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Update drivers and add-ons

Each OpenLab CDS version ships with a set of instrument drivers and add-ons. CID Hub lets a lab administrator or IT operator pin a different version, or add an optional driver or add-on, without changing the CDS version itself. The selection is made in CID Hub; the installation itself is covered by Apply updates.

CID Hub distinguishes two categories on the Software tab:

  • Drivers. Instrument drivers for the CDS version currently selected on the CID. Some drivers are mandatory and cannot be deselected; the rest are optional and only install when explicitly selected. The Update Available label appears next to a driver when a newer compatible version is published.

    Software tab with the Update Available label visible on a driver row

  • Add-ons. Supplementary CDS components in the Add-ons category on the Software tab, such as OpenLab Sample Scheduler and GPC (Agilent GPC/SEC Software for OpenLab CDS). Some add-ons ship with a pre-installed base version (Sample Scheduler), while others must be explicitly selected before they are installed (GPC). The Update Available label appears for an add-on only if the add-on is installed.

The selection mechanism is the same in both cases. The difference is which row you change on the Software tab and what compatibility constraints apply.

Prerequisites​

Before you change a driver or add-on selection, confirm these prerequisites.

  • You must have an administrator role to change driver or add-on selections.
  • You need to change the selection on the server's software template if you want the new selection to apply to every CID that inherits from the server.
  • You need to change the selection on that CID's Software exceptions if the CID does not inherit from the server.
  • The driver or add-on version you want must be compatible with the CDS version currently selected for the CID. Incompatible versions are not offered in the picker.

Select a driver or add-on version​

Selection happens on the Software tab of either the server (for inheriting CIDs) or a specific CID (for non-inheriting CIDs).

To change a driver or add-on selection:

  1. Select the Software tab on the server or CID where you want to change the version.

  2. Next to the driver or add-on you want to change, click Change to open the version picker.

    Driver version picker dialog listing available versions with release dates and release notes links

    The picker lists every compatible version with its release date and a link to the release notes. Use it to compare versions in place before committing to the change.

  3. Select the version you want.

    For an optional driver or add-on, select Not Installed if you want to remove it the next time you apply updates.

  4. Click Save.

    A confirmation dialog summarizes the change.

  5. Confirm the change.

    The new selection is recorded immediately. CIDs that inherit from this server (or this CID, if you changed it directly) begin downloading the new version in the background.

important

Changing the OpenLab CDS version resets every driver and add-on selection to the defaults that ship with the new CDS version, and any optional driver that is not compatible with the new CDS version is marked for removal. If your deployment requires specific driver or add-on versions, reselect them on the same Software tab after the CDS change is saved.

Install the new version​

Saving the selection does not install the new version. Each affected CID downloads it in the background and waits for an administrator to start the install.

When the Updates column shows Ready for the CID, install the change using one of the methods on Apply updates:

  • Update several CIDs at once from the CIDs list.
  • Apply all pending changes to a single CID from its Software tab.
  • Install a single driver or add-on from the Software tab when you want to stagger the rollout.

What to expect during the install​

Drivers and add-ons install one at a time, in the installation order shown on the Apply updates page. Mandatory drivers install before optional drivers and add-ons, and optional items install in the order shown on the Software tab.

  • A failed driver or add-on install leaves the previous version in place. Drivers and add-ons do not roll back automatically to an earlier version; the existing install keeps working and the failure is reported on the Software tab and in the activity log. Address the cause and reapply.
  • Other components are not affected. A failure on one driver or add-on does not stop the rest of the install; the remaining components in the queue still install.

For the full failure-handling picture across all components, see What happens on failure on the Apply updates page.

See also​