Scifeon File Hub
The Scifeon File Hub sends the files your instruments produce to Scifeon automatically. You install it once on the lab PC that the instruments save their files to. From then on, every file an instrument writes into a watched folder is uploaded to Scifeon, without anyone copying files by hand.
How it works
Section titled “How it works”- An instrument saves a result file, for example an HPLC run or a plate reader export, into its folder on the lab PC.
- The File Hub notices the new file and waits until the instrument has finished writing it.
- The File Hub keeps a safe copy of the file and uploads it to Scifeon.
- If Scifeon or the network is unavailable, the File Hub keeps the file and tries again later. No file is lost when the PC restarts or the connection drops.
The File Hub runs in the background as a Windows service. It starts with Windows and keeps working when nobody is signed in to the PC.
Key terms
Section titled “Key terms”| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| File Hub | The program installed on the lab PC. In Scifeon it appears as a hub named after the computer. |
| Environment | A Scifeon instance the File Hub uploads to, for example your production instance and a test instance. One File Hub can serve several environments at the same time. |
| FileAgent | One watched folder, usually one per instrument. Each FileAgent belongs to one environment and appears in Scifeon as a device under the hub. |
| Configuration page | A web page served by the File Hub on the PC itself, where you add environments and FileAgents and follow the uploads. |
Getting started
Section titled “Getting started”Setting up a new lab PC takes three steps:
- Install the File Hub on Windows.
- Connect the File Hub to Scifeon by adding an environment.
- Add a FileAgent for each instrument folder.
After that, follow the uploads on the monitoring page.
This guide covers Windows lab PCs. The File Hub is also available as a Docker image for Raspberry Pi; that setup is not covered here.