---
title: Compacting common parent DNs
description: The PingDirectory server compacts entry distinguished names (DNs) by tokenizing common parent DNs.
component: pingdirectory
version: 11.0
page_id: pingdirectory:pingdirectory_server_administration_guide:pd_ds_compact_common_parent_dns
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/11.0/pingdirectory_server_administration_guide/pd_ds_compact_common_parent_dns.html
revdate: September 13, 2023
section_ids:
  about-this-task: About this task
  steps: Steps
  example: Example:
---

# Compacting common parent DNs

The PingDirectory server compacts entry distinguished names (DNs) by tokenizing common parent DNs.

## About this task

Tokenizing the common parent DNs allows you to increase space usage efficiency when encoding entries for storage.

By default, PingDirectory generates tokens for the following:

* Base DNs for the backend, such as `dc=example,dc=com`

* Any `compact-common-parent-dn` values defined in the server configuration

* `ou=People,<base dn>`

* `ou=Groups,<base dn>`

The tokens are generated in this order. You can also define additional common base DNs to be tokenized.

## Steps

* Use the following configuration to tokenize two branches: `ou=people,dc=example,dc=com` and `ou=customers,dc=example,dc=com`.

  ### Example:

  ```shell
  $ bin/dsconfig set-backend-prop --backend-name userRoot \
    --add "compact-common-parent-dn:ou=people,dc=example,dc=com" \
    --add "compact-common-parent-dn:ou=customers,dc=example,dc=com"
  ```