---
title: Overriding configuration settings using environment variables
description: To change a PingFederate server's configuration, you can use environment variables to override the settings in multiple configuration files instead of modifying those files.
component: pingfederate
version: 13.1
page_id: pingfederate:administrators_reference_guide:override_configuration_settings_using_environment_variables
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingfederate/13.1/administrators_reference_guide/override_configuration_settings_using_environment_variables.html
llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingfederate/llms.txt
docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md
revdate: March 16, 2023
section_ids:
  opentelemetry-environment-variables: OpenTelemetry environment variables
---

# Overriding configuration settings using environment variables

To change a PingFederate server's configuration, you can use environment variables to override the settings in multiple configuration files instead of modifying those files.

If you use an environment variable to override a configuration file setting, you don't need to remove the setting from the configuration file. If a setting exists in both a configuration file and an environment variable, the environment variable always takes precendence.

You can use a script or command line to assign values to environment variables. Then when PingFederate starts, it overrides the values in the configuration files with the values of the environment variables. During startup, PingFederate logs all the environment variables that start with "`PF_`" in the `init.log`.

You can override any property value in the following files:

`<pf_install>/pingfederate/bin/`

* `*.properties`

`<pf_install>/pingfederate/server/default/conf/`

* `*.properties`

* `*.conf`

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| - | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | - In clustered PingFederate environments, you must apply the environment variable changes to all the nodes.

- Because the configuration settings overridden by the environment variables also apply to the scripts under `<pf_install>/pingfederate/bin/`, prevent misconfiguration by ensuring you set the environment variables correctly before running those scripts or else using persistent environment variables. |

The format of an environment variable is `PF_<FILE_NAME_WITHOUT_EXTENSION>_<property_name>`.

The filename part of the variable is uppercase. The property name part is lowercase and case-sensitive for properties handled by both PingFederate and external libraries like jetty.

Here are some examples of environment variables:

The environment variable for the `pf.admin.https.port` property in the `run.properties` file is `PF_RUN_pf_admin_https_port`.

In a Unix-based environment, the following command sets the value of that environment variable to `9998`:

```
export PF_RUN_pf_admin_https_port=9998
```

The environment variable for the `track.state` property in the `cluster-adaptive.conf` file is `PF_CLUSTER_ADAPTIVE_track_state`.

In a Unix-based environment, the following command sets the value of that environment variable to `false`:

```
export PF_CLUSTER_ADAPTIVE_track_state=false
```

|   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | The `service-points.conf` file in the `<pf_install>/pingfederate/server/default/conf/` directory has replaced the `hivemodule.xml` file that was in the `<pf_install>/pingfederate/server/default/conf/META-INF/` directory. This lets you use environment variables to also override implementation classes for core services in PingFederate. For more information, see "Replacement of hivemodule.xml" in the [Upgrade considerations introduced in PingFederate 11.x](../upgrading_pingfederate/pf_upgrade_considerations_11x.html). |

## OpenTelemetry environment variables

The process to override configurations using environment variables is different for `opentelemetry.properties`.

To convert an OpenTelemetry property to an environment variable:

1. Convert the name to uppercase.

2. Replace all `.` and `-` characters with `_`.

For example, the `otel.sdk.disabled` property is equivalent to the `OTEL_SDK_DISABLED` environment variable.

If a property is defined as both a system property and environment variable, the system property takes priority.

You can find the full list of configurable OpenTelemetry properties in the [OpenTelemetry SDK documentation](https://opentelemetry.io/docs/languages/java/configuration/).