---
title: General properties
description: The General page provides access to properties, such as site configuration, server base installation directory, default locale, debug levels, and other properties.
component: pingam
version: 8.1
page_id: pingam:setup:server-general
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingam/8.1/setup/server-general.html
page_aliases: ["setup-guide:server-general.adoc"]
section_ids:
  general-site: Site
  general-system: System
  general-debugging: Debugging
  general-mailserver: Mail server
---

# General properties

The General page provides access to properties, such as site configuration, server base installation directory, default locale, debug levels, and other properties.

## Site

The following properties are available under the Site tab:

* Parent Site

  The site the server belongs to. The drop-down list defaults to `[empty}` until there is at least one site created in the deployment.

|   |                                                                                                 |
| - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | The Site tab is only available by navigating to Deployment > Servers > *server name* > General. |

## System

The following properties are available under the System tab:

* Base installation directory

  The directory where AM's configuration data and logs reside. For example, `/path/to/am/`.

  Property: `com.iplanet.services.configpath`

- Default Locale

  The default locale of the UI pages when the client doesn't request a locale by using the `locale` query string parameter or by setting the `Accept-Language` HTTP header.

  To set the locale when AM can't find UI files for the requested locale, set the JVM platform locale instead.

  Default: `en_GB`

  Property: `com.iplanet.am.locale`

- Notification URL

  The URL of the notification service endpoint. For example, `https://am.example.com:8443/am/notificationservice`.

  Default: `%SERVER_PROTO%://%SERVER_HOST%:%SERVER_PORT%/%SERVER_URI%/notificationservice`

  Property: `com.sun.identity.client.notification.url`

- XML Validation

  When enabled, AM validates any XML document it parses.

  Default: `Off`

  Property: `com.iplanet.am.util.xml.validating`

## Debugging

The following properties are available under the Debugging tab:

* Debug Level

  The log level shared across components for debug logging.

  Changes to this property take effect immediately. No server restart is necessary.

  Default: `Error`

  Property: `com.iplanet.services.debug.level`

* Merge Debug Files

  When enabled, AM writes debug log messages to a single file, `debug.out`. By default, AM writes a debug log per component.

  Changes to this property take effect immediately. No server restart is necessary.

  Default:`Off`

  Property: `com.iplanet.services.debug.mergeall`

* Debug Directory

  The path where AM writes debug logs. For example, `/path/to/am/var/debug`.

  Changes to this property do not take effect until you restart the AM server.

  Default: `%BASE_DIR%/%SERVER_URI%/var/debug`

  Property: `com.iplanet.services.debug.directory`

## Mail server

The properties under the Mail Server tab configure the email server AM uses to send notification emails, for example, on account lockout.

* Mail Server Host Name

  The hostname of the SMTP server.

  Default: `localhost`

  Property: `com.iplanet.am.smtphost`

* Mail Server Port Number

  The port of the SMTP server.

  Default: `25`

  Property: `com.iplanet.am.smtpport`

|   |                                                                                                                                                     |
| - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | This is a *different* email server to the [Email service](../user-self-service/configuring-email-service.html) you configure for user self-service. |