System Overview

Note: This content is no longer updated. For the latest content, please go to the user guide for M-Files Online. For information on the supported product versions, refer to our lifecycle policy.
An M-Files system consists of the following components:
  1. a server computer (or multiple servers) running the M-Files Server component and containing the document vault or vaults
  2. M-Files clients used for displaying and editing the vault-stored information via the end-users' computers or mobile devices
You can access document vaults in the following ways:
M-Files clients (on the left) are used for accessing M-Files Server (in the center), which manages the document vaults (on the right).

The image above offers a high-level description of the M-Files system: the clients (M-Files Desktop, M-Files Web, or any of the M-Files mobile applications) on the left are used for accessing the server computer (center of the image), which in turn manages one or more document vaults (on the right). Alternatively, M-Files Server and the document vaults may be located on a cloud-based server (see Deployment Options for M-Files Server).

You can edit server settings and the document vault structure with M-Files Admin. With M-Files Desktop Settings, you can add, remove and edit vault connections. For more information about using M-Files Web and the mobile applications, see the topics Accessing M-Files Web and Accessing M-Files Mobile.