--- title: Working with the collect-support-data tool description: Use the collect-support-data tool to compile relevant support files and diagnostic data into a sharable .zip archive. component: pingauthorize version: 11.1 page_id: pingauthorize:troubleshooting_pingauthorize_server:paz_working_with_collect_support_data canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingauthorize/11.1/troubleshooting_pingauthorize_server/paz_working_with_collect_support_data.html llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingauthorize/llms.txt docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md revdate: 2026-08-05T00:00:00Z section_ids: running-the-collect-support-data-tool: Running the collect-support-data tool steps: Steps steps-2: Steps next-steps: Next steps invoking-the-collect-support-data-tool-as-a-recurring-task: Invoking the collect-support-data tool as a recurring task steps-3: Steps steps-4: Steps server-commands-used-in-the-collect-support-data-tool: Server commands used in the collect-support-data tool jdk-commands-used-in-the-collect-support-data-tool: JDK commands used in the collect-support-data tool linux-commands-used-in-the-collect-support-data-tool: Linux commands used in the collect-support-data tool macos-commands-used-in-the-collect-support-data-tool: MacOS commands used in the collect-support-data tool available-tool-options: Available tool options --- # Working with the collect-support-data tool If a problem occurs with PingAuthorize Server, you should first run the `collect-support-data` tool in the server's `bin` directory. The server provides detailed insights into its current state, including any processing issues. The `collect-support-data` tool compiles relevant support files and diagnostic data, such as outputs from the `jps`, `jstack`, and `jstat` utilities, into a `.zip` archive for administrators to share with their authorized support provider. Although the `collect-support-data` tool tries to collect the same data across all systems for the target PingAuthorize Server, the resulting data might vary between operating systems. The collected data includes the configuration directory, summaries and snippets from the `logs` directory, monitor entry status, and a list of all files in the server root. By default, the `collect-support-data` tool excludes log files that might contain sensitive customer information, including the debug logs described in [Enable detailed logging](../pingauthorize_server_administration_guide/paz_enable_detailed_logging.html). If you are using test data that doesn't include sensitive information, send the following log files along with `collect-support-data`'s compressed output file: * `PingAuthorize/logs/policy-decision.log` * `PingAuthorize/logs/debug-trace.log` * `PingAuthorize/logs/debug.log` * `PingAuthorize/logs/policy-query.log` To prevent the support `.zip` archive from exceeding e-mail attachment size limits, the `collect-support-data` tool might only archive portions of certain log files. ## Running the collect-support-data tool * Admin console * Command line ### Steps 1. In the PingAuthorize admin console, in the upper right, click the ellipsis icon **(…​)** and select **Download CSD**. ![Screen capture of the PingAuthorize admin console with the Download CSD option highlighted.](_images/paz-collect-support-data-console.png) 2. Configure the utility to satisfy your business requirements and click **Run Task**. ### Steps 1. Run the `bin/collect-support-data` tool. Make sure to include the host, port number, bind DN, and bind password. ``` /bin/collect-support-data \ --hostname \ --port \ --bindDN "cn=" --bindPassword ``` #### Next steps Email the generated `.zip` archive to your authorized support provider. ## Invoking the collect-support-data tool as a recurring task To automatically invoke `collect-support-data` on a regular basis, create and configure a recurring task. * Admin console * dsconfig ### Steps 1. In the PingAuthorize admin console, click **Configuration** in the sidebar. 2. Enable the **Show all configuration** toggle in the upper right. 3. In the **System** section, click **Recurring Tasks**. 4. Click **New Recurring Task** and select **Collect Support Data Recurring Task** from the list. 5. In the **Name** field, enter a name for the recurring task. 6. In the **Output Directory** field, enter the path of the directory in which support data archive files will be placed. 7. Do at least one of the following: * In the **Retain Previous Support Data Archive Count** field, enter the number of previous support data archives that PingAuthorize Server should preserve after generating a new archive. * In the **Retain Previous Support Data Archive Age** field, enter the minimum age of previous support data archives that PingAuthorize Server should preserve after generating a new archive. Values for this property should consist of an integer followed by a time unit. For example, a value of `1w` specifies that PingAuthorize Server should preserve support data archives for one week. 8. Configure the rest of the recurring task to meet your business needs. 9. Click **Save**. ### Steps * Run `dsconfig` with the `create-recurring-task` subcommand and the following options and parameters: ``` /bin/dsconfig create-recurring-task \ --task-name \ --type collect-support-data \ --set output-directory: \ --set retain-previous-support-data-archive-count: ``` | | | | - | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | You must include at least one of the following parameters in your command:- `retain-previous-support-data-archive-count`: Specifies the number of previous support data archives that PingAuthorize Server should preserve after generating a new archive. - `retain-previous-support-data-archive-age`: Specifies the minimum age of previous support data archives that PingAuthorize Server should preserve after generating a new archive. Values for this property should consist of an integer followed by a time unit. For example, a value of `1w` specifies that PingAuthorize Server should preserve support data archives for one week. | ## Server commands used in the collect-support-data tool The following presents a summary of the data collectors that the `collect-support-data` tool archives in `.zip` format. If an error occurs during processing, you can re-run the specific data collector command and send the results to your authorized support provider. | Data Collector | Description | | -------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `status` | Run `status` `-F` to show the full version information of PingAuthorize Server (Unix, Windows). | | `server-state` | Run `server-state` to show the current state of the PingAuthorize Server process (Unix, Windows). | ## JDK commands used in the collect-support-data tool | Data Collector | Description | | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `jps` | Java Virtual Machine Process status tool. Reports information on the JVM (Linux, Windows, Mac OS). | | `jstack` | Java Virtual Machine Stack Trace. Prints the stack traces of threads for the Java process (Linux, Windows, Mac OS). | | `jstat` | Java Virtual Machine Statistics Monitoring Tool. Displays performance statistics for the JVM (Linux, Windows, Mac OS). | | `jinfo` | Displays the Java configuration information for the Java process (Linux, Windows, Mac OS). | ## Linux commands used in the collect-support-data tool | Data Collector | Description | | -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `tail` | Displays the last few lines of a file. Tails the `/var/logs/messages` directory. | | `uname` | Prints system, machine, and operating system information. | | `ps` | Prints a snapshot of the current active processes. | | `df` | Prints the amount of available disk space for file systems in 1024-byte units. | | `cat` | Concatenates the following files and prints to standard output:- `/proc/cpuinfo` - `/proc/meminfo` - `/etc/hosts` - `/etc/nsswitch.conf` - `/etc/resolv.conf` | | `netstat` | Prints the state of network interfaces, protocols, and the kernel routing table. | | `ifconfig` | Prints information on all interfaces. | | `uptime` | Prints the time the server has been up and active. | | `dmesg` | Prints the message buffer of the kernel. | | `vmstat` | Prints information about virtual memory statistics. | | `iostat` | Prints disk I/O and CPU utilization information. | | `mpstat` | Prints performance statistics for all logical processors. | | `pstack` | Prints an execution stack trace on an active processed specified by the pid. | | `top` | Prints a list of active processes and how much CPU and memory each process is using. | ## MacOS commands used in the collect-support-data tool | Data Collector | Description | | ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `uname` | Prints system, machine, and operating system information. | | `uptime` | Prints the time the server has been up and active. | | `ps` | Prints a snapshot of the current active processes. | | `system_profiler` | Prints system hardware and software configuration. | | `vm_stat` | Prints machine virtual memory statistics. | | `tail` | Displays the last few lines of a file. Tails the `/var/log/system.log` directory. | | `netstat` | Prints the state of network interfaces, protocols, and the kernel routing table. | | `ifconfig` | Prints information on all interfaces. | | `df` | Prints the amount of available disk space for file systems in 1024-byte units. | | `sample` | Profiles a process during an interval. | ## Available tool options The following options are available for the `collect-support-data` tool: * `--noLdap` Specifies that no information should be collected over LDAP. Use this option only if the server is completely unresponsive or won't start, and only as a last resort. * `--pid` \ Specifies the ID of an additional process from which information should be collected. This is a useful option for troubleshooting external server tools, and you can specify it multiple times for each external server. * `--sequential` Use this option to troubleshoot `Out of Memory` errors. By default, the `collect-support-data` tool collects data in parallel to minimize the collection time necessary for some analysis utilities. This option specifies that data collection should be run sequentially rather than in parallel. Specifying this option reduces the initial memory footprint of the `collect-support-data` tool but increases the time required for completion. * `--reportCount` \ Specifies the number of reports generated for commands that support sampling (for example, `vmstat`, `iostat`, or `mpstat`). If you specify a value of `0`, no reports are generated for these commands. If you don't provide this option, the number of reports generated defaults to `10`. * `--reportInterval` \ Specifies the number of seconds between reports for commands that support sampling (for example, `mpstat`). You must specify a value greater than `0` for this option. If you don't provide this option, the number of seconds between reports defaults to `1`. * `--maxJstacks` \ Specifies the number of jstack samples to collect. If you don't provide this option, the number of samples collected defaults to `10`. * `--collectExpensiveData` Specifies that data for expensive or long-running processes should be collected. To prevent negative impact on server performance, data for these processes are not collected by default. * `--comment` \ Allows provisioning of additional information about the collected data set. The comment you provide will be added to the generated archive as a `README` file. * `--includeBinaryFiles` Specifies that binary files should be included in the archive collection. By default, all binary files are excluded from data collection. * `--outputPath` Specifies the path (and optionally, the name) for the support data archive file. If the path specifies a filename, the archive is written to that file. If the path specifies a directory, the file is written to that directory with a server-generated name. * `--useRemoteServer` Invokes the `collect-support-data` tool against a remote server instance and streams the output and resulting support data archive back to the client. This is a useful option when the server instance is running in a container, as it might otherwise be difficult to invoke commands or access files in that container.