Use on internet and mail programs on an HPLC PC

[aniket]

Respected Group Members,

We have an Waters Alliance System hooked with Empower Software in a Local area network. I am asked that can we connect Internet and a mail client on to the PC running the Empower software. What is your opinion? i am bit confused??

Also we have a Thermo HPLC with stand alone chromquest software, should we put the net on the said PC?

Waters person advised not to install the net and mail client? what is advice?

Please help me on this,

Aniket


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[Kostas Petritis]

Assuming that your PC is powerful enough to run several applications at once, I do not see a problem.

I think that your Waters representative is more concerned about the use of internet, virus attacks, other malicious software attack etc that can lead to system instability... Of course you will need anti-virus software running continuously in the background etc...

So, in short you can, if you should it depends on several factors. Most of our computers that are connected to mass spectrometers are not connected to the internet.

[aceto_81]

For the UPLC connections insight, you should be connected to the internet as this program sends e-mails about your system status to Waters, so they can quickly react when there is a problem.

At our company we have an Waters Empower2 Enterprise network, and at most of our acquisition clients it's possible to connect to the internet, view e-mails, run MS Office, ....
We have continiously monitoring by our virus scan, but we had to exclude some Empower maps, otherwise it's possible to get some errors.


Ace

[Jackus]

BUT...
when you are working according cGMP, cGLP you may have problems during audit, because when you open your instrument into internet, you have "open system". Then you must guarantee that your work (software, etc) is not accesible from outside and is secure.

That is main reason, why our lab still uses two networks - company network and analytical network, which are not joined together.

When you have good IT specialists, firewalls, reliable antivirus software and believe to your colleagues you may try it.

[DR]

It all comes down to "How much data are you willing to lose?".

It's not that you will lose data because of whatever else you're doing, but the risk goes up with every open applet that may decide to crash the PC...

[aniket]

Thanks all for replying!! Well i am not really working in a GLP/GMP area, so stringent regulatory audit is less of a concern.
Just to know how much of security threat internet really is?? Also the IT specialist told me that all the security provisions like firewall are in place, but still he can not give a fool proof guarantee that there wont be any virus malware attack.

So is it better from what i understand from the earlier discussions is not to use any "Open" application on a PC running CDS.

Thanks all for your advice,
Aniket

[Kostas Petritis]

I would say that is correct if you are using single processor computers. The highest # of processors you have the more stable your computer will be and technology goes that direction...

[lmh]

It is a general, and frustrating rule, that irrespective of where you work, or what manufacturer sells you an instrument, the manufacturer's engineers will be convinced that any network, or any non-hplc software, will cause everything to crash. It's equally true all local PC support staff view your hplc as the weak point in their network, just teeming in malware and viruses, and waiting to bring the whole organisation to its knees.

The manufacturer has to play it safe. They won't promise it will work, but 99% of the time, it probably could. It's just really bad news if you are the 1%.