component: pingam
version: 8.1
page_id: pingam:evaluation:step-1-prepare-server
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingam/8.1/evaluation/step-1-prepare-server.html
keywords: ["Evaluation", "Install"]
page_aliases: ["eval-guide:step-1-prepare-server.adoc"]
section_ids:
  prepare-fqdn: Prepare a fully qualified domain name
  install-jdk-and-apache-tomcat: Install a JDK and Apache Tomcat
---

# Step 1. Prepare your servers

To install AM in a demo or test environment with a single DS server acting as the configuration store, identity store and CTS token store, perform the following prerequisite tasks:

* Check disk space

  For initial installation, make sure you have at least 10 GB free disk space.

  You can find more information on disk storage requirements in [Deployment requirements](../deployment-planning/deploy-hardware-requirements.html) and in [Sizing systems](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8.1/deployment-guide/prerequisites.html#size-systems) in the DS documentation.

* Prepare a fully qualified domain name (FQDN)

  You must use fully qualified domain names. AM uses HTTP cookies to keep track of sessions for single sign-on (SSO), and setting and reading cookies depends on the server name and domain.

  You can find information on preparing an FQDN in [Prepare a fully qualified domain name](#prepare-fqdn).

* Install a supported Java development kit (JDK)

  Because AM and DS are Java web applications, you must download and install a supported JDK. You can find a list of supported JDK versions in [Java requirements](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingam/release-notes/requirements.html#prerequisites-java) and in [Java](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/release-notes/requirements.html#prerequisites-java) in the DS documentation.

  You can find information on installing a JDK in [Install a JDK and Apache Tomcat](#install-jdk-and-apache-tomcat).

* Install a supported web container

  AM can run in a number of web application containers. For the purposes of this evaluation, download [Apache Tomcat](https://tomcat.apache.org/).

  You can find a list of supported versions in [Application containers](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingam/release-notes/requirements.html#prerequisites-application-servers).

  You can find information on installing Apache Tomcat in [Install a JDK and Apache Tomcat](#install-jdk-and-apache-tomcat).

* Download PingAM and PingDS

  The [Ping Identity Download Center](https://backstage.pingidentity.com/downloads) hosts downloadable versions of AM and DS.

  You can find a list of supported operating systems in the [Operating system requirements](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingam/release-notes/requirements.html#operating-systems) and in [Operating systems](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/release-notes/requirements.html#prerequisites-operating-systems) in the DS documentation.

|   |                                                                                                                                                           |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | The instructions to set up the software are written for use on a UNIX-like system.If you are running Microsoft Windows, adapt these examples accordingly. |

## Prepare a fully qualified domain name

Before deploying and installing AM and DS, assign your AM server a DNS alias, such as `am .example.com` and your DS server a DNS alias, such as `ds.example.com`.

You can add DNS aliases by editing your [hosts file](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hosts_\(file\)).

|   |                                                                                                                                                                        |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | If you already have a DNS server set up, or use a service, such as [localtest.me](https://readme.localtest.me/), you can use those instead of editing your hosts file. |

1. Add the aliases to your hosts file using your preferred text editor. For example:

   ```bash
   # Edit /etc/hosts
   $ sudo vi /etc/hosts
   Password:

   $ cat /etc/hosts | grep am
   127.0.0.1    localhost am.example.com ds.example.com
   ```

2. Proceed to [install a JDK and Apache Tomcat](#install-jdk-and-apache-tomcat).

## Install a JDK and Apache Tomcat

AM runs as a Java web application inside an application container. Apache Tomcat is an application container that runs on a variety of platforms. The following instructions are loosely based on the `RUNNING.txt` file delivered with Apache Tomcat:

1. Extract the JDK download file:

   ```bash
   $ mkdir -p /path/to/JDK
   $ unzip ~/Downloads/openjdk-X_bin.zip -d /path/to/JDK
   ```

2. Extract the Apache Tomcat download file:

   ```bash
   $ mkdir -p /path/to/tomcat
   $ unzip ~/Downloads/apache-tomcat-X.X.XX.zip -d /path/to/tomcat
   ```

3. Create an Apache Tomcat script to set the `JAVA_HOME` environment variable to the file system location of the JDK and to set the heap and metaspace size appropriately. For example:

   * Unix/Linux

   * Windows

   Create a `setenv.sh` script in `/path/to/tomcat/bin/`:

   ```bash
   export JAVA_HOME="/path/to/usr/jdk"
   export CATALINA_OPTS="$CATALINA_OPTS -Xmx2g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=256m"
   ```

   Create a `setenv.bat` script in `\path\to\tomcat\bin\`:

   ```powershell
   PS C:\path\to> $env:JAVA_HOME += ";C:\path\to\usr\jdk"
   PS C:\path\to> $env:CATALINA_OPTS += ";-Xmx2g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=256m"
   ```

4. (UNIX-like systems only) Make the scripts in Apache Tomcat's `bin/` directory executable:

   ```bash
   $ chmod +x /path/to/tomcat/bin/*.sh
   ```

5. If you have a custom installation that differs from the documented Apache Tomcat installation, make sure to set Apache Tomcat's `CATALINA_TMPDIR` to a writable directory to ensure the installation succeeds. This temporary directory is used by the JVM (`java.io.tmpdir`) to write disk-based storage policies and other temporary files.

6. Make sure your system's firewall doesn't block the port that Apache Tomcat uses (`8080` by default).

   Read the Apache documentation for instructions for allowing traffic through the firewall on a specific port for the version of Apache Tomcat on your system. A variety of firewalls are in use on Linux systems. The version your system uses depends on your specific distribution.

7. Start Apache Tomcat:

   ```bash
   $ /path/to/tomcat/bin/startup.sh
   ```

   It might take Apache Tomcat several seconds to start. When it has successfully started, you should see information indicating how long startup took in the `/path/to/tomcat/logs/catalina.out` log file.

   ```
   INFO: Server startup in 4655 ms
   ```

8. Go to Apache Tomcat's homepage. For example, `http://am.example.com:8080`.

   If Apache Tomcat works correctly, the homepage displays a success message: "If you're seeing this, you've successfully installed Tomcat. Congratulations!".

9. Proceed to [Step 2. Prepare your datastore](step-2-prepare-data-store.html).