--- title: Manual initialization description: Manual initialization isn't always required. Replication proceeds automatically over the network when replicas start from the same initial data. If this isn't the case, manually initialize replication. component: pingds version: 8.1 page_id: pingds:config-guide:repl-init canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8.1/config-guide/repl-init.html revdate: 2025-10-22T14:42:39Z keywords: ["Backup & Restore", "Features", "LDAP", "Replication", "Setup & Configuration", "Troubleshooting"] section_ids: init-repl-online: Initialize over the network init-repl-ldif: Initialize all replicas from LDIF init-repl-backup: Initialize from backup --- # Manual initialization Manual initialization isn't always required. Replication proceeds automatically over the network when replicas start from the same initial data. If this isn't the case, manually initialize replication. | | | | - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | * Unless you're using [Disaster recovery](../use-cases/disaster-recovery.html) to repair a broken data set, initialization only succeeds when *you restore data more recent than the replication purge delay*. Make sure you're restoring from recent data. * Test the initialization process to make sure you understand the duration and ramifications of the chosen initialization method. Use the results to make an evidence-based decision on whether to use backup/restore or export/import instead of online initialization. | How you initialize replication depends on your situation: **Initialization options** | Use cases | Recommendations | | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Replicas installed with same data | Nothing to do (no manual initialization required) | | Evaluating DS softwareDeveloping a directory solutionPlenty of bandwidth to replicate data | [Initialize over the network](#init-repl-online)*Limitations:*- Transmits all data over the network, so requires ample bandwidth; can be a problem for slow links. - Rebuilds indexes and consumes significant system resources; can impact service performance. | | New directory service, medium to large data set (> 1 million entries; limited bandwidth) | [Initialize all replicas from LDIF](#init-repl-ldif)*Limitations:*- Rebuilds indexes and consumes significant system resources; can impact service performance. - Doesn't correct bad data in the changelog database. | | Existing directory service, medium to large data set (> 1 million entries; limited bandwidth) | [Initialize from backup](#init-repl-backup)*Limitations:*- All DS servers must be the same version. Backups are not guaranteed to be compatible across major and minor server releases. - Doesn't correct bad data in the changelog database. | | New backend | [Create a backend](import-export.html#create-database-backend), then one of:- [Initialize over the network](#init-repl-online) - [Initialize all replicas from LDIF](#init-repl-ldif) - [Back up](../maintenance-guide/backup-restore.html#backup) the new backend, then [Initialize from backup](#init-repl-backup)*Limitations:*- The limitations depend on how you initialize the new backend, and are described above. | | Broken data set | [Disaster recovery](../use-cases/disaster-recovery.html)*Limitations:*- This method **permanently loses recent changes**. - Applications using the changelog must be reinitialized after you restore the data. | ## Initialize over the network Review [Initialization options](#init-repl-options) before following these steps: 1. Manually initialize replication using the replication protocol's total update capability in one of these ways: 1. Overwrite the data in all replicas with the data from the replica where the command runs: ```console $ dsrepl \ initialize \ --baseDN dc=example,dc=com \ --toAllServers \ --hostname localhost \ --port 4444 \ --bindDN uid=admin \ --bindPassword password \ --trustStorePath /path/to/opendj/config/keystore \ --trustStorePassword:file /path/to/opendj/config/keystore.pin \ --no-prompt ``` 2. Initialize a single other replica, identified by its server ID, from the replica where the command runs: ```console $ dsrepl \ initialize \ --baseDN dc=example,dc=com \ --toServer ds-1 \ --hostname localhost \ --port 4444 \ --bindDN uid=admin \ --bindPassword password \ --trustStorePath /path/to/opendj/config/keystore \ --trustStorePassword:file /path/to/opendj/config/keystore.pin \ --no-prompt ``` ## Initialize all replicas from LDIF | | | | - | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | If you aim to initialize replicas with LDAP Data Interchange Format (LDIF) *(tooltip: \
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An IETF standard file format for representing LDAP directory content and modifications to directory content. Typically used to import and export LDAP-based directory information.\

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)* from a non-replicated environment, follow the steps in [Disaster recovery](../use-cases/disaster-recovery.html) instead. | Review [Initialization options](#init-repl-options) before following these steps: Initialize each replica with the same LDIF: 1. Stop the server. 2. If desired, enable data confidentiality. Learn more in [Data encryption](../security-guide/data.html) and [Encrypt External Changelog Data](changelog.html#encrypt-ecl). 3. Import the LDIF. Learn more in [Import LDIF](import-export.html#import-ldif). 4. Start the server. ## Initialize from backup Review [Initialization options](#init-repl-options) before following these steps: 1. Stop the replica. 2. Restore the backend from backup. Learn more in [Restore](../maintenance-guide/backup-restore.html#restore). 3. Start the replica. Replication replays changes from other replicas that have happened since the backup was created.