Release Notes 17.2

2024-03-28

User Interface

  • User Interface Update - This experimental feature provides a preview of the upcoming user interface update. Enhancements include:
    • A responsive framework so LabKey Server can be used from cell phones and tablets
    • Streamlined framing, less clutter, and new icons
    • Revamped data grids
    • Administrator mode turns on web part dropdowns and other administration links
    • Improved impersonation UI
  • See a video demonstration of the changes: (demo)

System Integration

  • Improved RStudio Support - Support for Docker volumes makes RStudio set up much easier. (docs)
  • Medidata / CDISC ODM - An initial version allows you to import data directly from Medidata Rave servers. A graphical user interface lets you choose which forms to import, and whether they are imported as LabKey datasets or lists. (docs)
  • Retain Wiki History - Elect to retain the edit/version history when copying wikis to a new container. (docs)
  • Globus File Sharing - LabKey Server provides a user interface for initiating high-performance file transfers between Globus endpoints. (docs)
  • Direct Linking to Web Parts - Anchor tags can be applied to web parts so you directly link to specific content in a dashboard. (docs)

Full Text Search

  • Improved Indexing - The contents of documents attached to lists can be indexed for full text search. (docs)

Security

  • Shared View Editor - This new role grants users the ability to create and edit shared custom views in a folder, without granting broad Editor access. (docs)
  • Application Administrators - This new role grants more permission than a project administrator but less than a site administrator. Application administrators do not have control over the server's "operational" configuration, for example, they cannot set or change file roots, authentication settings, or full-text search configuration. But they do have broad control over all project-level settings in all projects. (docs)

Instrument Data

  • Automatic Linking of Assay Data to Document Files - When assay result data contains file paths, the server resolves these paths to images or documents in the file repository. (docs | demo)
  • Panorama Features: (demo)
    • Improved document summary header (docs)
    • Support for Skyline's calibration curves for quantitation (docs)
    • Improved QC dashboard (docs)
    • Ability to exclude outlier data points from any or all metrics. (docs)
  • Flow Cytometry: FlowJo 10.2 includes a new format for FCS files. LabKey Server v17.2 will support this new format; prior versions will not. (docs)

Study Data Management

  • Time Field as Third Key: Use time (from date/time field) as an additional key in time-based or continuous studies. (docs)

Natural Language Pipeline and Document Abstraction

  • Work Timer - Measure active work time on abstracting and reviewing documents. (docs)
  • Improved Navigation - Header contains more helpful information, including "previous" and "next" links. (docs)
  • Select Configuration - Choose a document processing configuration on import. (docs)
  • Suspend Session Timeout - Keep a session alive over long delays between server access during abstraction. (docs)
  • Multiple Pipelines - Define and then select among multiple abstraction pipelines. (docs)

Adjudication

  • Adjudication: Case data files are stored in the database after upload. (docs)

Documentation

Biologics

  • Vendor Supplied Mixtures - Add vendor supplied materials and mixtures to the registry, even when exact ingredients and/or amounts are unknown.
  • Editable Registry Fields - Some fields in the registry can be directly edited by the user, such as description and flag fields.
  • Media Batches - Users can create media batches using recipes and ingredients already entered into the repository.
  • Improved Sample Creation - A new sample generation wizard makes it easier to enter new samples in the repository, and to link them with existing DataClasses and parent samples.

Development

  • Gradle Build - In order to improve dependency tracking, the LabKey Server build has been migrated from Ant to Gradle. (docs)
  • JavaScript API: Addition of tickValues to the LABKEY.vis.Plot API. (docs)

Potential Backwards Compatibility Issues

  • Node.js Build Dependency - In order to build richer UI and improve theme tooling, the LabKey Server build has taken a dependency on Node.js and the node package manager (npm). (docs)
    We recommend installing/upgrading to the latest LTS version (6.x) and ensuring you have both node/npm available on your path. Operating system specific installations are available on their website. If you already have a package.json declared at the root of your module, our build currently requires certain "scripts" targets be available:
    • build
    • build-prod
    • clean
    • setup
  • Deprecated LoginAction post handler - Two years ago, the standard login page switched from POSTing a form to using the AJAX-style LoginApiAction. This API is also used by custom login pages developed by LabKey and our clients. In 17.2, we disabled the post handler that was used by the old page. If you've developed a custom login page that still POSTs to this old action then update your code to use LoginApiAction. (docs | docs)
  • CpasBootstrapClassLoader is no longer supported - Tomcat context files (typically labkey.xml or ROOT.xml) must specify a LabKey-specific WebappClassLoader. Starting in 17.2, CpasBootstrapClassLoader can no longer be specified (this class was deprecated 10 years ago). The previous class name, LabkeyServerBootstrapClassLoader, will continue to work for the time being, but we strongly recommended updating your context file to specify LabKeyBootstrapClassLoader (note the capital K in LabKey). In other words:
    <Loader loaderClass="org.labkey.bootstrap.LabKeyBootstrapClassLoader" />
  • Trigger script execution - Prior to 17.2, LabKey Server would choose a single trigger script to execute from the enabled modules in the target container based on reverse module dependency order. In 17.2, the server will now invoke all enabled trigger scripts, in reverse dependency order.

Operations

  • Build Content Reports - LabKey Server updates provide a list of issues fixed since the previous update. (docs)
  • Loading Custom Views - The flag "alwaysUseTitlesForLoadingCustomViews" will be removed in version 17.3. Beginning with version 17.2, you can use an experimental feature to disable this flag making it easier to find and fix legacy views. (docs)
  • Removed ant.jar dependency - LabKey Server no longer requires a copy of ant.jar in the <tomcat>/lib directory. We've removed ant.jar from our distributions and you can safely remove this file from your Tomcat deployment. (details)