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

# Set up ABBYY FlexiCapture Distributed

> Configure ABBYY FlexiCapture after install: activate the license, and then set up authentication, databases, and the Processing Server in the Monitoring Console.

After you install the server components, the License Manager utility and the Administration and Monitoring Console will be started automatically. In the License Manager, click the **Activate License...** button to activate your serial number (see the [Activate a license](/flexi-capture/admin-guide/license-activation-manager) section for detailed instructions). The Administration and Monitoring Console is where you set up ABBYY FlexiCapture.

<Note>
  If you see an error message in the Administration and Monitoring Console, open the IIS Manager console (click **Start → Control Panel → Administrative Tools → Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager**). If the server is stopped, select **Start** on the **Manage Server** menu. In a similar fashion, check that Default Web Site is running.
</Note>

## What's covered

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Authentication methods" icon="user-lock" href="/flexi-capture/admin-guide/authentication-ag">
    Compare authentication methods — Windows and Basic (IIS), FlexiCapture authentication, and SSO via SAML 2.0.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create a database" icon="database" href="/flexi-capture/admin-guide/create-database">
    Create a database from the Administration and Monitoring Console, with client drivers and file storage.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create a database manually" icon="screwdriver-wrench" href="/flexi-capture/create-database-manually">
    Build the database by hand: a blank database, the Description and DBInitFill scripts, and the first administrator.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Connect to a Microsoft Azure file share" icon="cloud" href="/flexi-capture/file-storage-azure">
    Connect the Application Server to a Microsoft Azure Files share for file storage.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Connect to an existing database" icon="plug" href="/flexi-capture/admin-guide/database-connect">
    Point the Application Server at an existing SQL Server, Oracle, Azure, or PostgreSQL database.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Set up the Processing Server" icon="server" href="/flexi-capture/admin-guide/processing-server-setup">
    Assign the Processing Server's role, point it at the Application Server, and add Processing Stations.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Upload a project" icon="folder-open" href="/flexi-capture/admin-guide/upload-project">
    Add a FlexiCapture project to the Application Server.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use timeouts to prevent processing delays" icon="clock" href="/flexi-capture/timeouts">
    Close inactive sessions and return stalled tasks to the queue with timeouts.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>