--- title: PingDS description: PingDS 8 serves as a foundation for LDAPv3 and RESTful directories. component: platform version: 8 page_id: platform:platform-guide:directory-services canonical_url: https://docs.pingidentity.com/platform/8/platform-guide/directory-services.html section_ids: ds-overview: Overview of capabilities ds-dependencies: Dependencies directory-services-module: Directory Server module directory-proxy-module: Directory Proxy Server module --- # PingDS PingDS 8 serves as a foundation for LDAPv3 and RESTful directories. 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) ## Overview of capabilities * Large-scale, distributed read and write performance * Flexible key-value data model for storing users, devices, and things * Data storage with confidentiality, integrity, and security * High-availability through data replication and proxy services * Single logical entry point for use in protecting LDAPv3 directory services * Load balancing and failover for LDAPv3 directory services * Maximum interoperability and pass-through delegated authentication * Adaptable monitoring and auditing services * Easy installation, configuration, and management * Developer-friendly, rich standards support * REST API to access LDAP native capabilities over HTTP ## Dependencies Neither of the Directory Services modules are dependent upon other modules. ## Directory Server module The Directory Server module helps you store identities for users, devices, and things in a highly available and secure way. This module provides data replication to help you build highly available directory services. It also offers fine-grained access control, password digests, encryption schemes, and customizable password policies to allow you to build very secure directory services. Data may be accessed using LDAP or REST with the same level of security constraints and access control. Required modules: none. | Feature | Description | Documentation | | ------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | LDAPv3 | Compliance with the latest LDAP protocol standards. | [About directories](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/getting-started/directory-services.html) | | HDAP | Access LDAP data over HTTP using Directory Access Protocol (HDAP) APIs that transform HTTP operations into LDAP operations. | [Learn HDAP](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/getting-started/rest.html) | | High-availability multi-master replication | Data replication for always-on services, enabling failover and disaster recovery. | [Replication](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/config-guide/replication.html) | | User/object store | Flexible key-value data model for storing users, devices, and things. | [Use LDAP](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/ldap-guide/index.html#preface) | | Passwords and data security | Password digests, encryption schemes, and customizable rules for password policy compliance to help protect data on disk and shared infrastructure. | [Data encryption](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/security-guide/data.html), [Passwords](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/security-guide/passwords.html) | | REST APIs and HDAP | HTTP-based RESTful access to user data. | [Use HDAP](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/rest-guide/preface.html) | ## Directory Proxy Server module The ForgeRock Directory Proxy Server module helps you increase the availability of a Directory Service deployment, providing a single point of access to a large-scale distributed data store. The module offers a choice of strategies for request load balancing and failover. Data may be accessed using LDAP or REST with the same level of security constraints and access control. Required modules: none. | Feature | Description | Documentation | | ----------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Single point of access | Uniform view of underlying LDAPv3 directory services for client applications. | [Single point of access](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/config-guide/proxy.html#proxy-access-point) | | High service availability | LDAP services with reliable crossover and DN-based routing. | [High availability](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/config-guide/proxy.html#proxy-ha) | | Load balancing and failover | Configurable load balancing across directory servers with redundancy, and capabilities to handle referrals, connection failures, and network partitions. | [Load balancing](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/config-guide/proxy.html#proxy-load-balancing) | | Protection for PingDS | Secure incoming and outgoing connections, and provide coarse-grained access control. | [Secure connections](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/security-guide/connections.html) and [Proxy global policies](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/security-guide/access.html#global-access-control-policies) | | Scaling out using data distribution | Distribute data across multiple shards. | [Data distribution](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/config-guide/proxy.html#pattern-data-distribution-example) | | LDAPv3 | Compliance with the latest LDAP protocol standards. | [Supported standards](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/ldap-reference/standards.html) | | REST APIs | HTTP-based RESTful access to user data. | [Use HDAP](https://docs.pingidentity.com/pingds/8/rest-guide/preface.html) |