---
title: Purging Dashboard logs
description: The purge.sh script either archives or purges processed access log files that are stored in the /opt/pingidentity/dataengine/logs directory.
component: pingintelligence
version: 5.2
page_id: pingintelligence:pingintelligence_reference_guide:pingintelligence_purge_dashboard_logs
canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingintelligence/5.2/pingintelligence_reference_guide/pingintelligence_purge_dashboard_logs.html
revdate: April 3, 2024
section_ids:
  about-this-task: About this task
  steps: Steps
  example: Example:
  example-2: Example:
  example-3: Example:
---

# Purging Dashboard logs

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

## About this task

Located in the `/opt/pingidentity/dataengine/util` directory, the `purge` script deletes logs older than the specified number of days.

|   |                                                            |
| - | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
|   | The number of days specified should be between 1-365 days. |

## Steps

1. Run the `purge` script using the Dashboard command line.

   ### 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.
   ```

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

2. To force delete the Dashboard log files:

   1. Use the `-f` option with the `purge.sh` script.

   When using this option, the script does not check for confirmation to purge the log files.

   1. 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.
      ```

3. To archive logs older than the specified number of days to secondary storage, use the `-l` option with the `purge.sh` script and include the path of the secondary storage to archive log files

   ### Example:

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

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