Agilent OpenLab CDS - Acquisition Failover Users Guide

Importance of the Topic

Continuous operation of chromatography systems is essential in research, quality control, and regulated environments to avoid data gaps and ensure timely decision-making. The Acquisition Failover feature in Agilent OpenLab CDS supports uninterrupted sample processing by enabling local data capture when server connectivity is lost.

Study Objectives and Overview

This guide outlines how the OpenLab CDS Acquisition Failover mode is triggered, accessed, and managed. It reviews procedures for data capture during outages, subsequent data transfer to central Content Management, and traceability of operations performed in failover conditions.

Methodology and Instrumentation

The failover mechanism relies on Acquisition Instrument Controllers (AICs) connected to an OpenLab CDS Client/Server installation with ECM XT for central Content Management. Upon network interruption, AICs switch to failover mode, using locally cached methods, sequences, and report templates to continue analyses. Once connectivity is restored, the Failover Results Uploader tool transfers local result files back to the server and synchronizes activity logs.

Instrumentation Used

• Agilent OpenLab CDS Client/Server system
• Acquisition Instrument Controllers (AICs)
• ECM XT Content Management on the OpenLab Server
• Windows Remote Desktop for AIC access
• Failover Results Uploader utility

Main Results and Discussion

AICs cache project data every 30 minutes, ensuring availability of methods and projects in failover mode. Users can run single samples or sequences using cached or newly created local methods, though project creation and instrument configuration are disabled. After reconnection, the Failover Results Uploader identifies and transfers .mfx result files, deletes local copies, and logs all events under the “System” user. This approach maintains data integrity and compliance with audit requirements.

Benefits and Practical Applications of the Method

• Allows uninterrupted data acquisition during network outages
• Preserves data integrity through local caching of methods, sequences, and results
• Simplifies restoration of data to central Content Management
• Ensures comprehensive audit trails for regulatory compliance

Future Trends and Potential Applications

Future enhancements may include automated failover activation upon service failures, cloud-based synchronization to reduce local dependencies, and integration with predictive maintenance systems to anticipate connectivity issues. Advanced security measures and automated data reconciliation workflows could further streamline operations.

Conclusion

The Agilent OpenLab CDS Acquisition Failover feature offers a robust strategy to mitigate network interruptions in chromatographic laboratories. By leveraging local caching and controlled data upload procedures, laboratories can maintain productivity, ensure data integrity, and comply with regulatory standards without interruption.

References

Agilent Technologies, OpenLab CDS Acquisition Failover Users Guide, Document No. D0028026 Rev. B, Edition 02/2025.