--- title: Next steps description: After you work through the examples in these pages, try the following suggestions: component: pingds version: 8.1 page_id: pingds:getting-started:further canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8.1/getting-started/further.html revdate: 2026-01-27T13:21:24Z keywords: ["Evaluation", "LDAP"] section_ids: further-replication: Learn about replication further-ds-docs: Browse DS documentation further-sdk: Use the LDAP SDK further-tools: Try third-party tools further-am: Use DS with AM further-idm: Use DS with IDM further-uninstall: Remove DS software --- # Next steps After you work through the examples in these pages, try the following suggestions: ## Learn about replication Data replication is sometimes called the "killer feature" of LDAP directories. Its strengths are in enabling very high availability for directory services even during network outages, and automatically resolving conflicts that can occur when the network is down, for example. LDAP directories have been improving and hardening replication features for decades. Its weaknesses are that replication protocols have not been standardized for interoperability, and that unwary developers can misunderstand its property of eventual consistency if they are too used to the strong, immediate consistency of monolithic, transactional databases. Replication necessarily involves multiple servers and additional configuration. You can learn more about it by reading [Replication](../config-guide/replication.html) and the related pages. ## Browse DS documentation | Category | Topics Covered | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | *[Release notes](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/release-notes/index.html)* | DS features, fixes, and known issues | | *[Use cases](../use-cases/preface.html)* | Implementing common use cases for directory services | | *[Deployment](../deployment-guide/preface.html)* | Deploying PingDS in on-premises and cloud environments | | *[Installation](../install-guide/preface.html)* | Installing DS software | | *[Upgrade](../upgrade-guide/preface.html)* | Upgrading DS software | | *[Configuration](../config-guide/preface.html)* | Configuring DS servers after installation | | *[Security](../security-guide/preface.html)* | Ensuring a PingDS deployment is secure | | *[Maintenance](../maintenance-guide/preface.html)* | Day-to-day operations for maintaining DS servers | | *[Logging](../logging-guide/preface.html)* | Configuring DS server logs | | *[Monitoring](../monitoring-guide/preface.html)* | What to monitor when running DS servers, and where to look for metrics and other information | | *[Use LDAP](../ldap-guide/preface.html)* | How to use LDAP features and command-line tools | | *[Use HDAP](../rest-guide/preface.html)* | How to configure and use DS REST APIs for HTTP access (HDAP) | | *[Configuration reference](../configref/preface.html)* | The `dsconfig` subcommands and server configuration properties | | *[DS Javadoc](../_attachments/javadoc/index.html)* | Evolving LDAP SDK and server APIs, including common APIs | | *[LDAP reference](../ldap-reference/preface.html)* | LDAP-specific features of DS software | | *[LDAP schema reference](../schemaref/preface.html)* | All default LDAP schema, including monitoring attributes and object classes | | *[Log reference](../log-reference/index.html)* | DS server error log messages by category and ID | | *[Tools reference](../tools-reference/preface.html)* | Tools bundled with DS software | ## Use the LDAP SDK The [UnboundID LDAP SDK for Java](https://github.com/pingidentity/ldapsdk) is a fast, powerful, user-friendly, and completely free and open source Java library for communicating with LDAP directory servers. It offers better performance, better ease of use, and more features than other Java-based LDAP APIs. It is developed by Ping Identity Corporation and is actively being maintained and enhanced as a critical component of Ping Identity client and server software. ## Try third-party tools LDAP is a standard protocol, and so you can use LDAP-compliant third-party tools to manage directory data: * [Admin4](http://www.admin4.org/) * [Apache Directory Studio](https://directory.apache.org/studio/) * [JXplorer and JXWorkBench](https://jxplorer.org/) * [phpLDAPadmin](https://github.com/leenooks/phpLDAPadmin/wiki) * [Softerra LDAP Administrator](https://www.ldapadministrator.com/) * [web2ldap](https://pypi.org/project/web2ldap/) Many software solutions include support for LDAP authentication *(tooltip: \
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The act of confirming the identity of a principal.\

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)* and LDAP-based address books. *Ping Identity does not endorse or support third-party tools.* ## Use DS with AM * [Backend directory servers](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingam/8.1/deployment-planning/deploy-topologies-onprem.html#backend-ds) in the AM *Deployment planning* documentation * [Prepare external stores](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingam/8.1/installation/prepare-ext-stores.html) in the AM *Installation* documentation * [Configure CTS token stores](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingam/8.1/cts/cts-openam-config.html) in the AM *Core token service* documentation. * You can install DS directory servers for use as external AM stores. For details, refer to [Setup profiles](../install-guide/setup-profiles.html). ## Use DS with IDM * [External DS repository](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/install-guide/external-ds.html) and [Select a repository](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/install-guide/chap-repository.html) in the IDM *Installation* documentation Also refer to [Install DS as an IDM repository](../install-guide/profile-idm-repo.html). * [One-way synchronization from LDAP to IDM](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/samples-guide/sync-with-ldap.html), [Two-way synchronization between LDAP and IDM](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/samples-guide/sync-with-ldap-bidirectional.html), and other LDAP-related pages in the IDM *Samples* documentation * [DS repository configuration](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/objects-guide/repo-config.html#repo-ds-json) and [Mappings with a DS repository](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/objects-guide/explicit-generic-mapping-ds.html) in the IDM *Object modeling* documentation * [Synchronize passwords with DS](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingidm/8.1/pwd-plugin-guide/chap-sync-dj.html) in the IDM *Password synchronization* documentation ## Remove DS software For details, refer to [Uninstallation](../install-guide/uninstall.html).