---
title: Client management and storage
description: OAuth clients interact with an authorization server (AS) to obtain access tokens and optionally refresh tokens to access protected resources on resource servers.
component: pingfederate
version: 13.1
page_id: pingfederate:introduction_to_pingfederate:pf_client_manage_and_stor
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingfederate/13.1/introduction_to_pingfederate/pf_client_manage_and_stor.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: July 5, 2022
section_ids:
  related-links: Related links
---

# Client management and storage

OAuth clients interact with an authorization server (AS) to obtain access tokens and optionally refresh tokens to access protected resources on resource servers.

PingFederate provides administrators the flexibility to manage OAuth clients using the following interfaces:

* The administrative console

* The administrative API

* The OAuth Client Management Service

Additionally, PingFederate supports dynamic client registration based on the [OAuth 2.0 Dynamic Client Registration Protocol](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc7591) specification.

Storing client records in XML files by default allows administrators to manage clients using the administrative console and the administrative API. It also allows developers to submit client creation requests based on the Dynamic Client Registration protocol specification. The configuration archive contains client records.

Alternatively, because the OAuth Client Managment Service requires external storage of client records, PingFederate supports configuration to store client records externally on a database server, a directory server, or some other storage medium through the use of the PingFederate SDK. Under this configuration, the configuration archive does not include client records.

## Related links

* [Managing OAuth clients](../administrators_reference_guide/help_oauthclientsmanagementtasklet_oauthclientsmanagementstate.html)

* [PingFederate administrative API](../developers_reference_guide/pf_admin_api.html)

* [OAuth Client Management Service](../developers_reference_guide/pf_oauth_client_manage_service.html)

* [Dynamic client registration](pf_dyna_client_registra.html)

* [OAuth client datastores](../administrators_reference_guide/pf_oauth_client_datastore.html)

* [Configuration archive](../administrators_reference_guide/help_configurationarchivetasklet_selectimportexportstate.html)