Electronic Laboratory Notebook System with Local Storage Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cloud-based electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) systems pose data security concerns for biotech and pharmaceutical companies, particularly those handling sensitive patient data, due to local IT policies that restrict data storage outside local systems, leading to the loss of cloud-based solution advantages and increased costs and time for managing large files.
Innovation Solution
The ELN system allows patient data to be stored on-premises while maintaining integrity monitoring, using a local storage server disconnected from the internet, allowing secure access and reducing costs and time for data management, with an ELN managing application configured to check file integrity without accessing content, thus meeting local security policies and preserving cloud-based advantages.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If data is stored on cloud-based servers, then data accessibility and collaboration are improved, but data security and compliance with local IT policies deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the ELN functionality into two segments: the ELN managing application (hosted cloud-based for accessibility) and the data storage (located on-premises for security). This segmentation allows each component to fulfill its primary function while resolving the contradiction between accessibility and security.
Solution Approach 2:
The client software acts as an intermediary between the ELN managing application and the local storage server. It receives data from the cloud-based application and stores it locally, enabling both cloud accessibility and local security compliance simultaneously.
2Reliability
If on-premises storage is used, then data security and policy compliance are improved, but collaboration and ease of access from external locations deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system separates the collaboration interface (ELN managing application hosted cloud-based) from the data storage (on-premises). This allows users to collaborate remotely through the cloud application while data remains securely stored locally.
Solution Approach 2:
The client software serves as an intermediary that enables remote collaboration by allowing users to access and manage their ELN data through web browsers from any location, while the actual data files remain stored on the local storage server.
3Ease of operation
If large files are transferred over Internet, then data accessibility is improved, but transfer time and network congestion increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts the large data files from the cloud-based application and stores them locally on the storage server. This eliminates the need for repeated Internet transfers of large files, reducing transfer time and network congestion while maintaining accessibility through the cloud interface.
Data Source
AI summary
Electronic laboratory notebook (ELN) system (1), comprises an ELN managing application (3) of an ELN service provider and being accessible for clients via the Internet and being configured for managing the access of the clients on the electronic laboratory notebook represented by ELN data in an ELN database hosted by the ELN service provider, a client computer (2) being located on premises of the client and connected to the internet (4), the client computer (2) running a client software (7) to communicate with the ELN managing application (3) via the Internet (4), a local storage server (5) being located on premises of the client, the local storage server being configured for storing ELN-files, which include content of the ELN, and the ELN application (3) being configured for controlling, in dependence on the client's access rights, the transfer of the ELN-files between the local storage server and the client computer.