Building on Success and Aiming for the Clouds

Posted on May 2, 2018 By Genohm Blog

We want to share a number of breakthrough developments that have kept us busy in the last months, in parallel with the hard work on the release of our next SLIMS version: SLIMS Cloud
and the SLIMS Store.

SLIMS is built on a state-of- the art web stack. As such, it has always been capable of running on any server: a hardware server, a virtual server in your local data center, or in the cloud.
But now, we have taken integration to the cloud one step further. So, what does that mean for our customers and Genohm? As far as user experience goes, it’s the same great platform our
customers are used to accessing on a browser. On our end, it’s a whole new ballgame.

Simply put, we have optimized our architecture and infrastructure for better scalability and peak performance in a cloud environment.

• SLIMS can easily and quickly deploy into the cloud saving money on physical servers. Configuration can be done remotely, reducing the necessity for costly site visits and
  engineering time. Using a cloud-based system, any Capex is greatly reduced.
• We are building a one-click automated install procedure. Literally, with a single click, your SLIMS can be up and running within minutes.
• Our SLIMS GATE service (the part that is responsible for running custom client code and interacting with data processing and instruments) has been adjusted so we can run
  multiple systems in parallel and therefore increase effective processing bandwidth.
• We have implemented an infrastructure based on Docker, allowing us to manage a cluster of individual Docker nodes — within a single virtual environment — that can
  grow along with our customers’ need for cloud services.
• Resources are optimally distributed over a number of easily replicable nodes, ensuring optimal use of our infrastructure, while at the same time, guaranteeing a unique stack
  for every customer.

SLIMS has always been a highly configurable software. It’s one of the greatest benefits of our platform. SLIMS is built to be a perfect fit: a lab of pretty much any kind or size can tailor the
system to meet their unique needs. Our engineers are able to adapt a single core LIMS + ELN platform to the most diverse environments — from environmental labs, to physics, material
testing, genetics, biobanks, even water treatment facilities — purely through one-on- one configuration.

Over the years, as we customized the platform for a variety of clients, we developed industry expertise about the options and modules that most customers are looking for. We have
leveraged this know-how and added a new element: instant gratification in the form of a SLIMS Store. This allows customers to pick and choose and instantly download from a selection of pre-
configured setups, which means they can easily fine tune their newly purchased SLIMS platform, all with just a few clicks.

The SLIMS Store can contain any type of configuration item, from small items like sample types and fields, to entire workflows including various protocols and queues. The SLIMS Store will
greatly reduce time to production and is a means to stimulate and distribute best SLIMS practices to new users joining the SLIMS community.

These technologies combined translate into a true self-service LIMS. In just minutes, a customer can go from zero to a fully configured SLIMS with minimal fuss.

Of course, for many organizations, cloud computing raises concerns about maintaining information security. That’s understandable and it is something we take very seriously. As a
company that has an ongoing commitment to ensuring data security and privacy, these are issues that remain of utmost importance to us and that we constantly work on. To show our
commitment and to build even greater trust, Genohm is also working on ISO 27001 compliance.

Going forward, as cloud technology continues to evolve and become mainstream, businesses that ignore cloud computing will risk being left behind. Laboratories are no different. We at
Genohm strongly believe in leveraging these technologies while still supporting our customers with in-house infrastructure and those with high security standards.

by Genohm