---
title: Purge dashboard logs
description: The purge.sh script either archives or purges processed access log files which are stored in the /opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs directory.
component: pingintelligence
version: 5.1
page_id: pingintelligence:pingintelligence_dashboard:pingintelligence_purge_dashboard_logs
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingintelligence/5.1/pingintelligence_dashboard/pingintelligence_purge_dashboard_logs.html
revdate: April 3, 2024
section_ids:
  external-log-archival: External log archival
---

# Purge dashboard logs

The `purge.sh` script either archives or purges processed access log files which are stored in the `/opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs` directory.

|   |                                                                                                                                                                        |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | When the `purge` script is run, the log files are permanently deleted from the `/opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs` directory. Always backup the files before deleting. |

Located in the `/opt/pingidentity/dataengine/util` directory, the `purge` script deletes logs older than the specified number of days. Run the script using the Dashboard command line. NOTE: The number of days specified should be between 1-365 days.

For example.

```
/opt/pingidentity/dataengine/util/purge.sh -d 3
In the above example, purge.sh deletes all access log files older than 3 days. Here is sample output.
/opt/pingidentity/dataengine/util/purge.sh -d 3
This will delete the data in /opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs which is older than 3 days.
Are you sure (yes/no): yes
removing /opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs/dataengine.log.2019-02-07 : last changed at Sat Feb  9 00:29:43 EST 2019
removing /opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs/dataengine.log.2019-02-09 : last changed at Mon Feb 11 00:29:48 EST 2019
removing /opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs/dataengine.log.2019-02-08 : last changed at Sun Feb 10 00:29:56 EST 2019
Done.
```

**Force delete**: You can force delete the Dashboard log files by using the `-f` option with the `purge.sh` script. When using this option, the script does not check for confirmation to purge the log files. Use the force purge option with the `-d` option to provide the number of days of logs to keep.

**Example**: The following snippet shows an example of the force purge and `-d` option.

```
/opt/pingidentity/dataengine/util/purge.sh -d 3 -f
removing /opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs/dataengine.log.2019-02-07 : last changed at Sat Feb  9 00:31:26 EST 2019
removing /opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs/dataengine.log.2019-02-09 : last changed at Mon Feb 11 00:31:30 EST 2019
removing /opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs/dataengine.log.2019-02-08 : last changed at Sun Feb 10 00:31:35 EST 2019
Done.
```

In the above example, the script force purges the Dashboard log files while keeping log files of 3-days.

## **External log archival**

The `purge` script can also archive logs older than the specified number of days to secondary storage. Use the `-l` option and include the path of the secondary storage to archive log files. For example:

```
/opt/pingidentity/dataengine/util/purge.sh -d 3 -l /tmp/
```

In the above example, log files older than `3-days` are archived to the `tmp` directory. To automate log archival, add the script to a `cron` job.