• Deploy Smart Flows On-Premises
  • Prerequisites for Smart Flows On-Premises Installation
  • Smart Flows System and Software Requirements
  • Installing Smart Flows Server On Premises
  • Start and Validate the Smart Flows Service
  • Creating the SQL Server Database

Deploy Smart Flows On-Premises

Deploying Experlogix Smart Flows in an on-premises environment enables organizations to maintain full control over their infrastructure, data security, and integration layers. This section provides all the resources needed to plan, install, configure, and manage Smart Flows in self-hosted environments, including both traditional installations and container-based (Docker) setups.

Smart Flows on-prem deployments require careful consideration of prerequisites such as network accessibility, DNS configuration, certificate handling, and infrastructure sizing. Detailed guidance is provided on configuring your application, setting up SQL Server, managing licensing, and ensuring compatibility with enterprise authentication and connector systems such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE.

Whether you are setting up your first on-prem project or managing a multi-environment architecture (Development, Test, and Production), these topics will help ensure that your system is installed securely, configured correctly, and ready for scalable document automation.

Topics Covered in This Section Include:

• Prerequisites (SSL, ports, domain, certificates)

• System and database requirements

• Traditional and Docker-based installation methods

• Creating the application configuration (application.properties)

• Configuring authentication, connectors, and JWT handling

• Managing services and testing deployments

• Setting up and securing SQL Server for Smart Flows

• Starting and validating the Smart Flows service

Prerequisites for Smart Flows On-Premises Installation

Before installing Smart Flows on-premises, ensure your environment meets key infrastructure requirements. This section outlines the networking, port, and SSL certificate configurations necessary for a successful deployment.

Networking Requirements

Your Experlogix Smart Flows server needs to be accessible in your network through a browser and be able to communicate with the license server.

Domain Name Configuration

Your server requires a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) A domain name that specifies its exact location in the tree hierarchy of the Domain Name System. It specifies all domain levels, including the top-level domain and the root zone. Also referred to as an absolute domain name.

• You will need to be able to make DNS changes for your organization's domain

• The FQDN must resolve and translate to your server IP from the internet 

Smart Flows Port Numbers

The default port numbers are 80 for HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is an application-layer protocol for transmitting hypermedia documents, such as HTML. It was designed for communication between web browsers and web servers, but it can also be used for other purposes. or 443 for HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) is a secure version of the HTTP protocol that uses the SSL/TLS protocol for encryption and authentication.. Your selection is dependent upon whether you are using TLS encryption, TLS encryption requires HTTPS

You should always use the default ports unless it is restricted. The use of Transport Layer Security (TLS) is necessary for a proper communication with Microsoft services such as Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Dynamics 365 CE .

For servers with multiple roles, allow your traffic on multiple ports:

Installation Folder Path

Create the installation folder: e.g. C:\Experlogix -Smart Flows .

TLS Certificate Setup

The use of TLS encryption is required for the Smart Flows system to function. To enable TLS encryption, you need a TLS Certificate that matches your FQDN.

If you install multiple projects on one server, you can also use a wildcard certificate a digital certificate that is applied to a domain and all its subdomains. Wildcard notation consists of an asterisk and a period before the domain name. Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates often use wildcards to extend SSL encryption to subdomains. for the CN . For example *.base.domain.com with *base.domain.com and base.domain.com as alternative names. The "*base" component of the address serves as a "fill in the blank" to properly direct to all versions of the address that end in ".domain.com"

SSL Certificate Format Guidelines

• The recommended format is PFX PKCS #12 defines an archive file format for storing many cryptography objects as a single file. It is commonly used to bundle a private key with its X.509 certificate or to bundle all the members of a chain of trust.

• The Certificate must be valid

• You must have the PFX password available

Store the PFX file inside the installation folder (e.g. C:\Experlogix-Smart Flows).

Smart Flows System and Software Requirements

To support a deployment of Smart Flows, your servers must meet minimum hardware and software specifications. This section covers requirements for both the Smart Flows application server and the associated SQL database server.

Smart Flows Server Hardware Requirements

Although it's possible to run Smart Flows and its database server on one machine, for performance reasons it is always preferred to separate the components. Generally, only customers with a small implementation and one environment can install on one machine.

When using multiple environments (Production, Development, TEST, UAT, etc), we recommend a separate server for non-production environments.

Smart Flows Database Requirements

Installing Smart Flows Server On Premises

To download the server component (a zip file), you will need a Freshdesk account. You can request access through our Client and Support Operations team, or you will get it after purchasing the license. In Freshdesk, go to 'Knowledge base' -> Experlogix Smart Flows -> Smart Flows Downloads. Here is a direct link: https://support.experlogix.com/en/support/solutions/articles/12000098262-smart-flows-downloads. The two most popular methods of installing Smart Flows are: 

• The traditional install that installs Smart Flows on your computer

• Using containers, such as Docker Desktop, which allows you to install Smart Flows in a container environment

Install Smart Flows Using Traditional Method

Download the ZIP file. In File Explorer, Right-click the ZIP file. Then go to Properties. In the General tab, if there is a message here that says 'This file came from another computer and might be blocked to help protect this computer', then check 'Unblock' and press 'OK'.

Extract Server Installation Files

Create the application.properties file

project.datasource.jdbc-url=jdbc:sqlserver://PRD-V-SQL-DB02;database=XprtDoc;encrypt=true;hostNameInCertificate=*.database.windows.net;loginTimeout=30;lockTimeout=5000;socketTimeout=300000

server.port=443 
project.baseurl=https://xsfl-server:443

server.ssl.key-store=../yourpfxfile.pfx 
server.ssl.key-store-password=yourpfxpassword 
server.ssl.key-store-type=pkcs12

project.datasource.jdbc-url=jdbc:sqlserver://PRD-V-SQL-DB02;database=XprtDoc;encrypt=true;trustServerCertificate=false;
hostNameInCertificate=*.database.windows.net;loginTimeout=30;lockTimeout=5000;socketTimeout=300000
project.datasource.username=sa 
project.datasource.password=secretsapassword

sample.user.password=secretadminpassword 
# Uncomment when using HTTP instead of HTTPS: 
# cookie.secure=false

Configure JWT Token Settings

For on-premise clients, we recommend adding the following so that users are not logged out whenever the server restarts. Use table below for guidance on creating and setting the JWT tokens.

For on-premise installation, the following list of properties can be added to the application.properties file.

(Optional) Setup Docusign Connector

If you want to configure Docusign, you need to make changes to the application.properties file. Refer to Docusign (E-sign) connector set up for more details.

Create the Smart Flows service

Create the Smart Flows service. Open the command prompt as Administrator. Go into the installation folder via the cd command.

Run this command to create the Smart Flows service:

C:\...>smartflows-server install

You should see no error message:

The service has been created. You can start and stop Smart Flows here:

Update smartflows-server.xml Configuration

The file can be found in the project folder. Update the content of the file to reflect role of the server.

<service>    
    <id>smartflows-server</id>    
    <name>Xpertdoc Smart Flows Server</name>    
    <description>Xpertdoc Smart Flows Server</description>    
    ...    
</service>

To differentiate multiple Smart Flows servers on the same machine, change the service parameters as follows:

Install Smart Flows using Docker

If you prefer containerized deployment, you can use Docker to install Smart Flows in a more modular and scalable environment. This section walks through editing Docker files and executing Docker build commands.

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docker build . --build-arg JAR_FILE=smartflows-server-4.19.1.2.jar -t smartflows:4.19.1.2

Smart Flows opens in the Docker container.

Start and Validate the Smart Flows Service

When starting your Smart Flows service for the first time, an administrator must confirm the service is active. This topic walks administrators through the process of confirming your Experlogix Smart Flows service is active and ready for login.

C:\Users\myprofile>cd C:\Xpertdoc Smart Flows\project-prod

C:\Xpertdoc Smart Flows\project-prod> smartflows-server install

C:\Xpertdoc Smart Flows\project-prod> smartflows-server start

Creating the SQL Server Database

This guide explains how to create an SQL Server database for use with Smart Flows. It provides step-by-step instructions for using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and Transact-SQL (T-SQL). Additionally, it covers authentication settings, security best practices, and connectivity configurations to ensure a secure and optimized setup.

The SQL Server database actively stores and retrieves data requested by other applications within your system, even if those applications aren’t on the same machine. Creating the SQL Server database allows Smart Flows to access your existing data. The two most popular ways to configure the SQL Server for Smart Flows are listed below:

• Using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS)

• Using Transact-SQL (T-SQL)

Configure SQL Server for Smart Flows

Use SSMS to Configure SQL Server for Smart Flows

Follow these steps to create a database and a native user using SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS):

Use T-SQL to Configure SQL Server

Alternatively, you can use Transact-SQL (T-SQL) to configure SQL Server:

To create a database:

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CREATE DATABASE MyDB;

To create a login:

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CREATE LOGIN MyUser WITH PASSWORD = 'MyPassword';

To create a database user:

1
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USE MyDB;
            CREATE USER MyUser FOR LOGIN MyUser;

Enabling Connectivity and Authentication

Enable TCP/IP Connection

To enable TCP/IP connections for SQL Server:

Set Authentication Mode

To set authentication mode:

Update JDBC Connection String for SQL Server

Ensure your JDBC connection string follows security best practices. With the latest SQL Server driver, using trustServerCertificate is now optional. If you do not possess a trusted certificate, you can still establish a secure connection using trustServerCertificate=true, but only when necessary. Whenever possible, prioritize using a trusted certificate instead.

project.datasource.jdbc-url=jdbc:sqlserver://PRD-V-SQL-DB02;database=XprtDoc;encrypt=true;hostNameInCertificate=*.database.windows.net;loginTimeout=30;lockTimeout=5000;socketTimeout=300000

SQL Server Security Best Practices

• Enable encryption (encrypt=true): Ensures data is encrypted in transit between Smart Flows and the SQL Server.

• Use Trusted Certificates: Whenever possible, install and use certificates trusted by the client’s machine. This removes the need for setting trustServerCertificate=true.

• Limit Roles and Permissions: Only assign the required database roles (e.g., ‘public’) to service accounts used by Smart Flows.

• Remove trustServerCertificate: trustServerCertificate is removed from the default examples. If you need to use it, add trustServerCertificate=true manually.

• Enforce Encryption: encrypt=true is strongly recommended to ensure data-in-transit is secured.

• Do Not Use Unencrypted Connections: In the example below, the encrypt=false parameter is used because encryption is not enabled. Do not use this setting in a production environment or with real data.

SQL Server Compatibility Considerations

Upgrading to the latest SQL Server driver may require adjustments to existing connection strings. To avoid connectivity issues, verify that your application.properties file or equivalent configuration reflects the updated JDBC parameters—especially regarding encryption and the optional trustServerCertificate parameter. If you previously relied on trustServerCertificate=true without a properly trusted certificate, be aware that you must either add a trusted certificate or explicitly set the parameter to true to maintain the same behavior.