The E-WorkBook Database Polling Application

The E-WorkBook platform is designed for enterprise deployment.

Researchers expect that data can be transferred between systems, to reduce the overhead of transcription and to ensure consistency and quality. With IDBS E-WorkBook Integrations, frameworks are provided to seamlessly connect the data management platform with your research systems, leveraging feature-rich APIs and extension points to facilitate integration to instruments and third-party data systems.

The Database Polling Application is a tool to synchronize the E-WorkBook hierarchy with an external database e.g. Thermo Fisher Watson LIMS™ for bioanalytical studies. The application periodically runs an SQL query against the external database and then creates or updates project folders in the E-WorkBook hierarchy. This ensures that the data structure between the two environments is synchronized.

How is the tool used in practice?

The E-WorkBook Hierarchy is a configurable folder structure to allow administrators and users to define discrete areas of work, which may be classified by geographic region, group, department and project. Further custom entity attributes may also be defined by the administrator. Coupled with a granular security model, this provides a fine grain of access and control to the system.

The Database Polling Application has been most commonly deployed for LIMS integrations, to ensure that the exact product study hierarchy created in the third party environment can be synchronized with the E-WorkBook Hierarchy. This offers advantages to the user by providing clear visibility of the data structure, with the benefit that available metadata can be leveraged in experiments without manual entry. In GxP environments, this makes the process of validation simpler.

How does it work?

The Database Polling Application queries third party databases via SQL and uses the output to replicate the project and study listings within the E-WorkBook Hierarchy.

The transfer is unidirectional to E-WorkBook for purposes of synchronization, and the data source is not modified by the application in any way.

A separate database user account (with the relevant view and query permissions) is created and this account is used to poll the database on a periodic basis to refresh the data. Multiple synchronizations with the same external environment are not supported.

The Database Polling Application is configured using an administrator editable XML file which contains the database connection details, SQL statements and mapping terms. The database connection details are stored in an encrypted manner which helps to ensure security and integrity of the system. To ensure adaptability over time, these mappings can be simply modified to meet future needs.

How is it deployed?

The Database Polling Application is deployed on the customer network and can be installed on either Windows or Linux operating systems. Returning data is passed to E-WorkBook via a whitelisted IP connection. The tool supports both on-premise and cloud deployments of E-WorkBook.

What services/software does IDBS provide?

• The IDBS Professional Services team will install, configure and test the Database
  Polling Application on the customer site.

What does the customer need to provide?

• Open ports or whitelist IP addresses for connectivity between the applications
• Availability of the system administrators who manage the E-WorkBook instance (if on-premise) and the content databases
• GxP validation of the integration component is to be addressed by the PQ process.