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- Posts: 1
- Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2021 11:44 pm
We have an Agilent LC-QTOF using MassHunter Data Acquisition on a dedicated instrument PC (for sample running and quick analysis/monitoring) that is networked to our network drive for instrument data. Once acquired, raw data is copied from the PC to the network drive.
We then need to process the data. When we bought the instrument, we also got a range of Agilent provided compound libraries, and processing software including Mass Profiler Professional, Profinder, along with MassHunter Qual. and Quant. software. However, Agilent licensing agreements limit our use of the libraries and some software (MPP, Profinder) to one PC - which we have a shared data PC (Agilent provided) for this purpose. We have multiple users that can use the data PC and can remote in to, so it works ok.
However, the MassHunter software saves in a large data format, and this system is generating large data sets. The transferring of data between instrument PCs, network drives, and the data PC and back again is resulting in duplication of data and also filling up drives fast. For example: one set of samples (~20 samples) is 41 GB unprocessed and larger once processed with library searches etc. We are filling up a 500 GB hard drive within 2-3 months with LCMS data.
We are trying to get a better data management system in place, but it is complicated by the Agilent licensing rules, along with our own IT data and security policies. Ideally we need one that avoids using so much storage space but still retains all the data we need, in a format that can be used by our software (MH Qual. & Quant. particularly) and can be backed up.
My questions are:
1. Has anyone else had similar issues, and did you come up with any better solutions/processes?
2. Is there a better format to store/transfer MassHunter LCMS and MSMS data that is smaller but still compatible with MH, MPP, Profinder etc?
3. Is there an obvious solution that I'm missing?
4. or: are the data sizes what they are and un-avoidable and I just need to plead with IT for more space?
Thanks in advance for any advice.