Skip to main content

OpenLab CDS Connectivity Test

The OpenLab CDS Connectivity Test confirms that the components of an OpenLab CDS system can reach each other and that the instruments a machine controls are connected. It checks the network paths and instrument connections that acquisition depends on, so you can confirm a system is ready to run before you commit a sequence to it. The test is contributed by the OpenLab CDS plug-in and runs on Workstation, Workstation Plus, Client, and AIC machines; it does not apply to Server deployments.

What the test verifies​

What the test checks depends on the role of the machine it runs on, because each role sits at a different point in the system.

  • On an AIC or Workstation Plus, it checks the instruments configured on that machine. For each instrument it confirms the instrument is connected; an instrument in any state other than not-connected counts as reachable.
  • On a plain Workstation, it checks the instruments only; because a Workstation is a standalone system with no network hosts configured, no network ping steps are added.
  • On a Client, it checks the network path to every AIC in the system, confirming each controller can be reached over the network.

The distinction matters: an instrument controller's job is to talk to instruments, while a client's job is to talk to controllers, so the test verifies the link that each kind of machine actually relies on. When no instruments are configured on a controller, the instrument check simply passes with an empty list rather than failing.

To run this test, you must hold the View instrument or location and Manage instrument or location privileges in OpenLab CDS.

How disconnected instruments are handled​

On a machine that controls instruments, the test surfaces a disconnected instrument before you run, not only after. When the test starts, it checks the connection state of each configured instrument, and if any are not connected it shows a warning that names them. This warning is a prompt to act: if an instrument is left disconnected, the test fails, because a system with an unreachable instrument is not ready for acquisition. Connecting the listed instruments first lets the test pass. Only the instruments belonging to the local controller are checked, not every instrument in the system.

Where it fits​

The Connectivity Test runs on its own and does not require a license. On a machine that controls instruments, the report lists each instrument with its location, type, state, and result; on a client, it lists the network connectivity result for each AIC. The report is stored with the other reports in the OpenLab storage backend, included in the overall Summary report, and available from the home page and the execution history. For the steps to run any test, see Run verification tests.

See also​