--- title: Overview description: Ping Advanced Identity Software offers access management, identity management, user-managed access, directory services, an identity gateway, and more. component: platform version: 8.1 page_id: platform:platform-guide:about canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/platform/8.1/platform-guide/about.html llms_txt: https://docs.pingidentity.com/platform/llms.txt docs_for_agents: https://developer.pingidentity.com/build-with-ai/docs-for-agents.md page_aliases: ["_@platform::index.adoc"] section_ids: about_this_documentation: About this documentation pingam_modules: PingAM modules pingidm_modules: PingIDM modules pingds_modules: PingDS modules pinggateway_modules: PingGateway modules sample_deployments: Sample deployments deployment_enhancements: Deployment enhancements run_advanced_identity_software_in_containers_on_kubernetes: Run Advanced Identity Software in containers on Kubernetes kubernetes_deployment_tools_from_ping_identity: Kubernetes deployment tools from Ping Identity partner_offerings: Partner offerings pingid_mobile_app: PingID mobile app --- # Overview Ping Advanced Identity Software offers access management, identity management, user-managed access, directory services, an identity gateway, and more. ## About this documentation This documentation covers a subset of Ping Advanced Identity Software. It includes general statements of functionality for the latest versions of the following software: * PingAM, with Web Agents and Java Agents * PingIDM * PingDS * Edge Security (PingGateway) This documentation describes modules for these products in general terms and indicates where to find the documentation corresponding to each module. This documentation is not meant to serve as a statement of functional specifications. Software functionality may evolve in incompatible ways in major and minor releases, and occasionally in maintenance (patch) releases. Release notes cover many incompatible changes. If you see an incompatible change for a stable interface that is not mentioned in the release notes, please report an issue with the product documentation for that release. ## PingAM modules ![](../_images/fr-icon-Intelligent_Authentication_2020-120919_11COLOR.vecta.svg) #### [Intelligent Access](access-management.html#authentication-module) ![](../_images/fr-icon-Authorization_2020-120919_38COLOR.vecta.svg) #### [Authorization](access-management.html#authorization-module) ![](../_images/fr-icon-Federation_2020-120919_23COLOR.vecta.svg) #### [Federation](access-management.html#federation-module) ![](../_images/digital-identity.svg) #### [Self-Managed Strong Authentication](access-management.html#strong-auth) ![](../_images/fr-icon-Control_Access_2020-120919_30COLOR.vecta.svg) #### [User-Managed Access](access-management.html#uma-module) ## PingIDM modules ![](../_images/fr-icon-Synchronization_Reconcilliation_2020-120919_15COLOR.vecta.svg) #### [Identity Synchronization](identity-management.html#identity-sync-module) ![](../_images/fr-icon-Basic_SelfService_2020-120919_35COLOR.vecta.svg) #### [Self-Service](identity-management.html#self-service-module) ![](../_images/fr-icon-Workflow_Engine_2020-120919_16COLOR.vecta.svg) #### [Workflow](identity-management.html#workflow-module) ![](../_images/fr-icon-Social_Signon_2020-120919_28COLOR.vecta.svg) #### [Social Identity](identity-management.html#social-identity-module) ![](../_images/fr-icon-Manage_Identities_2020-120919_25COLOR.vecta.svg) #### [Identity Lifecycle and Relationship](identity-management.html#identity-lifecycle-module) ## PingDS modules ![](../_images/DirectoryServer.svg) #### [Directory Server](directory-services.html#directory-services-module) ![](../_images/DirectoryProxyServer.svg) #### [Directory Proxy Server](directory-services.html#directory-proxy-module) ## PingGateway modules ![](../_images/IdentityGateway.svg) #### [Edge Security (PingGateway)](edge-security.html#identity-gateway-module) ![](../_images/fr-icon-Intelligent_Authentication_2020-120919_11COLOR.vecta.svg) #### [PingGateway Agent Gateway](edge-security.html#mcp-gateway-module) ![](../_images/digital-identity.svg) #### [Open Finance](edge-security.html#open-finance-module) ## Sample deployments The [sample deployments](../sample-setup/preface.html) show a minimal integration of the above modules to get you started with a self-managed deployment. Ping Advanced Identity Software offers maximum extensibility and flexibility in self-managed deployments. It includes many features and options the sample setup instructions don't cover. If you don't need maximum extensibility and flexibility, there are simpler alternatives: * To consume Ping Advanced Identity Software as a service, use PingOne or Advanced Identity Cloud instead. * To deploy Ping Advanced Identity Software in Kubernetes, start with the [ForgeOps](https://docs.pingidentity.com/forgeops) reference implementation. ## Deployment enhancements In addition to the modules listed in the preceding section, you can use the following software to enhance Advanced Identity Software deployments. ### Run Advanced Identity Software in containers on Kubernetes Ping Advanced Identity Software, (including PingAM, PingIDM, PingDS, PingGateway, and the Platform UI) is supported when running in containers on Kubernetes platforms, including Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS), Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and IBM RedHat OpenShift. It's recommended that you have a support contract in place with your Kubernetes platform vendor or partner to resolve any infrastructure or Kubernetes platform-related issues. Ping Identity supports Ping Advanced Identity Software while the Kubernetes vendor or partner provides support for their platform. *You are responsible for building images and running containers of the Ping Identity software components using a [supported operating system](https://support.pingidentity.com/s/article/What-operating-systems-are-PingAM-PingDS-PingIDM-and-PingGateway-supported-on) and all required software dependencies.* #### Kubernetes deployment tools from Ping Identity Ping Identity provides a reference toolset in the [forgeops](https://github.com/ForgeRock/forgeops/tree/2026.2.1) and [forgeops-extras](https://github.com/ForgeRock/forgeops-extras) Git repositories for automating the deployment of Advanced Identity Software in Kubernetes. These reference tools are provided for use with Google Kubernetes Engine, Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service, and Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service. (Ping Identity supports running Advanced Identity Software on IBM RedHat OpenShift but does not provide the reference tools for IBM RedHat OpenShift.) Ping Identity also publishes reference Docker images for testing and development, but these images should *not* be used in production. For production deployments, it is recommended that customers build and run containers using a [supported operating system](https://support.pingidentity.com/s/article/What-operating-systems-are-PingAM-PingDS-PingIDM-and-PingGateway-supported-on) and all required software dependencies. Additionally, to help ensure interoperability across container images and the ForgeOps tools, Docker images must be built using the Dockerfile templates as described in the [ForgeOps documentation](https://docs.pingidentity.com/forgeops/2026.2). #### Partner offerings Ping Identity's partner, [Midships Limited](https://www.midships.io), offers a Kubernetes deployment accelerator (supported by Midships) for Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (Amazon EKS), Microsoft Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS), and IBM RedHat OpenShift. ### PingID mobile app This app allows end users to perform multi-factor authentication and transactional authorization from a registered Android or iOS device. It is designed for use in both multi-factor and passwordless authentication scenarios. The app supports time-based one-time password (TOTP) authentication. Learn more in [MFA: push authentication](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingam/8.1/authentication-guide/authn-mfa-about-push.html) and [Transactional authorization](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingam/8.1/authorization-guide/transactional-authorization.html).