Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from evaluators, IT administrators, and deployment teams. Each section links to the relevant dedicated documentation page for deeper guidance.

General

• Is Exekra cloud-hosted or on-premise?

  Exekra is 100% on-premise. Studio, Hub, and Runners install on machines inside the organization's own network. Workflow data, credentials, and execution logs never leave the customer environment.

• What operating systems does Exekra support?

  Studio, Hub, and Runners run on Windows. The Hub requires Windows Server 2019 or later, or Windows 10 / 11 Pro. Studio and Runner support Windows 10 / 11 (64-bit) and Windows Server 2019 or later. See System requirements for the full sizing matrix.

• What browsers are supported for browser automation?

  Chrome and Edge are supported on the current and previous stable channel. The Exekra browser extension installs into Chrome and Edge on machines where workflows are authored.

• Do I need to write code to build automations?

  No. Exekra Studio is a visual no-code designer. Workflows are built by dragging activities onto a canvas, connecting them, and configuring properties. An optional scripting path is available for engineers when a workflow needs custom logic.

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Security

• How does Exekra handle security and compliance?

  Role-based access control, encrypted credential storage, and a complete audit trail of every workflow execution are built in. Because everything runs inside the customer network, data residency and sector-specific compliance requirements stay under the customer's control. See Security model for the full posture.

• How are credentials stored?

  Credentials are stored in an encrypted vault inside the Hub's PostgreSQL database. Encryption is at rest using a key derived at install time. The Hub API never returns plaintext credential values to clients. Workflows reference credentials by name; the Runner resolves and uses them in memory at execution time, then discards them.

• Does Exekra integrate with Active Directory or SSO?

  Enterprise SSO via SAML or OIDC is not in the current release; it is on the Phase 2 roadmap. The current release uses Hub-managed accounts with role-based access control. For deployments that require AD-backed authentication today, contact Exekra to discuss timing.

• How is data stored?

  Workflow definitions, execution logs, audit records, credentials, and configuration data remain inside the customer environment. Storage is the customer's on-premise PostgreSQL database. Exekra does not require workflow data to be sent to external cloud services for the platform to operate.

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Licensing

• How is Exekra licensed?

  Licenses are issued per capacity: Studio developer seats, attended users, and unattended Runners are licensed independently. Each capacity has its own limit and expiry. Contact Exekra sales for current pricing.

• How are licenses managed?

  Licenses are issued and renewed from the Exekra Customer Portal as signed .lic envelopes. The Hub verifies the signature locally and enforces capacity limits at the API boundary. See License management for activation, offline activation, trial, renewal, and per-cap limits.

• What happens when a license expires?

  The Hub displays expiration warnings on the dashboard before the license expires. After expiration, new workflow executions are blocked until a valid license is uploaded. Existing workflow definitions, configuration, and historical execution data remain accessible. Renewing the license restores execution capacity immediately without a restart.

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Deployment

• How long does installation take?

  A typical evaluation deployment (single-server Hub, PostgreSQL on the same machine, one Studio, one Runner) takes around 30 minutes from a fresh download to a working workflow. Production deployments with dedicated database servers, hardened Redis, and multiple Runners take longer to plan; the install itself per component stays in the 15-to-30-minute range.

• Can Exekra be installed without internet access?

  Yes. The installers do not require internet access at install time. Download the installer and the .lic license file on a connected machine and transfer them to the Hub server using your normal secure-transfer process.

• Can Exekra run without internet access?

  Yes. After installation, the platform operates entirely offline. License validation is local and uses the signed envelope. Periodic phone-home requests to the Customer Portal are informational and not on the critical execution path.

• Can production be isolated from development?

  Yes. Each environment runs as a separate Hub deployment with its own database, Runners, and license. Promote workflows by exporting a published version from one Hub and importing it into the next. See Versioning & environments for the full pattern.

• Can I upgrade without downtime?

  Hub upgrades require a planned maintenance window. Most upgrades complete quickly, but the duration depends on deployment size and database state. Studio upgrades are per-user and do not affect running workflows. Runner upgrades are per-machine; mark a Runner as Draining first so the queue stops assigning it new work, then upgrade. Active-active Hub topology is on the Phase 2 roadmap. See Upgrading Exekra for the procedure.

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Operations

• How does scaling work?

  Execution capacity grows with the number of Runners. The Hub automatically distributes work across available Runners; adding a Runner adds capacity without changes to the workflows themselves. See Scaling & performance for sizing guidance.

• What happens if a Runner goes offline?

  If a Runner becomes unavailable, the Hub attempts recovery and reassignment where possible. Running executions may fail if the Runner cannot reconnect within the configured timeout. The Runner reconnects automatically when network connectivity is restored. See Execution lifecycle for full state-transition behavior.

• Can multiple workflows run simultaneously?

  Yes. Each online Runner can take on assigned work in parallel with the others; total concurrent executions scale with the number of Runners and the license limits configured for the deployment.

• Can Exekra integrate with APIs and external systems?

  Yes. Activities are available for REST APIs, databases, files, email, web applications, and custom integrations. See Activities for the full catalogue.

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Can't find an answer? Use the documentation search at the top of the page, or browse the linked documentation pages above for detailed guidance.