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url: >-
  /flow/developer-guide/developing-with-flowapi/installing-flow-alongside-your-application.md
---

# Installing Flow alongside your application

Flow is able to run in an embedded form, enabling you to install it alongside your application by incorporating the following components into your installer software.

You only need a full install of Flow on your development machine so that you are able to configure processes. You would normally configure these within a SQL Server Compact 3.5 database making it easy to install alongside your application, however if your application also uses SQL Server (Full Version) you have the choice to create the Flow configuration on SQL Server also.

On a client machine your installer software only needs to install a few Flow components to enable you to execute processes from your own application. It is required that you install all of the Flow components to the same folder, however it can be a separate folder to your application. This could be either a sub folder or an entirely different folder.

### Client Side Flow Components

Include the following components of Flow into your installer software.

**FlowAPI.dll**

The FlowAPI.dll is the what your application connects with.

**DBExpmss.dll**

This is the driver for connecting to SQL Server and SQL Server Compact. This is always required so Flow can connect to its own configuration.

**Database Drivers**

Install the required database drivers based on what Actions you have configured within Flow. If an Action needs to connect with Oracle you will need dbexpora.dll

**FlowEventMessages.dll**

Required only if you want to get friendly formatted error messages from Flow in the system Event Viewer.

**Security Drivers**

Libeay32.dll, Libssl32.dll, Ssleay32.dll are required if you are using secure transports.

### Client Side Third Party Components

Include the following third party components into your installer software

**SQL Server Compact**

This is required if you have saved your Flow configuration within a SQL Server Compact database.

**SQL Server Express / Full Edition**

This is required if you have saved your Flow configuration within a SQL Server Express / Full Edition database. If you know your clients already have SQL Server you can devise an install of Flows configuration into the existing SQL Server.

### What other folders will Flow create?

When you execute the FlowAPI on the client machine it will create further folders necessary for its execution.

::: warning
Along with the folders created by virtue of FlowAPI itself, further folders may be created depending on what you have configured Flow to do. For instance any configuration using File Connections will cause the required folders to be created.
:::

Flow will create an Application Data folder as necessary. See [Application Data Folder](/flow/guide/getting-started/directories/application-data-folder).