---
title: "PingAccess"
slug: "ping-access"
updated: 2026-09-16T13:46:33Z
published: 2026-09-16T13:46:33Z
canonical: "docs.databee.buzz/ping-access"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.databee.buzz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# PingAccess

PingAccess is an application access management product from Ping Identity that secures web applications, APIs, and resources through centralized access control and policy enforcement. It supports modern authentication and authorization standards, helping organizations protect applications across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid environments.

For more information, refer to the official PingAccess product [page](https://www.pingidentity.com/en/product/pingaccess.html).

**Integration Method**: Data Collector (Flat file)

**Tables**: API Activity (6003), HTTP Activity (4002)

This integration supports the following events.

| **Event** | **Description** |
| --- | --- |
| API Audit Logs | List of API related audit logs in the server. |
| Audit Logs | List of agent and engine related audit logs in the server. |

This integration supports the following versions.

| PingAccess | PingAccess >= 9.0 |
| --- | --- |

## Prerequisites

- The user should have administrator access to the device where the PingAccess 9.0 or higher is installed.
- The user should have a [compatible version](https://docs.databee.buzz/docs/data-collector#system-requirements) of the system in which we can configure the data collector.
- The user should have access to the DataBee console.

## Configuration Overview

1. [Update the Log4j.xml file](/user-manual/docs/ping-access#update-the-log4j-file-to-support-json-logs) of PingAccess to support JSON logs.
2. [Data Collector Configuration and Installation](/user-manual/docs/ping-access#data-collector-configuration-and-installation).
3. Create [PingAccess Data Feed](/user-manual/docs/ping-access#databee-configuration) in the DataBee console.

## Update the Log4j file to support JSON logs

PingAccess generates different audit logs that need to be configured for JSON output:

- Engine Audit Logs - Contains transaction records of configured resources.
- Agent Audit Logs - Contains transaction records between PingAccess agents and the PingAccess engine
- API Audit Logs - Contains PingAccess administrative application programming interface (API) transaction records

### Step 1: Backup the Existing Configuration

PingAccess uses log4j as a logging service. Before making any changes, create a backup of the **Log4j** configuration file. Make sure the backup is taken.

Location: <pa_home>/conf/log4j2.xml

Replace the **pa_home** with the actual PingAccess install location. Ex: C:\Program Files\Ping Identity\pingaccess-9.0.3\conf\log4j2.xml

### Step 2: Enable JSON Audit Logging

#### 2.1 Configure the JSON Audit Appender

- Open the **log4j2.xml** file in a text editor
- Locate the following JSON audit appenders and verify that they are configured as shown below.

Key Configuration Details:

Default JSON Template Location:

The corresponding template files with json templated are:
  - API Audit Log

```json
<RollingFile name="ApiAuditLog-JSON"
fileName="${sys:pa.home}/log/pingaccess_json_api_audit.log"
filePattern="${sys:pa.home}/log/pingaccess_json_api_audit.%d{yyyy-MM-dd}.log" ignoreExceptions="false">
<JsonTemplateLayout eventTemplateUri="${sys:pa.log4j.json.templates.uri}/api-audit-log.json"/>
<Policies>
<TimeBasedTriggeringPolicy/>
</Policies>
</RollingFile>
```
  - Engine Audit Log

```json
<RollingFile name="EngineAuditLog-JSON"
fileName="${sys:pa.home}/log/pingaccess_json_engine_audit.log"
filePattern="${sys:pa.home}/log/pingaccess_json_engine_audit.%d{yyyy-MM-dd}.log" ignoreExceptions="false">
<JsonTemplateLayout eventTemplateUri="${sys:pa.log4j.json.templates.uri}/engine-audit-log.json"/>
<Policies>
<TimeBasedTriggeringPolicy/>
</Policies>
</RollingFile>
```
  - Agent Audit Log

```json
<RollingFile name="AgentAuditLog-JSON"
fileName="${sys:pa.home}/log/pingaccess_json_agent_audit.log"
filePattern="${sys:pa.home}/log/pingaccess_json_agent_audit.%d{yyyy-MM-dd}.log" ignoreExceptions="false">
<JsonTemplateLayout eventTemplateUri="${sys:pa.log4j.json.templates.uri}/agent-audit-log.json"/>
<Policies>
<TimeBasedTriggeringPolicy/>
</Policies>
</RollingFile>
```
  - fileName – Path to the JSON audit log file.
  - filePattern – Daily rotation pattern for log files.
  - JsonTemplateLayout – Enables JSON output format using PingAccess JSON templates.
  - TimeBasedTriggeringPolicy – Rotates log files daily.
  - The ${sys:pa.log4j.json.templates.uri} property points to <pa_home>/conf/log4j/json-templates
  - <pa_home>/conf/log4j/json-templates/api-audit-log.json

```json
{
  "timestamp": {
    "$resolver": "timestamp",
    "pattern": {
      "format": "yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSSXX"
    }
  },
  "exchangeId": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "exchangeId",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "trackingId": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.trackingId",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "roundTripMS": {
    "$resolver": "pattern",
    "pattern":"%X{AUDIT.roundTripMS} ms"
  },
  "subject": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.subject",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "authMech": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.authMech",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "client": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.client",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "method": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.method",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "requestUri": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.requestUri",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "responseCode": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.responseCode",
    "stringified": true
  }
}
```
  - <pa_home>/conf/log4j/json-templates/engine-audit-log.json

```json
{
  "timestamp": {
    "$resolver": "timestamp",
    "pattern": {
      "format": "yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSSXX"
    }
  },
  "exchangeId": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "exchangeId",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "trackingId": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.trackingId",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "roundTripMS": {
    "$resolver": "pattern",
    "pattern":"%X{AUDIT.roundTripMS} ms"
  },
  "resource": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.resource",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "client": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.client",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "method": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.method",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "requestUri": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.requestUri",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "responseCode": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.responseCode",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "applicationName": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.applicationName",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "resourceName": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.resourceName",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "pathPrefix": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.pathPrefix",
    "stringified": true
  }
}
```
  - <pa_home>/conf/log4j/json-templates/agent-audit-log.json

```json
{
  "timestamp": {
    "$resolver": "timestamp",
    "pattern": {
      "format": "yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ss.SSSXX"
    }
  },
  "exchangeId": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "exchangeId",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "trackingId": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.trackingId",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "roundTripMS": {
    "$resolver": "pattern",
    "pattern":"%X{AUDIT.roundTripMS} ms"
  },
  "proxyRoundTripMS": {
    "$resolver": "pattern",
    "pattern":"%X{AUDIT.proxyRoundTripMS} ms"
  },
  "resource": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.resource",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "subject": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.subject",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "authMech": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.authMech",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "client": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.client",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "method": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.method",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "requestUri": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.requestUri",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "responseCode": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.responseCode",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "failedRuleType": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.failedRuleType",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "failedRuleName": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.failedRuleName",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "applicationName": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.applicationName",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "resourceName": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.resourceName",
    "stringified": true
  },
  "pathPrefix": {
    "$resolver": "mdc",
    "key": "AUDIT.pathPrefix",
    "stringified": true
  }
}
```

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:**
> 
> Leave the default JSON templates and eventTemplateUri values unchanged. Modifying them may impact log ingestion and parsing the feed.

#### 2.2 Enable Audit Logger References

Locate the following logger configurations and add or uncomment the JSON appender references.

- Logger 1: API Audit Logger

```json
<Logger name="apiaudit" level="${sys:pa.log.level.apiaudit:-INFO}" additivity="false">
<AppenderRef ref="APIAuditLog-File"/>
<AppenderRef ref="ApiAuditLog-JSON"/>
</Logger>
```
- Logger 2: Engine Audit Logger

```json
<Logger name="engineaudit" level="${sys:pa.log.level.engineaudit:-INFO}" additivity="false">
<AppenderRef ref="EngineAuditLog-File"/>
<AppenderRef ref="EngineAuditLog-JSON"/>
</Logger>
```
- Logger 3: Agent Audit Logger

```json
<Logger name="agentaudit" level="${sys:pa.log.level.agentaudit:-INFO}" additivity="false">
<AppenderRef ref="AgentAuditLog-File"/>
<AppenderRef ref="AgentAuditLog-JSON"/>
</Logger>
```

**What This Enables**:

- Administrative API operations and configuration changes
- Access policy evaluation events
- Agent-to-engine transaction auditing
- Authentication and authorization events
- Security and compliance audit records

### Step 3: Save and Restart PingAccess

- Save the changes to log4j2.xml
- Restart the PingAccess service for the changes to take effect.
- Wait for startup to complete (typically 30-60 seconds)
- After startup verify the log files available at the <pa_home>**/log**/ location. Look for files with the below name formats,
  - API Audit Logs
    - pingaccess_json_api_audit.log
    - pingaccess_json_api_audit.yyyy-MM-dd.log
  - Engine Audit Logs
    - pingaccess_json_engine_audit.log
    - pingaccess_json_engine_audit.yyyy-MM-dd.log
  - Agent Audit Logs
    - pingaccess_json_agent_audit.log
    - pingaccess_json_agent_audit.yyyy-MM-dd.log

## Data Collector Configuration and Installation

To receive logs from PingAccess, a Data Collector must be installed and configured in the device where the PingAccess logs will be available. The data collector is used to fetch logs from files on-prem environment and send data to DataBee securely.

Follow the steps provided in DataBee's official [documentation](https://docs.databee.buzz/docs/data-collector#configure-data-collector-in-databee) to complete the configuration. Additionally, refer to [this](https://docs.databee.buzz/docs/data-collector#installing-the-data-collector) guide for detailed instructions on installing the Data Collector on your machine.

### DataBee Configuration

1. Login to the DataBee UI, navigate to **Data** > **Data Feeds** and click the **Add New Data Feed** button. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/ping-access-image-ho4v2tp7.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T12%3A00%3A19Z&se=2026-10-30T13%3A00%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=GHjS%2BhEpi6JAF9n4s98x7hpV%2FSEZl%2BQPXphxbZGYP8Y%3D)
2. Search for **PingAccess** and click on it as shown below.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/ping-access-image-fqrezgf9.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T12%3A00%3A19Z&se=2026-10-30T13%3A00%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=GHjS%2BhEpi6JAF9n4s98x7hpV%2FSEZl%2BQPXphxbZGYP8Y%3D)
3. Click on the **Data Collector** option for collection. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/ping-access-image-s72496uk.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T12%3A00%3A19Z&se=2026-10-30T13%3A00%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=GHjS%2BhEpi6JAF9n4s98x7hpV%2FSEZl%2BQPXphxbZGYP8Y%3D)
4. Click on the **Flat File** option as the polling mechanism. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/ping-access-image-9j43wpac.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T12%3A00%3A19Z&se=2026-10-30T13%3A00%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=GHjS%2BhEpi6JAF9n4s98x7hpV%2FSEZl%2BQPXphxbZGYP8Y%3D)
5. Enter the **feed contact information**, select the collector that you have created from the drop down, and then scroll down.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/ping-access-image-gj8j49p6.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T12%3A00%3A19Z&se=2026-10-30T13%3A00%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=GHjS%2BhEpi6JAF9n4s98x7hpV%2FSEZl%2BQPXphxbZGYP8Y%3D)
6. In the configuration page, confirm the following, then scroll down.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/04e48772-4346-44a4-aa69-043eca42257c/Images/Documentation/ping-access-image-jd7d18al.png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-10-30T12%3A00%3A19Z&se=2026-10-30T13%3A00%3A19Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=GHjS%2BhEpi6JAF9n4s98x7hpV%2FSEZl%2BQPXphxbZGYP8Y%3D)
  - **Format**: json
  - **Refresh Interval (minutes)**: Set as per your requirement
  - **Source Files**: Add below patterns for audit and server log files,
    1. <pa_home>\log\pingaccess_json_api_audit.*
    2. <pa_home>\log\pingaccess_json_engine_audit.*
    3. <pa_home>\log\pingaccess_json_agent_audit.*
7. click on **Submit**.

## Troubleshooting Tips

- Issue: JSON Log Files Not Created
  - Possible Causes:
    - PingAccess not restarted after configuration changes
    - Syntax errors in log4j2.xml
  - Solution: Make sure log4j2.xml is correctly updated, if needed, compare it with backup file. Make sure to restart PingAccess after changes.
- If you encounter any issues regarding log forwarding, refer to the [DataBee troubleshooting document](https://docs.databee.buzz/docs/troubleshooting) for detailed guidance.