---
title: Start and stop IG
description: Use the following step to start the instance of IG, specifying the configuration directory where IG looks for configuration files.
component: pinggateway
version: 2023.11
page_id: pinggateway:getting-started:start-stop
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pinggateway/2026/getting-started/start-stop.html
llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pinggateway/llms.txt
docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md
revdate: 2023-09-19T08:48:14Z
superseded_by: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pinggateway/2026/getting-started/start-stop.html
section_ids:
  starting-default: Start IG with default settings
  starting-options: Start IG with custom settings
  pidFileMode: Allow startup when there is an existing PID file
  stopping: Stop IG
---

# Start and stop IG

## Start IG with default settings

Use the following step to start the instance of IG, specifying the configuration directory where IG looks for configuration files.

1. Start IG:

   * Linux

   * Windows

   ```bash
   $ /path/to/identity-gateway-2023.11.2/bin/start.sh

   ...
   ... started in 1234ms on ports : [8080 8443]
   ```

   ```windows
   C:\path\to\identity-gateway-2023.11.2\bin\start.bat
   ```

   By default, IG configuration files are located under `$HOME/.openig` (on Windows `%appdata%\OpenIG`). For information about how to use a different location, refer to [Configuration location](../configure/configure.html#configuration-location).

2. Check that IG is running in one of the following ways:

   * Ping IG at `http://ig.example.com:8080/openig/ping`, and make sure an `HTTP 200` is returned.

   * Access the IG welcome page at `http://ig.example.com:8080`.

   * When IG is running in development mode, display the product version and build information at `http://ig.example.com:8080/openig/api/info`.

## Start IG with custom settings

By default, IG runs on HTTP, on port `8080`, from the instance directory `$HOME/.openig`.

To start IG with custom settings, add the configuration file `admin.json` with the following properties, and restart IG:

* `vertx`: Finely tune Vert.x instances.

* `connectors`: Customize server port, TLS, and Vert.x-specific configurations. Each `connectors` object represents the configuration of an individual port.

* `prefix`: Set the instance directory, and therefore, the base of the route for administration requests.

The following example starts IG on non-default ports, and configures Vert.x-specific options for the connection on port 9091:

```json
{
  "connectors": [{
    "port": 9090
  },
  {
    "port": 9091,
    "vertx": {
      "maxWebSocketFrameSize": 128000,
      "maxWebSocketMessageSize": 256000,
      "compressionLevel": 4
    }
  }]
}
```

For more information, refer to [AdminHttpApplication (admin.json)](../reference/RequiredConfiguration.html#AdminHttpApplication).

## Allow startup when there is an existing PID file

By default, if there is an existing PID file during startup the startup fails. Use one of the following ways to allow startup when there is an existing PID file. IG then removes the existing PID file and creates a new one during startup.

1. Add the following configuration to `admin.json` and restart IG:

   ```json
   {
     "pidFileMode": "override"
   }
   ```

2. Define an environment variable for the configuration token `ig.pid.file.mode`, and then start IG in the same terminal:

   * Linux

   * Windows

   ```bash
   $ IG_PID_FILE_MODE=override /path/to/identity-gateway/bin/start.sh
   ```

   ```windows
   C:\IG_PID_FILE_MODE=override
   C:\path\to\identity-gateway-2023.11.2\bin\start.bat %appdata%\OpenIG
   ```

3. Define a system property for the configuration token `ig.pid.file.mode` when you start IG:

   * Linux

   * Windows

   ```
   $HOME/.openig/env.sh
   ```

   ```
   %appdata%\OpenIG\env.sh
   ```

   ```bash
   export "IG_OPTS=-Dig.pid.file.mode=override"
   ```

## Stop IG

Use the `stop.sh` script to stop an instance of IG, specifying the instance directory as an argument. If the instance directory is not specified, IG uses the default instance directory:

* Linux

* Windows

```bash
$ /path/to/identity-gateway-2023.11.2/bin/stop.sh $HOME/.openig
```

```windows
C:\path\to\identity-gateway-2023.11.2\bin\stop.bat %appdata%\OpenIG
```