---
title: Overview
description: To interface with the replication topology, the PingDirectory server provides a command-line utility, dsreplication, that should be used to manage and monitor replication.
component: pingdirectory
version: 11.0
page_id: pingdirectory:pingdirectory_server_administration_guide:pd_ds_enable_replication_overview
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/11.0/pingdirectory_server_administration_guide/pd_ds_enable_replication_overview.html
revdate: September 13, 2023
---

# Overview

To interface with the replication topology, the PingDirectory server provides a command-line utility, `dsreplication`, that should be used to manage and monitor replication.

The cluster name for an instance should be set to a unique name during install. The cluster-name controls a handle of configuration settings that are used cluster-wide; any changes to the configuration will always get pushed out to other members of the topology. If the cluster-name is set to a unique name for each server, any change to the configuration via the `dsconfig` command or the console needs to be done on every server in the topology. In a devops model, it is recommended that the cluster name be unique so that everything can be managed with server profiles. If you are doing an on-premise install, you might want to use a common cluster-name across the topology.

|   |                                                                                                                                       |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | You should set a cluster name for the topology if you want cluster-wide settings to propagate across the topology in a single action. |

Replication setup involves the following basic steps:

* Set up the servers.

  This is the basic installation step to set up a PingDirectory server instance.

* Import or restore data to one server.

  After setting up the servers, at least one server should have the target data loaded through `import-ldif` or restore.

* Enable replication between the servers.

  Using the `dsreplication` tool, enable replication for each server to be included in the replication topology. The `dsreplication enable` subcommand should be run N - 1 times for a topology of N servers. For more information, see [Command-line interface](pd_ds_dsreplication_cli.html).

* Initialize data from source server to all servers in the topology.

  Run the `dsreplication initialize` subcommand for every target server that needs a copy of the data from the source server.

* Verify the replication topology.

  Check the replication status after configuring the topology using the `dsreplication` status tool.