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Admin Center vs. Settings App

Updated in 2026.1

Whether you use Alloy Navigator Express on premises or in the cloud, you can use two administrative tools: the web-based Admin Center and the desktop Settings App. Most features are available in both tools, but some are exclusive to one or the other. This article compares the web-based Admin Center with the desktop Settings App and shows you where each configuration option can be found.

Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
The Admin Center is a web app for most everyday administration tasks. It includes most of the common settings from the desktop Settings App, and also offers exclusive features such as visual customization and authentication options for your Web App, Self Service Portal, and API instances, along with additional settings for form layouts and calendar synchronization. The Admin Center is integrated into Alloy Navigator Express Web App and accessible from anywhere via a web browser. From the Admin Center, you can export and import the entire Alloy Navigator Express configuration as a single file. This article is part of the Admin Center online help.	The Settings App is a locally installed tool covering nearly all Admin Center settings plus advanced low-level features, including deep workflow development, building integrations, Self Service Portal workflow tuning, and legacy or deprecated options. It also supports exporting and importing configuration settings at different levels, including specific object classes, sections, individual records, or the entire configuration. The Settings App runs locally on the administrator's computer. You can find the online help for Settings App here.

Admin Center (web)

Settings App (desktop)

The Admin Center is a web app for most everyday administration tasks. It includes most of the common settings from the desktop Settings App, and also offers exclusive features such as visual customization and authentication options for your Web App, Self Service Portal, and API instances, along with additional settings for form layouts and calendar synchronization.

The Admin Center is integrated into Alloy Navigator Express Web App and accessible from anywhere via a web browser.

From the Admin Center, you can export and import the entire Alloy Navigator Express configuration as a single file.

This article is part of the Admin Center online help.

The Settings App is a locally installed tool covering nearly all Admin Center settings plus advanced low-level features, including deep workflow development, building integrations, Self Service Portal workflow tuning, and legacy or deprecated options.

It also supports exporting and importing configuration settings at different levels, including specific object classes, sections, individual records, or the entire configuration.

The Settings App runs locally on the administrator's computer.

You can find the online help for Settings App here.

General recommendation

For efficient system management, select the appropriate tool based on your task requirements:

Web Admin Center: Use the web Admin Center for everyday administration tasks:
- Ideal for routine tasks and basic configurations
- Access common settings quickly and easily, right from your web browser
- Import complete workflow packs provided by the Support Team or shared between environments
Desktop Settings App: Use the desktop Settings App for advanced administration tasks:
- Required for low-level or legacy configurations not available in the Admin Center
- Used to export and import specific configuration elements for sharing with the Support Team or between environments

NOTE: The Admin Center continues to expand its capabilities with each release, making routine administration easier and reducing the need to switch to the Settings App.

Where to configure: Web or Desktop?

Both the web Admin Center and the desktop Settings App organize configuration options into clearly defined sections. Below is a detailed comparison of the settings available in each section.

General
Users & Security
AI Integration
Workflow and Business Logic
Notifications

Email Processing
Self Service Portal
Services and Integrations (Services)
Apps and Portals(only in the web Admin Center)
Logs

Legend

✅ Fully available
◑ Partially available
❌ Not yet available / Not applicable

General

The General section contains general configuration settings. Most of these settings are available in both tools, with only a few remaining exclusively accessible in the desktop Settings App.

Setting	Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
Object Identifiers	✅ Setting object identifiers	✅ Settings Help: Setting object identifiers
Support Hours	✅ Setting up work calendars ✅Setting up support hours	✅ Settings Help: Setting up work calendars
Report Settings	✅ Personalizing reports	✅ Settings Help: Personalizing reports
System Performance CLOUD: The attachment size limit is fixed to an optimal value, so this setting is not shown here.	✅ Setting system performance	✅ Settings Help: Setting system performance
License Management CLOUD: Product activation and updates are managed; license information is read-only.	✅ Managing Alloy Navigator Express license	✅ Settings Help: Managing Alloy Navigator Express license
Regional Settings	✅ Customizing regional settings	✅ Settings Help: Customizing regional settings
Upgrade and Migration CLOUD: Product updates are managed; information is read-only.	✅ Added in 2025; docs coming soon	✅ Settings Help: Enabling automatic upgrade
Dashboard Management	❌ Not needed. Users manage dashboards and widgets directly in Web App. See Working with dashboards
CSS Styles	✅ Customizing style sheets	◑ Settings Help: Customizing style sheets Vertical Preview customization is not available
Fields	◑ Field Customization Field usage check and view reference identification are not yet available.	✅ Settings Help: Field customization
Shared Views for Desktop App Desktop App is retired	❌ Not applicable; users can share views directly	✅ Settings Help: Setting up shared views
Preview	✅Customizing preview pane content	❌
View Forms	✅ Customizing quick view forms	✅ Settings Help: Customizing View Forms for Web App
Shared Snippets	❌ Not needed; users share snippets directly in the Web App	✅ Settings Help: Managing shared snippets
Help and Documentation CLOUD: Help and other docs are always online; this section is read-only.	✅ Added in 2025; docs coming soon	✅ Settings Help: Customizing documentation settings

Users & Security

The Users & Security section contains settings for controlling access to Alloy Navigator Express. Almost all of these settings are available in both tools, though some are exclusive to the Settings App.

Setting	Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
Accounts	✅ Managing Alloy Navigator Express accounts	✅ Settings Help: Managing Alloy Navigator Express accounts
Roles	✅ Managing security roles	✅ Settings Help: Managing security roles
Applications	✅ Managing applications	✅ Settings Help: Managing applications
User Sessions	✅ Managing user sessions	✅ Settings Help: Managing user sessions
Password Policy	✅Setting password policy	✅ Settings Help: Setting password complexity
SSO Providers	✅ Managing single sign-on (SSO) providers	✅ Settings Help: Managing single sign-on (SSO) providers

AI Integration

The AI Integration section contains settings for integrating Alloy Navigator Express with AI. While both tools offer the same capabilities, the Admin Center provides a more detailed configuration experience.

Setting	Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
AI Configuration	✅ Configuring integration with AI	◑ Settings Help: Configuring integration with AI Vector indexing progress display is not supported.
AI Writing Assistance Actions	✅ Managing AI Writing Assistance actions	✅ Settings Help: Managing AI Writing Assistance actions

Workflow and Business Logic

The Workflow and Business Logic section includes settings for configuring workflow, from quickly adapting the default setup to align with your organization's business logic, to fully customizing and creating new workflow actions, automations, and processes. Basic tasks can be easily handled in the Admin Center, while advanced customizations, creating new integrations and workflow items require the Settings App.

Setting	Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
Workflow Configuration	✅ Customizing your workflow configuration	✅ Settings Help: Customizing your workflow configuration
Export and Import of Alloy Navigator Express Configuration	✅Export and Import Exporting and importing entire configuration	✅Export and Import Exporting and importing entire configuration or specific settings
Tag Management	✅ Managing tags	❌
Macros	✅Managing user macros	✅ Settings Help: Managing user macros
Global Components	❌	✅ Docs coming soon
[Object Class] > Fields	◑ Field Customization Field usage check and view reference identification are not yet available.	✅ Settings Help: Field customization
[Object Class] > Form Layout	✅ Customizing detail form layouts	❌
[Object Class] > View Form	✅ Customizing quick view forms	✅ Settings Help: Customizing quick view forms for Web App
[Object Class] > Classification	✅ Setting up classification	◑ Settings Help: Setting up classification JPG and SVG icons in statuses and other classifiers are not supported.
[Object Class] > Workflow > Actions, Defaults, Templates, E-Mail Notifications, Push Notifications	✅ Added in 2025; docs coming soon	✅ Settings Help: Workflow management
Business Policies for Tickets and Change Requests	❌	✅ Settings Help: Business policies for Tickets and Change Requests
Integrations	❌	✅ Settings Help: Integrations
Inventory Data Mapping for Computers and Inventory Items	❌	✅ Settings Help: Data mapping for Network Inventory Sync
Active Directory Data Mapping for Person records	❌	✅ Settings Help: Active Directory data mapping
Related Asset Template for Tickets	❌	✅ Settings Help: Related CI Asset template
Full Name Templateand Address Template for Person records	❌	✅ Settings Help: Full Name and Address templates

Notifications

The Notifications section contains settings for configuring automated outgoing notifications, including email and push notifications. All settings are available in both tools, but the Settings App provides the option to configure integrations with certain legacy mail services.

Setting	Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
Global Settings	✅ Customizing global notification settings	✅ Settings App: Global notification settings
Notification Queue	✅ Working with the Notification Queue	✅ Settings Help: Notification Queue
Logs	✅ Outgoing Notifications Log	✅ Settings Help: Outgoing Notifications Log
Email Notification Settings	✅ Setting up outgoing e-mail notifications	✅ Settings Help: Configuring outgoing e-mail notifications Also covers legacy mail services (EWS and MAPI)
Email HTML Templates	✅ Building HTML e-mail templates	✅ Settings Help: HTML e-mail templates
Push Notification Settings	✅ Customizing settings for push notifications	✅ Settings Help: Push notification settings

Email Processing

The Email Processing section contains settings for handling incoming emails and converting them into tickets. All settings are available in both tools.

Setting	Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
Mail Connector:	✅ Configuring Mail Connector settings	✅ Settings Help: Mail Connector settings Also covers legacy mail services (POP3, EWS, MAPI)
Logs	✅ Incoming Mail Log	✅ Settings Help: Incoming Mail Log

Self Service Portal

The Self Service Portal section enables you to tine-tune the workflow for Self Service Portal users, adjusting default behaviors for creating, updating, and viewing tickets and other items. Unlike Self Service Portal customization, which is available exclusively through the web Admin Center, thefollowing configuration settings are accessible only via the desktop Settings App:

Setting	Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
Forms	❌	✅ Settings Help: Forms for Self Service Portal

Services and Integrations (Services)

TheServices and Integrations section (Services in the Settings App) contains settings for configuring internal services. You can use either tool to configure most services. However, calendar settings are available only in the web Admin Center, while advanced configurations like programming Scheduled Tasks are available only in the Settings App.

Setting	Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
Active Directory Integration	✅ Integration with Active Directory and other directory services	✅ Settings Help: Integration with Active Directory
AlloyScan	✅ Integration with AlloyScan	✅ Settings Help: Integration with AlloyScan
Scheduled Reports	✅ Scheduling reports	✅ Settings Help: Scheduling reports
Scheduled Tasks	◑ Scheduled Tasks Access to Programming section is not yet available.	✅ Settings Help: Scheduled Tasks
Automation Server	◑ Managing Automation Server jobs Access to Trigger job properties is not yet available.	✅ Settings Help: Managing Automation Server job
Automation Server > High Availability Mode CLOUD: High Availability is not available; ensured by the cloud platform.	❌	✅ Settings Help: High Availability (HA)
Mobile Applications	✅ Configuring mobile applications	✅ Settings Help: Configuring mobile applications
Microsoft 365 Integration	✅ Configuring integration with Microsoft 365	❌
Calendar Sharing	✅ Configuring My Calendar sharing	❌

Apps and Portals

The Apps and Portals section includes customization and configuration settings for the Web App, Self Service Portal, and API, such as adding a custom logo, changing the color theme, or adding new languages. These settings are available exclusively in the web-based Admin Center.

Setting	Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
Web App	✅ Web App	❌
Self Service Portal	✅ Self Service Portal	❌
API	✅ API	❌

Logs

The Logs section allows you to view logs and configure administrative alerts for failures or events that require the administrator's attention. You can access these settings from both the web Admin Center and the desktop Settings App.

Setting	Admin Center (web)	Settings App (desktop)
Active Directory Import	✅ Active Directory Import Log	✅ Settings Help: Active Directory Synchronization Log
Automation & Workflow	✅ Automation & Workflow Log	✅ Settings Help: Automation & Workflow Log
Deleted Objects	✅ Deleted Objects Log	✅ Settings Help: Deleted Objects Log
AlloyScan	✅ AlloyScan Synchronization Log	✅ Settings Help: AlloyScan Synchronization Log
Incoming Mail	✅ Incoming Mail Log	✅ Settings Help: Incoming Mail Log
Outgoing Notifications	✅ Outgoing Notifications Log	✅ Settings Help: Outgoing Notifications Log
Reporting	✅ Reporting Log	✅ Settings Help: Reporting Log
User Sessions	✅ User Sessions Log	✅ Settings Help: User Sessions Log
SSP Search	✅ SSP Search Log	✅ Settings Help: SSP Search Log
SSP AI Assistant	✅SSP AI Assistant Log	❌
Network Inventory	✅ Network Inventory logs	✅ Settings Help: Network Inventory logs
All Errors Log	✅ Error Log	✅ Settings Help: Error Log
Alerts	✅ Configuring Error Log alerts	✅ Settings Help: Configuring Error Log alerts
Retention Policy CLOUD: Retention period is fixed at 30 days for optimal performance; the information is read-only.	✅ Configuring log settings	✅ Settings Help: Configuring log settings