Product Overview & New Features

Transcription

1 Kofax Transformation Modules 6.0 Product Overview & New Features

2 Product Overview Kofax Transformation Modules streamline the transformation of business documents into structured electronic information by automating the process of document classification, separation and extraction. Whenever incoming documents drive transactions, organizations will benefit from: Reduced operating costs Increased productivity Better data quality Improved compliance Kofax Transformation Modules is the most complete and versatile document transformation offering on the market, enabling the processing of forms, invoices, correspondence and other document types on a single platform. Using learn-by-example techniques for document classification, separation and extraction, solutions can be configured and optimized quickly and effectively. Kofax Transformation Modules provides a seamless integration with Kofax Capture, giving access to the widest range of document scanners and backend storage solutions, as well as benefiting from its distributed capture, high availability and enterprise capabilities. Paper-based and electronic documents can be scanned or imported, creating a series of scanned image files. Kofax Capture then routes these image files through Kofax Transformation Modules where each page is classified, separated into documents, and then extracted. These classification, separation, and extraction results are presented for review by users of the Document Review, Correction or Thin Client Correction, Validation or Thin Client Validation, and Verification or the Thin Client Verification user modules, depending on the project configuration. There is no limit to the number of Validation, Verification, Document Review, or Correction workstations that can be deployed. Once all documents are successfully processed, the accurate and fully-validated data and images are exported to a back-end system using Kofax Capture.

3 What s New in 6.0? The Project Builder User Interface Project Builder has a fluent user interface where the options for configuring a project are displayed on a Ribbon. With the Ribbon, there is easier access to common tasks performed during project configuration. These tasks are organized into logical groups so that similar actions can be performed without switching tabs. Each option in the Ribbon has a descriptive label and a unique icon for easy identification, as well as a more detailed description in its tooltip. Depending on what item is selected in the Project Tree, different options are available for selection on the Ribbon. Those items that are not available for the selected Project Tree item are dimmed. To maximize space, the Ribbon can be minimized by right-clicking anywhere on the Ribbon and selecting Minimize Ribbon from the shortcut menu. It is also possible to add the most commonly used options to the Quick Edit Menu that can appear above or below the Ribbon. In this example, the Project Settings is displayed in this menu. Window Management The Project Builder application allows several windows to be floated outside the main application window or onto a second monitor. It is also possible to collapse windows, dock one window in a specific location, or dock multiple windows into the same space, accessed by tabs. When a window is dragged away from its default docked position, the window docking tool is displayed so that a different window location can be selected. This flexibility ensures that each user can configure their Project Builder layout to best suit their needs and preferred working environment, and anyone can revert back to the default layout by selecting Default from the View tab on the Ribbon. Note: Additional windows such as the Project Settings and the various locator properties windows take the focus when open and may need to be closed before it is possible to work on other areas of the project.

4 The Project Tree The Project Tree window is displayed on the left side by default. This window displays a hierarchical view of a project and has everything at hand. All items added to a class are contained and displayed in the Project Tree, each with their own distinctive icon so that it is easy to locate and differentiate the project items. This hierarchical Project Tree means that it is no longer necessary to switch views or open additional windows to see fields, locators, validation rules, classification instructions, or structure rules at the same time. Working with the Project Tree To maximize space in the Project Tree, classes and collections of class items are collapsible so that it is possible to focus on a specific area of a project without having other classes or items cluttering the view. In fact, class contents are hidden from view by default, and are only displayed by clicking on the View icon to the right of the class name. In the example to the right, the project has a single class that is configured to process invoices. The Invoice class contents are displayed and the Fields and Locators groups are expanded and visible. In the project hierarchy, simple fields are differentiated from table fields by their icon. The same is true for the locators. Each locator is shown with their selected locator method icon. Inherited locators however, are unavailable and do not display their locator method type. This is because most inherited locators are edited in the parent class rather than overridden in the child class. Folders and Folder Fields Shortcut Menus Most items in the Project Tree have a shortcut menu that is available by right-clicking on an item. The tasks displayed in the shortcut menu allow quick access to the same tasks that are also available in the Ribbon. The tasks available in the shortcut menu differ depending on the selected item. In the example to the left, the shortcut menu shows those tasks available when right-clicking on a field. If foldering is enabled for a project, the Project Folder is displayed below the classes in the Project Tree. All folders configured for a project are displayed as child folders under the Project Folder. Folder content is also hidden by default, and is only visible by clicking the View icon for the folder. Each folder can have fields and validation rules configured as required, and both can be collapsed or expanded as needed. Searching the Project Tree For large projects that contain many classes and fields, it may not be easy to remember where a specific class or field is located. To aid in locating Project Tree items, a search tool is available. Users can type a value into the search field at the top of the Project Tree and each typed letter acts as a filter and reduces the number of search results. Selecting one of the search results jumps to that item and selects it automatically. If the search item is in a collapsed class whose contents are hidden, the class is expanded automatically with its content displayed.

5 The Details Window The Details window is dynamically populated and displays the properties of whatever item is selected in the Project Tree. Because of this, it is possible to view the Project Tree and the Details window at the same time, simplifying project configuration. The default Project Builder layout displays the Project Tree alongside the Details window so that the selected item is always visible at the same time as its properties. For example, instead of having a separate Class Properties window, all of the class properties for the selected class in the Project Tree are displayed in the Details window. This means that even when the class properties are displayed, it is still possible to view and modify other areas of the project as needed. In the example to the right, the VendorName field is selected in the Project Tree and its field properties are displayed in the Details window. Bulk Editing and Multiple Selection For some Project Tree items, it is possible to select more than one item and edit them all at once. When multiple classes or multiple fields are selected, their respective properties are displayed in a grid in the Details window. It is not possible to select one class and one field because the selected items need to be of the same type. When the grid is displayed, a list of the selected items, either fields or classes, is displayed on the left. The right of the grid is a scrollable list of the properties and their current values. Across the top of the grid is an empty row that is populated when a field or class is selected anywhere in the grid. This top row is editable so that any of the properties for the selected item can be modified. However, it is also possible to edit an individual property by doubleclicking on any cell within the grid. By default, these cells are read-only, but they become editable when doubleclicked. These two editing methods make it easy to change all of the properties for one particular field while viewing the other fields.

6 Document Management Test documents, training documents, benchmark documents, and new sample documents are now organized in document sets. These document sets are displayed all at once in the Documents window so that it is easy to move back and forth between document sets and their documents. Clicking a document set expands it so that all of its document subsets are displayed. All documents in a document subset are displayed in a list when a subset is clicked. When a project is first created, there are two preconfigured yet empty documents sets that are created automatically. These are the document sets that hold training documents for classification and separation, and extraction. All training documents, regardless of their assigned class are always visible in their new training document set. This is because it is now possible to assign a class to the training document within the training document set. This change means that it is no longer necessary to select a class in the Project Tree just to see its classification or extraction training documents. This change significantly simplifies training document management and maintenance. When online learning is enabled, an empty preconfigured New Samples document set is also added to the list of document sets. In addition to the preconfigured training sets, it is also possible to add Test Sets and Benchmark Sets. Test sets are used for configuring and testing a project, while Benchmark sets are used for comparing project configuration over time. Document Subsets A document set contains one or more document subset. The documents themselves are organized in the document subsets. The subsets ensure that the documents can be organized in the most efficient and logical manner. Each document set, document subset, and document has its own shortcut menu. Many of the functions listed in the shortcut menu are available in the Ribbon or the Documents window toolbar, but there are several functions that are available through the shortcut menu. For example, changing the document set type or attaching a document set to a project. Working with Multiple Document Sets When you click on a document set, it expands automatically and any previously selected document sets collapse. It is however, possible to pin a document set open so that you can view the contents of multiple document sets. This is especially useful if you want to copy or move documents from one document set using drag-and-drop. Upgrading a Project Projects created in an earlier version of Kofax Transformation Modules use a different format for storing and managing documents. When opening an old project in this version of Project Builder, the old document storage format is upgraded to the new document set format. After conversion, the classification training set contains several subsets whose names match the views that were assigned training documents in the old project. Similarly, the extraction training documents are organised into document subsets that have the same names as the training folders created in the old project. All training set configurations such as excluded documents are preserved in the new document set format.

7 Classification Configuration Changes Simplified Classification Configuration Configuring classification has been significantly simplified by removing the old Classification Views and replacing them with a single layout classifier and a single top-level content classifier for each project. This is possible because the class itself now determines what type of configuration it uses. The type of classification performed in a project is now configured on a class-by-class basis so that each class added to a project can use content classification, layout classification, or both. Because of these simplifications, is it much quicker and easier to get a project up and running. When a document is processed, layout classification is performed only if the layout classifier is enabled for the project. Content classification includes the top-level content classifier, but it also includes subtree classification and classification instructions. If any one of these content classification methods are enabled, then content classification is performed. If none of these are configured, no content classification is performed. Subtree Classification Subtree classification is an additional classification step that helps classify a parent class and its child classes. This type of classification is configurable in the class properties and runs alongside the other content classification methods. The Subtree classifier helps determine the final classification result based on the relationship between the parent and child classes, as well as the relationship between the sibling classes. When subtree classification is performed, hierarchical rules are also applied automatically. The hierarchical rules help determine the most appropriate classification result. Classification instructions Content classification also includes instructions that use content found on a document to improve the overall classification result. In Kofax Transformation Modules 6.0, classification instructions are now configurable in the Project Tree. Because of this change, it is now possible to see all of the instructions for a class with a single click. An instruction can consist of a single word or an entire phrase. It is also possible to add negative phrases. This means that if a specific word or phrase is not present on a document, the relevance is applied to the classification result. In the example to the left, the Invoice class has two configured instructions. Whenever the word Invoice is encountered on a document, the classification result is increased. Similarly, whenever the word Credit is encountered, the classification result is decreased. These instructions work alongside the top-level content classifier and any subtree classifiers, affecting the final classification result based on the configured words and their relevance.

8 Trainable Document Separation Changes Project Planner is no longer included in Kofax Transformation Modules because you can configure trainable document separation solely within Project Builder. However, even though Project Planner is no longer included in Kofax Transformation Modules, It is still possible to use an existing Trainable Document Separation model created in an earlier version of Kofax Transformation Modules. This is possible by using the Trainable Document Separation Compatibility Mode. This compatibility mode ensures that any time-consuming separation models created in earlier versions need not be recreated, and that Project Builder remains backwards compatible. Trainable Document Separation Configuration This type of separation is configurable on the Project Settings - Document Separation tab where you can configure a TDS Page Classifier for a project. This page classifier is an Adaptive Feature Classifier and during production, it examines each page in a batch and assigns several classification result alternatives to each page. These page classification results are then compared to other surrounding documents, and the possible page classification results are evaluated to determine the most logical way of separating the pages into documents. The example to the left shows how the individual pages in a batch are classified. These page classification alternatives are then used to determine where the documents should be separated, and their final classification result. In order to successfully train your project for this type of separation a large training set that contains typical examples of each classification type is required. These training documents are added to the Classification training set and confirmed afterward if necessary. Tip: For the best results, frequently test both your classification and separation results by performing tests and benchmarks. This ensures that your training set is as effective as possible. Combined Classification and Separation Training Because of the changes made to both classification and separation in this release of Kofax Transformation Modules, the Classification training set can be used to train both classification and document separation. This is because the classification training documents contain all of the necessary information that is required to train separation. This includes document page counts, page classification results, and an overall document classification result. Because of this, when separation is enabled for a project, the classification training set is automatically available for separation training, and the project training options available on the Process tab of the Ribbon are updated to include separation.

9 Clustering The ability to organize documents based on their content is available in Project Builder using Clustering. A set of unknown documents are processed, and based on their content or their layout, the Clustering feature organizes the documents into groups. Several iterations of clustering are performed, and interaction is required throughout each step of the process. It is possible to customize the cluster names or manually organize the recognized documents or clusters as desired. The Clustering feature learns from the changes and improves the clustering results throughout the process. The result of this process is a set of known documents organized in a hierarchy with the relevant class names. This hierarchy can then be used by the project for classification and separation training, benchmarking, and testing. Clustering can also save you a time and effort when configuring a new project. If you have a large set of disorganized documents that are typical examples of what you want to process, you can use these documents to set up your class hierarchy during clustering. This means that you do not need to create the classes manually before or after clustering. This is because you can look at the documents presented during the clustering process and assign them to a class, adding new classes as you progress through the documents. The final resulting clusters can be used to create your class hierarchy and you also have a ready-made set of classification training documents. Clustering can also be used alongside a wellestablished project, sorting the documents into the existing classes. This organizes the clustered documents so that they can be used for classification training, benchmarking, and testing.

10 Unstructured Document Extraction Text Content Locator This locator method is designed to extract data from documents that have no consistent layout. This means that it is possible to extract data from unique contracts, correspondence, architectural drawings, or even essays and manuscripts. Any type of data can be extracted. For example, numeric and non-numeric data, or even an unknown format can be extracted. It is also possible for field data to span line breaks on multiple lines. This locator works best for semi-structured documents because it is designed for documents that have unstructured text made up of sentences. Extraction for unstructured documents is possible with moderate success, and the results should improve as more training documents are provided. This locator was designed for unstructured text, and because of this, extraction from machine printed forms is not as efficient as extraction using other locator methods. In order for this locator to work, training documents are required to teach the locator how to find the necessary data. Unlike other locators, the Text Content Locator is configurable only by adding documents to the extraction training set, lassoing the desired content, and training the project. For the best results, the more training documents there are, the better the extraction results. However, as the number of training documents increases, the time it takes to train the project also increases. This means that it is necessary to test the extraction results regularly after training the project to ensure that the added documents actually have a beneficial and positive effect on the overall extraction results. It is also best practice to configure a maximum number of documents that are allowed in the training set for each class. Once this number is reached, no additional documents are added to the training set, ensuring that the project and its training documents remain manageable. Even though documents are collected for training automatically due to the online learning feature, the project itself needs to be trained manually at regular intervals to improve the overall extraction results. Training the project can be time consuming, so it is best practice to limit the number of training documents to ensure that the time it takes to train the project is justified. To ensure that you get the best extraction results, perform extraction benchmarks regularly. These benchmark results show if the new training documents improve the extraction results, and whether additional training documents are required. Tip: When configuring the validation form, the best practice is to enable auto-completion for all fields extracted with the Text Content Locator. This is because the field coordinates for captured fields are required for training and this method forces the Validation user to select the correct content and their corresponding field coordinates.

11 Document Review User Module The purpose of Document Review is to ensure that every document in a batch contains the correct pages and has the correct classification. To ensure that problems with document separation and document classification are fixed before extraction, structure rules are available. Structure rules can be applied to an individual class or the entire batch. A class that has a specific page configuration can have one or more structure rules. These rules help determine whether final classification result is correct, and that the document contains the correct number of pages. The structure rules available for configuration within Project Builder can be a hard-coded rule that specifies a minimum and maximum page count for a class. It is also possible to write more complicated scripts that examine more than the page count. For example, a script can be used to ensure that a document classified as a Loan Application contains one ore more supporting documents that are listed as separate documents. During production, Document Review users are presented with a list of problems that need to be fixed before the documents can be processed further. Each document with structure errors is highlighted, marked with an error icon, and a description of the error is shown in the Current Problem panel. In the example, the batch has several problems. The Current Problem panel displays a specific message that explains the Document Review rule failure for the selected document. In this case, the message tells the Document Review user that the selected document has too many pages. However, in this case, the document was incorrectly classified. Assigning a new class fixes the problem. Once the problem has been fixed, the document is no longer highlighted, and the problem icon is no longer displayed. Problems can also occur when documents are not correctly separated. One document may be missing pages or a document could have extra pages. This can happen if a page is blurry, stretched, skewed, or simply unrecognized. Users can easily solve these types or problems by dragging the extra page from one document to its correct document. In addition to the Document Review toolbar and the keyboard shortcuts, there is also a shortcut menu that is accessed when a user right-clicks on a page or document. This shortcut menu provides access to functions for fixing document classification and separation errors.

12 Correction User Module The purpose of Correction is to correct character level rejected data. This ensures that by the time a document is processed by Validation, all incorrect characters are already corrected, minimizing the number of validation errors. The optimized interface of Correction allows fast correction of single characters using a single keystroke and also allows whole fields to be edited as needed. For each unconfident character detected, Correction displays the extracted OCR data as well as zooms to the corresponding part of the image so that the user can easily see the image and the unknown character. This enables them to easily key characters into their data fields. Correction allows efficient character level correction with a single keystroke. This is enhanced by displaying the previous field that has already been corrected, the current field, and the next field. This enables users to easily review corrected content and see one step ahead so that they can prepare the next correction. Sometimes it is quicker to edit the whole field if too many characters are rejected. Whole field character correction can be triggered automatically based on the number of characters rejected, or selected manually by the user. This ensures that the most efficient correction method is used. (See below) An additional mode allows users to key fields while viewing the full image (see left). This enables them to correct problems that cannot be corrected in single character mode or whole field correction mode. The most common use of this view is when the snippet of the image does not display the correct field or displays an unreadable part of a field only. In this example, the extraction zone is poorly aligned, but the field can still be corrected. Correction always precedes Validation. This means that these OCR errors are corrected before validation is performed, ensuring that only genuine validation issues need to be addressed by the Validation user. See also Thin Clients.

13 Validation User Module The goal of Validation is to review extraction results and to ensure that all information is valid. Documents can also be marked for Online Learning to improve extraction performance for the existing document types or to add completely new document types. Project administrators set up extraction fields to extract specific document data. They also configure the Validation layout that is displayed to the Validation user. Any validation errors are highlighted so they can be resolved. Select a word or drag around a phrase to insert it into the Document Results panel (see below). Once a validation error is resolved, users can press Enter to move to the next validation error. Users can also simply point to words and phrases on the document images with the mouse to enter data. If they enter data using the keyboard, then field autocomplete reduces the number of keystrokes required. Online Learning and Validation Online Learning can be used to improve extraction performance. During the validation process, users can mark documents for online learning, and save them in a designated location. Scripts can also be written that deduce whether a document is marked for online learning. This can remove the responsibility of improving extraction results from the Validation user, and placing it on the logic of the script. With Specific Online Learning, improvements in extraction are seen when the next batch is processed. With Generic Online Learning, improvements in extraction are not seen until an administrator retrains the project and updates the Generic Knowledge Bases manually. See also Thin Clients.

14 Verification User Module Verification allows data that has been extracted and validated to be reviewed by an user to ensure complete accuracy. It is used when 100% accuracy is required. For example, documents that contain monetary values that are used for accounting purposes require complete accuracy. Adding Verification as an additional step after validation double-checks all critical data, ensuring that the information exported to the back-end system is genuine and completely correct. Project administrators decide which fields are used in Verification, either for background context information by making fields read-only, or for the verification of data using blind keying or confirm methods. Verification is the final step in a Kofax Transformation Modules workflow. Fields configured for blind double keying require users to refer to the document image (see right) to ensure the correct data is entered. Read-only fields provide context to surrounding fields that require double keying or confirmation (see left). For example, if a Total Value field requires confirmation, it would be useful to see the other fields that add up to generate the sum shown in the Total Value field. Each field presented to the user has an error message that explains the problem that requires verification. This information is displayed in the Current Error panel. When an user enters data that does not match the extracted value, they will receive an error message. If the Project administrator has enabled the different values to be displayed, the user receives a message that displays the original value from the extraction results and their first typed value for comparison (see right). If the administrator has configured the field so that no values are displayed to the user, they receive an error explaining that their entries did not match the original value (see left). In either case, the Verification user needs to re-enter the value until there are two matching values typed by the user. Fields configured for confirmation can be configured in one of two ways. Fields for confirmation are either editable or non-editable. Non-editable confirmation fields are verified when the Verification user presses ENTER. However, this means that if the value displayed in a non-editable confirmation field is incorrect, the document needs to be rejected because the user cannot edit the field. This will route the batch to Kofax Capture - Quality Control. If the field is editable, users can correct the extraction errors as needed by typing in the correct value. See also Thin Clients.

15 Thin Client Architecture The Kofax Transformation - Thin Client modules augment the distributed capture capabilities of Kofax Capture Network Server. They allow correction, validation, and verification tasks to be performed at remote sites, simply using a Web browser. No local software install is required, so deployment and support costs are lowered. Thin Client Correction, Thin Client Validation, and Thin Client Verification can be rapidly deployed by providing a specific URL and login credentials to the correct set of people, so they can start correcting, validating, and verifying batches immediately. Thin Client Server needs to be installed on a server with Kofax Capture and the Kofax Transformation Modules custom modules. Load balancing distributes the load when multiple servers are used. Adding Thin Client functionality to a Kofax Transformation Modules solution is as simple as enabling an option in the Project Settings. The Thin Client modules do not have their own separate custom modules as they use the same custom modules as the Rich Clients. Simply add the desired Validation, Verification, or Correction custom module to the queue, and the same batches are made available to both the Rich and Thin Client modules. Users on the local network can use either the Rich Client or Thin Client to process a batch, while remote users can use the Thin Client. Tip: If users are working with sensitive data, the best practices is to access the Thin Clients over a Virtual Private Network, and to disable the Web browser caching on the Thin Clients. Kofax Capture user profiles, masking, and multiple steps can be used with Thin Client Validation. The following credit card examples shows how these can be used to work together. A batch class is configured so the first step of validation is used to validate the credit card number, while the second validates the name and address. User profiles are configured so only certain individuals can process each step. If an user logs into a step that they do not have permission to process, the restricted batch will not be available for them to select. It is also possible to use masking so that no single user can view the complete credit card information. The Thin Clients do not require applets or Active X components. This reduces deployment and maintenance costs. A data layer is provided to make the Thin Client and the Thin Client Server independent of data repositories. The client side consists of a combination of HTML and JavaScript files, which run inside the Web browser and are served by a Web server (IIS). The load balancer layer distributes connections to the Thin Client Server so that it is not overloaded. Kofax recommends that the Microsoft Load Balancing service is used. The Thin Client Server runs all of the validation rules. It is also responsible for user authentication, batch management, and passing all relevant information from a batch to the client. All data exchanged between the client and server layers is serialized into JSON (JavaScript Object Notation), without needing to send complex XML documents to the browser. Internet Information Services (IIS) version 6 or 7 is required to install the Thin Client Server.

16 Thin Client User Experience Thin Client Validation Enterprise or smaller installations are now able to validate their documents at remote locations, either inside or outside the main installation network, without any need for installing or maintaining software. Thin Client Validation does not require any separate set up as it uses the same validation forms and rules as the Rich Client. Thin Client Validation features point-and-click OCR, auto complete, database lookups, folders, image rotation, and Online Learning. It also supports fields, tabs, group boxes, check boxes, drop-down list boxes, and tables. Tip: To restrict users from viewing masked areas of a document, disable classification for documents that have masks. Thin Client Verification Users can review extracted fields to double-check the results and increase data accuracy before they are released, using only a Web browser. This enables data to be verified at remote locations, either inside or outside the main installation network, without the need of installing or maintaining software. Thin Client Verification does not require any separate set up as it uses the same verification settings as the Rich Client. The Thin Client Verification user interface is very similar to the Thin Client Validation user interface shown above. Thin Client Correction Users can also correct unconfident characters, improving OCR results for validation, using only a Web browser. This enables data to be corrected at remote locations, either inside or outside the main installation network, without the need of installing or maintaining software. Thin Client Correction does not require any separate set up as it uses the same verification settings as the Rich Client. Unconfident characters are highlighted and users are able to process batches in a speed optimized environment that can handle more than 200 key strokes per minute. The previous field is shown for review and the next field is shown so the correction user can look ahead. Correction users can also switch keying modes to correct an entire field or view the full image. An example of the user interface is shown left.

17 Kofax Search and Matching Server Kofax Search and Matching Server is a standalone product that is used with Kofax Transformation Modules to improve database interactions. Kofax Search and Matching Server handles simultaneous search requests from various Kofax Transformation Modules for large amounts of data, such as a customer or supplier database, located at a remote site. In contrast to other database servers, such as Microsoft SQL Server or Oracle, the Kofax Search and Matching Server allows performing non-exact (fuzzy) searches. This means that search results are returned even if the search string contains spelling mistakes or does not match the exact value that is stored in the database. This is especially important for address data where a street name can be stored in different variations. For example, Canyon Avenue, Canyon Ave, or Canyon Av. Kofax Search and Matching Server provides fuzzy search functionality for Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle and ODBC database tables or views for delimited text files (CSV). Performing fuzzy searches for data that is located at a remote site reduces the client site start up time as the databases are configured only once on the server, and then can be accessed from different clients. At the client site, no extra loading time or memory is needed when accessing data at a remote site. In addition, maintenance costs are reduced for databases that change regularly, as the Kofax Search and Matching Server updates the local database on each client automatically. To be able to cope with large enterprise databases of unlimited size, Kofax Search and matching Server is server application that runs on 64-bit Microsoft Windows operating systems. It is designed to use multi-threading and support multiple core environments for quick access and fast response times. If the capacity limit for a single stand-alone Search and Matching Server is reached because an increased number of clients are sending search requests, administrators can use load balancing to distribute the workload to multiple computers by accessing a set of different Search and Matching Servers. Various Kofax Transformation Modules can send requests for one or more fuzzy search indexes that are maintained on the same server. The Kofax Search and Matching Server handles all search requests efficiently and can perform database updates in parallel to search requests. For example, search requests from user interactive modules are prioritized over requests from Kofax Transformation Modules - Server for a Database Locator. Administration Use this tool to create and maintain fuzzy search indexes for different stand-alone Search and Matching Servers, or to set up a cluster of Search and Matching Servers in order to configure load balancing. Multiple users can log on to the same server for parallel maintenance. Adding a fuzzy search index in Administration has many of the same settings as are available in Project Builder. String substitutions, import settings, automatic update, and column selections are all configurable. After a database is added, configured, and ready for use in a project, it needs to be activated. Remote Fuzzy Searches for Kofax Transformation Modules Once the fuzzy search indexes are configured and activated in Kofax Search and Matching Server Administration, they can be added to Project Builder as a Remote Fuzzy Database. All maintenance and configuration is handled outside of Project Builder, so project administrators do not need to manually update anything if the database changes. All changes are logged in the Kofax Search and Matching Server Administration server logging report. If a Local Fuzzy Database is used instead, any changes to the database need to be made manually inside Project Builder. Also, there is a maximum limit of around 3 GB for local fuzzy databases, because of local memory and performance limitations.