PingDirectory (Ping DS)

What it is:

PingDirectory, often referred to as Ping DS, is a high-performance, enterprise-grade directory server offered by Ping Identity. It is built to store and retrieve identity data such as user profiles, credentials, attributes, and entitlements. PingDirectory is LDAP v3-compliant and supports both read-heavy and write-heavy identity workloads at scale. It is a key component of many IAM architectures, serving as the system of record for authentication, authorization, and account management.

Why it matters:

Traditional directory services struggle to meet the needs of modern identity systems that demand high availability, low latency, and real-time updates. PingDirectory addresses this by offering:

• Sub-millisecond read performance for user lookups

• Massive scalability to support millions of users and entries

• Multi-master replication for high availability and active-active deploymentsIt is ideal for regulated sectors like finance and healthcare that need a resilient and auditable identity store.
  

How it works:

PingDirectory can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud, often containerized for use in Kubernetes environments. Key capabilities include:

• Schema extensibility for custom attributes and identity objects

• JSON REST APIs for modern app integration alongside LDAP

• Changelog support for real-time synchronization with downstream systems

Integration with PingFederate, PingAccess, and PingOne to power full-stack IAM

It can be horizontally scaled and auto-healed using deployment tools like Helm and Terraform, and integrated into CI/CD pipelines for secure configuration-as-code