Agilent Cary UV Workstation Plus 1.4 - Software Site Preparation Checklist

Significance of the Topic

Ensuring a properly prepared site for analytical software installation is critical to maximize instrument uptime, maintain data integrity, and streamline laboratory operations. A structured site preparation process reduces installation delays and supports long-term system reliability.

Objectives and Overview

This document provides a step-by-step checklist for laboratory personnel to prepare their computing environment, network, and software prerequisites before installing Agilent Cary UV Workstation Plus 1.4 and connecting to Cary 3500 spectrophotometers. Its goal is to accelerate deployment and minimize service dependencies.

Used Instrumentation

• Agilent Cary UV Workstation Plus 1.4 software
• Agilent Cary 3500 UV-Vis spectrophotometer

Methodology

A customer-centric approach divides responsibilities into site readiness tasks and verification steps. Key areas include hardware specification, operating system configuration, network setup, user privilege assignment, and data backup planning.

Main Requirements and Discussion

• Hardware: 64-bit Windows 10 (20H2+) or Windows 11 (21H2+), Intel® i5 3.0 GHz or equivalent, 16 GB RAM, 500 GB SSD, full HD display.
• Software: .NET 4.8 and .NET 3.5.1, PostgreSQL bundled with the workstation, Google Chrome or Edge for online help, Adobe Acrobat Reader for documentation.
• User Privileges: Local Administrator rights required for installation; domain service account recommended for network authentication scenarios.
• Network: TCP/IPv4 with DHCP or static addressing; Zeroconf/mDNS for instrument discovery; direct LAN connection preferred for Cary 3500.
• Security: Disable sleep modes; configure Windows Firewall or third-party firewalls to open specified ports for licensing, data collection, REST APIs, and instrument control; ensure antivirus exceptions for installation.
• Backup: Identify and test backup solutions before installation; complete data backup prior to any software upgrade; finalize electronic signature workflows and reapply signature settings after upgrade.

Benefits and Practical Applications

Adhering to this checklist enables laboratories to reduce installation time, ensure compliance with IT policies, and achieve reliable instrument control and data management from the first use. It minimizes troubleshooting efforts and supports efficient training and qualification services.

Future Trends and Opportunities

Emerging trends include automated environment validation tools, tighter integration with LIMS and cloud storage, enhanced cybersecurity measures for remote deployments, and support for virtualized or containerized software installations.

Conclusion

A comprehensive site preparation process is essential for successful deployment of analytical software and instruments. Following the outlined specifications and configurations ensures a stable, compliant, and high-performance laboratory environment.

Reference

Agilent Technologies, Inc. Document D0031011, Revision A.00, issued 17 July 2023.