What is viflow and how is it structured?

What is viflow and why is Microsoft Visio required?

viflow is a process modeling tool with which the processes in the company can be graphically depicted and detailed to any depth. Microsoft Visio is used for the graphical representation of the process flows used, which is therefore a system requirement for viflow. The lowest version of Visio (Standard) is sufficient to run all viflow editions.

viflow saves the graphics and the detailed content in a relational database, making it possible to reuse the individual objects and maintain them centrally. This makes working with viflow significantly different from "simple" modeling of graphics in Visio.

viflow in three editions – blue, silver, gold

viflow is available in three different editions – blue, silver and gold, which differ in terms of functionality. You can read about the differences between the editions in the viflow help on ››› this page.

Regardless of the editions mentioned above, viflow is available as a subscription version or as a purchase version (currently viflow 8).

We have explained the differences between subscription and purchase versions for you ››› summarized in this article.

How and on which platforms can viflow be installed?

Local installation

viflow can be installed directly on client PCs with the Windows operating system. Please note the ››› System requirements.

Installation on Terminal Server

viflow can also be installed on a Terminal Server (Windows Server). Please note the ››› System requirements.

How do I keep viflow up to date?

The updates (new features, bug fixes, etc.) for viflow appear about once a month and are usually imported automatically via the ViCon Update program, which is installed automatically with viflow.

Alternatively, the individual update files – for all current program versions, each in 32 or 64 bit – can be downloaded from our website at ››› update.vicon.de.

In the article ››› How to keep viflow up to date you can find more information about updating viflow.

How does licensing and activation work?

The viflow license model

viflow uses the named user license model , in which one license is activated per user. A user can use viflow on multiple end devices (e.g. notebook and desktop) if they are in the same Windows domain.

All further information can be found in the article ››› General information on the viflow license model.

Activation of the licenses

An internet connection is required to activate the viflow licenses. It takes place...

• either when the program is started for the first time by the user (or by the administrator for the user) or ...
• by means of an installation by the administrator. This is done with an MSI file or directly from the installation file as a silent installation.

You can find an article on ››› Administrative Installation in our knowledge database.

In what form – file or database – are the models stored?

Saving the process model as a file (*.vfpx)

A viflow process model with all process graphics and detailed information is saved in a process model file in *.vfpx format. This file can be stored on a file server, for example, so that several users (not at the same time!) can access it and it can be saved on the server side.

Team Modeling – Saving the process model as a SQL database

If you want to work with several users at the same time in a process model, this must be saved as a database on an SQL server.
After setting up the SQL server, it is sufficient to save the process model file (*.vfpx , see above) as a database using the File – Save As … menu.

All information on team modeling and notes on the required SQL server can be found in the article ››› viflow Team Modeling – Working with multiple users on SQL server.

What is the WebModel, what functions does it provide, how is it viewed and where is it stored?

What is the WebModel?

The entire viflow process model is exported as HTML output and the result is the viflow WebModel.

While all the points listed above are about installation and working with the "tool" viflow, the WebModel "only" serves to view the process model.

Viewing the WebModel

No further installations or adaptations are necessary for viewing the WebModel – a normal web browser is sufficient.

The collected process knowledge is made available to all employees of the company. Beyond viewing the process flows with all details, the WebModel offers additional functions, for which, however, certain requirements must be met.

Functions of the WebModel

When you open the WebModel, you log in with your user name and password. It is even easier to log in using the so-called SSO (Single Sign On, see the article ''' Enable Single Sign-On (SSO)), where the login is done automatically based on your Windows credentials. 

By logging in, it is possible to personalize the WebModel and use certain functions, for example:

• Use of the "Cockpit", which you can configure according to your wishes and in which, among other things, the processes and documents relevant to you are displayed in a filtered manner.
• Comments and feedbacks on the individual processes can be made and read.
• Processes can be marked as favorites.
• Authorizations can be used so that, for example, only a special group of people can access certain processes.

The WebModel can also be used without logging in or the log-in dialog – it is then an "anonymous WebModel" in which the functions listed above (cockpit, personalization, etc.) are not available. Nevertheless, you will get access to the entire process model with all necessary information and documents even without logging in. 

In the viflow help you will find the chapter ››› Working with the WebModel all further information on this topic.

Basically, the WebModel – whether personalized or not – must be installed on a web server because of the scope of functions and the associated constant exchange of data.

Deployment of the WebModel on web server 

The viflow WebModel must be stored on a web server, we recommend for example Microsoft IIS (Internet Information Services).

Thanks to this technology, a personalized WebModel with many additional functions is possible in addition to the extensive basic functions. The WebModel is therefore not a static HTML website, but an active application that is installed (and not just stored) on the web server. There is a permanent data exchange between the application on the web server and the web browser.

All information on setting up the web server can be found in the article ››› Deploying the viflow WebModel with IIS.

Schematic structure – modelling, provision, consideration