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Activate a CID

Each physical CID must have a matching record in CID Hub before it can be used. This page is for the lab administrator or IT operator who creates that record and monitors the device through activation. Activation is largely automatic: once you create the record with a valid PIN code, the CID detects it on the next contact attempt and begins installing OpenLab CDS.

Prerequisites​

  • You must have an administrator role to activate a CID.
  • You need a registered OpenLab Server for the CID to connect to.
  • You need a defined software template on that server.
  • You need the 8-character PIN code printed on the physical CID's QR sticker.
  • The physical CID must be powered on and connected to your network through its Corporate NIC.

Add a CID record​

Creating a CID record in CID Hub links the physical device to the configuration it adopts during activation. To add a CID record:

  1. In CID Hub, navigate to CIDs and click Add.

    Location of the Add CID button on the CIDs list page

  2. In the Add CID dialog, enter the fields described in Field descriptions.

    Add CID dialog with Name, FQDN, OpenLab Server, and PIN Code fields

  3. Click Add.

    The record is created with status New. The next time the CID contacts CID Hub (every 5 minutes for an unactivated device), it finds the record by its PIN code and begins activation.

Field descriptions​

  • Name. The machine name (hostname) for the CID. Use at most 15 lowercase alphanumeric characters for compatibility with all DNS servers. Agilent recommends a naming pattern that distinguishes CIDs from Analytical Instrument Controllers (AICs), for example cid-1290lc-53.
  • FQDN (optional). Set only if short-hostname resolution fails in your network. When set, the CID resolves this fully qualified domain name through DNS instead of the short hostname.
  • OpenLab Server. The server this CID registers with. The server's software template provides the default CDS version, drivers, and OS update levels for the CID.
  • PIN Code. The 8-character code printed on the QR sticker attached to the physical CID. The PIN links this record to the hardware. PIN codes use the characters A–Z (excluding I and O) and digits 2–9 to avoid transcription errors.

QR code sticker on the CID chassis showing the Corporate NIC MAC address and the 8-character activation PIN.

note

You can also scan the QR sticker on the device. The activation URL embedded in the QR code opens the Add CID dialog with the PIN Code field prepopulated.

What happens during activation​

After the CID finds its record in CID Hub, it runs through the following steps. Monitor progress in the Recent activity section of the CID's Summary page.

Recent activity section on the CID Summary page showing activation steps in chronological order

  1. Verifies network connection on the Corporate NIC.
  2. Connects to CID Hub.
  3. Retrieves the OpenLab Server information from the CID record.
  4. Changes its hostname to Name if it differs from the current hostname.
  5. Confirms DNS resolves the hostname to the IP address assigned by DHCP.
  6. Confirms connectivity to AWS IoT Core.
  7. Confirms connectivity to the OpenLab Server.
  8. Installs the latest Linux update and antivirus definitions.
  9. Downloads, installs, and starts the OpenLab CDS Windows VM.
  10. Installs Enterprise Content Manager (ECM) 3.x APIs in the Windows VM if the OpenLab Server uses ECM 3.x as its backend.
  11. Configures and registers the Windows VM as an AIC with the OpenLab Server.
  12. Installs Windows updates in the Windows VM.
  13. Installs the selected drivers and add-ons.
  14. Schedules antivirus scans.
  15. Rotates the default passwords for the CID Linux subsystem and the Windows VM.

Activation typically takes 30–120 minutes, depending on network speed and the size of necessary downloads. The CID's status in CID Hub transitions from New to Ready when activation completes.

CID Summary page after a successful activation, with the Ready status badge highlighted

If the Recent activity panel shows an error, the CID beeps repeatedly, or the status remains New after 2 hours, the activation has likely stalled. Use the Troubleshooting index to route by symptom.

See also​