---
title: Generating a summary of configuration components
description: The config-diff tool generates a summary of the configuration in a local or remote directory server instance.
component: pingdirectory
version: 11.0
page_id: pingdirectory:pingdirectory_server_administration_guide:pd_ds_generate_summary_config_components
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingdirectory/11.0/pingdirectory_server_administration_guide/pd_ds_generate_summary_config_components.html
revdate: July 5, 2024
page_aliases: ["pingdirectoryproxy_server_administration_guide:pd_proxy_generate_summary_config_components.adoc"]
section_ids:
  steps: Steps
  example: Example:
---

# Generating a summary of configuration components

The `config-diff` tool generates a summary of the configuration in a local or remote directory server instance.

You can use `config-diff` to compare configuration settings between server instances when troubleshooting issues or when verifying configuration settings on newly-added servers. The tool can interact with the local configuration regardless of whether the server is running.

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | Learn more about using `config-diff`, including key considerations and limitations, in [Comparing configuration entries using `config-diff`](pd_ds_compare_data_in_two_dir_servers.html#compare-config-diff). |

## Steps

* To generate a summary of configuration components, run `config-diff`.

  ### Example:

  `$ bin/config-diff` generates a summary of a local online server.

* To generate a comparison of the current configuration with the pre-installation configuration, run the following.

  ```shell
  $ bin/config-diff --sourceLocal \
    --sourceBaseline \
    --targetLocal \
    --exclude differs-after-install \
    --outputFile configuration-steps.dsconfig
  ```

  This comparison ignores any changes that could be made by the installer and writes the output to a file called `configuration-steps.dsconfig`.

  You can use this file as the basis for a script to configure a new server identical to the local server.

* To view other available tool options, run `config-diff --help`.