We're updating some of our product names. K2 Five is now Nintex Automation. You may see both product names in our help pages while we make this change.

K2 Five Architecture

The K2 Five platform is built on Microsoft technologies such as Windows Server and the .NET Framework. The platform architecture includes modular server components, multiple APIs, and interfaces for designers (those who build forms, reports, and workflows), users (those who use K2 to action tasks, view reports, and fill out forms), and administrators (those who install and maintain the platform).

Client Layer

You can divide users into three groups: Administrators, Designers and end-users.

Administrators	Administrators use the K2 Management site to activate features, set security, , manage workflow tasks, view reports, and monitor the K2 platform. For information about K2 Management see the Administer topic in the K2 Five User Guide.
K2 Designers	Designers create SmartObjects, workflows, views and forms using the K2 Designer. For more information about what designers create, see the Create topic in the K2 Five User Guide.
Users	Users access their tasks and open forms using a task notifications and a browser, and can access K2 Workspace and use K2 Mobile. For more information about using K2 solutions, see the Use topic in the K2 Five User Guide.

K2 also integrates with SharePoint lists and libraries. For information on building and using solutions with K2 for SharePoint, see the K2 for SharePoint topic in the K2 Five User Guide.

K2 Server Layer

The K2 server runs as a Windows service and hosts other K2 platform servers and services. The K2 servers are the Workflow server, SmartObject server, SmartForms server, and the authorization framework. Services include the Discovery service, the Category service, and the User Role Manager service.

Running the K2 server in console mode provides information about the server and currently hosted services. The server console is useful when debugging processes and SmartObjects, and can display custom debugging messages using a Console.WriteLine method in custom code.

The server logs messages to a text (*.log) file, which is configurable. See the K2 Auditing and Logging topic for information on K2 server logging. You can change where messages are logged, such as to the Windows Event Log, MSMQ or SQL. All hosted servers and services use the same logging framework.

K2 API

Developers use the K2 APIs described in this guide to interact with the K2 platform at design time and runtime.