CERF 5.3 (released April 14, 2024) is the latest version of the CERF ELN system updated entirely by Lab-Ally LLC. Engineering efforts for this release have focused on further stability, speed and several User Interface improvements.
CERF 5.3 new features:
- Desktop Client
- User Interface / Experience
- When loading a resource in center File Viewer pane, the resource will automatically be selected in CERF Tree view
- Improve network stability over wi-fi during resource checkin
- All notifications can now be deleted by a user
- Added Activity Panel message to lower right for Express Checkin
- Improved feedback to user during large searches
- Viewing a collection from Search results now automatically mounts collection in CERF Tree
- CERF Resource type search parameter is now sorted alphabetically
- Improve right-click menu options in File Viewer window
- Visual consistency update to buttons
- Speed
- Improve messaging and load time of large collections in Center Panel if the right-hand Resource Info panel is open.
- Improve loading speed of Show Collections dialog when user has access to large numbers of collections
- Export
- New button in Saved Search and Search panels to Export search results as CSV file. New Business Policy SEARCH_EXPORT_MAX_SIZE will set the maximum results that can be returned by the export.
- New button in the Version History panel of a Resource Info window to allow export of version history as CSV file
- New Export button to save Signature Report results to CSV file
- Technical
- Cross Reference links display now use friendly name data links
- Increase timeout limit to 60 seconds for creating new resources from large templates
- Fix Refresh button in Controlled Document panel
- Improve Signature Status icon display
- User Interface / Experience
- Server
- Add FASTA, GFF3 and VCF mime types
- Improve Web Client export with special character titles
- Additional Audit Log tooling
- Supporting Software Upgrades
- Tomcat to version 9
- ActiveMQ to version 5.16
- MySQL 5.7.44
- LibreOffice 7.6
- Web Client
- Disallow non alphanumeric characters in username field in Web and Desktop client Login dialogs
CERF 5.3 ELN system preserves all same the robust capacities, ultra-long-term stability, and 21CFR11 compliance that users have relied on for years.
Call us at +1 614.407.4547 or contact us online to get started with CERF ELN.
Product Focus
CERF 5.x versions focus on the product’s strengths: ultra-long-term data storage in a perpetually licensed system and seamless round-trip editing using the applications that your users already use, as well as version-controlled document and file management. CERF also focusses on providing in-system display of commonly used file types, the ability to represent external entities such as samples, and continuously enhanced security, compliance and audit capabilities.
CERF’s already best-in-industry semantic search engine is more powerful than ever, and now allows users to search for specific CERF resource IDs, or limit searches to specific file types or collections, better facilitating your organization’s ability to quickly locate key resources from within an ocean of data or documents accumulated over years or decades of use. In subsequent releases, the CERF search engine will also become increasingly important as a tool for building dynamically updated data sets and for the selective export of data, files and information summaries that can then be further analyzed with external tools that Lab-Ally is developing.
Flexible Deployment Options
CERF can be deployed on a physical or virtual server, or on a cloud host of your choice. For maximum longevity and future-proofing we always recommend an on-site physical server that will be largely immune to changes in technology trends around it in the years to come and will give you the total control of your own data.
Affordable in the short and long term
The CERF ELN system is a sophisticated premium system that costs just a fraction of comparable high-end systems. Additionally, support fees are optional, meaning that if you don’t purchase our affordable annual support contract, that’s fine, you won’t get the software updates, help desk or consulting services, but your perpetual license (and therefore access to your CERF system and data) will last forever, even if you never pay us another dime. If your future budgetary picture is unclear, we can even negotiate special terms where you make a one-time payment and then never pay again…. ever. This is just one more example of the way that CERF distinguishes itself as the best ELN for long-term use.
Data Security that you control
Don’t trust the cloud to store your intellectual property? We don’t blame you. CERF is one of the only ELN systems available that uses no external internet-based components or external license servers. CERF never “calls home” and can be used behind stringent firewalls or even in a completely sealed LAN environment. Since CERF uses its own feature rich client application, you don’t have to worry about spontaneous browser updates you don’t want and can’t control, nor do you have to worry about your users accidentally visiting malware and phishing sites that can pose a serious security risk to your priceless data and IP.
CERF ELN is the award winning, 21CFR11 compliant, ultra-long-term lab data and document management system from Lab-Ally. Talk to us today to learn how we can help you protect your knowledge assets and remove barriers to Good Laboratory Practices so you can do great science.