The Full ELN Suite, Running on Your Infrastructure
Complete control over your data, your network, and your instruments. ELabELN Server delivers every feature of the platform on-premise with zero external dependencies. Air-gapped capable, direct instrument connectivity, and the same $125/user/month as cloud.
Air-Gap Ready
Zero External Dependencies
100% Parity
Same Features as Cloud
Sub-ms Latency
Direct Instrument Connections
Your Hardware
Complete Data Sovereignty
Why IT Teams Choose On-Premise ELN Deployment
Cloud works for many labs. But when regulations demand data residency, security policies require air-gapped operation, or instruments need direct low-latency connections, ELabELN Server gives your IT team full ownership of the stack.
Air-Gapped Security
Run fully isolated with zero external network dependencies. LabServer operates entirely within your LAN, satisfying ITAR, DFARS, and classified environment requirements without any data egress.
Regulatory Data Residency
Meet FDA 21 CFR Part 11, GxP, HIPAA, and EU GDPR data residency mandates. Your data never leaves your physical facility. No BAAs, no DPAs, no third-party sub-processor risk.
Complete Data Sovereignty
Your data lives on your hardware, in your building, under your physical and logical control. Full disk encryption, your backup policies, your retention schedules. Zero vendor lock-in on data access.
Direct Instrument Integration
Sub-millisecond data acquisition from instruments on the same LAN segment. No internet round-trips, no upload queues. Real-time streaming from HPLC, mass spec, and robotic systems.
Direct Instrument Connectivity — No Cloud Gateway Required
When LabServer runs on your LAN, instruments connect directly with sub-millisecond latency. No internet round-trips, no cloud gateways, no upload queues. Data flows from instrument to notebook in real time — something cloud-only ELN providers cannot match.
Supported Protocols
- REST API for modern instruments with HTTP interfaces
- OPC-UA for industrial and process analytical technology
- MQTT for IoT sensors and environmental monitoring
- Raw TCP/IP sockets for legacy network instruments
- RS-232/RS-485 serial via lightweight workstation agent
- Vendor SDKs: Agilent OpenLab, Waters Empower, Shimadzu LabSolutions
Analytical Instruments
- HPLC and UHPLC systems (Agilent, Waters, Shimadzu)
- Mass spectrometers (triple quad, QTOF, Orbitrap)
- GC and GC-MS systems
- UV-Vis, FTIR, and Raman spectrometers
- NMR spectrometers
Lab Automation & Robotics
- Automated liquid handlers (Hamilton, Tecan, Beckman)
- Robotic sample preparation systems
- Plate readers and washers
- Automated colony pickers
- Barcode and RFID sample tracking systems
Measurement & Monitoring
- Analytical balances and moisture analyzers
- pH, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen meters
- Environmental monitoring (temperature, humidity, pressure)
- Particle counters and air quality sensors
- IoT sensor networks via MQTT and OPC-UA
Self-Contained Network Architecture
LabServer is a self-contained platform that runs entirely within your LAN. All application services, the PostgreSQL database, file storage, and message queues operate locally with zero external dependencies at runtime.
LAN-Only Operation
No external network calls. No cloud phone-home. No telemetry.
Containerized Stack
PostgreSQL, app services, and message queue run in Docker or Podman containers.
Local Processing
All compute, indexing, search, and rendering happens on your hardware.
Flexible Topology
Single-server, multi-node, or VM-based. Supports VLAN segmentation for instrument traffic.
Built-In Backup
Encrypted point-in-time snapshots to local disk, NAS, or SAN. Configurable retention.
Internal TLS
Local CA for air-gapped TLS. Bring your own certs or integrate with Active Directory CS.
Hardware & OS Requirements
LabServer runs on standard server hardware. Most labs use existing infrastructure or a dedicated 1U/2U rackmount. Virtualized deployments on VMware, Hyper-V, and Proxmox are fully supported.
| Component | Specification |
|---|---|
| CPU | 8+ cores (Intel Xeon or AMD EPYC recommended) |
| RAM | 32 GB minimum, 64 GB recommended for 50+ users |
| Storage | 500 GB SSD (OS + app), expandable NAS/SAN for data |
| Network | Gigabit Ethernet minimum, 10 GbE recommended |
| OS | RHEL 8/9, Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 LTS, Windows Server 2019/2022 |
| Virtualization | VMware ESXi 7+, Hyper-V, Proxmox VE supported |
Need help sizing? LabLynx provides a detailed sizing calculator during the scoping call based on your user count, instrument count, and data volume projections.
Server vs. Cloud — When to Choose Each
Both deliver the full ELN Suite at the same price. The right choice depends on your regulatory environment, instrument setup, and IT capabilities.
Choose Server When
- Regulations require data to stay on-premise
- You need direct, low-latency instrument connections
- Your environment must be air-gapped
- Your IT team wants full infrastructure control
- You operate in defense, government, or classified settings
Choose Cloud When
- You prefer zero infrastructure management
- Your team is distributed across locations
- You want automatic updates and scaling
- You do not have dedicated IT server staff
- You need rapid deployment (days, not weeks)
Powered by LabServer
LabServer is the on-premise infrastructure platform that powers every ELabELN Server deployment. It manages local application services, the PostgreSQL database, backup routines, container orchestration, and instrument connections — built specifically for laboratory environments with large datasets and continuous instrument data streams.
Learn more about LabServerTechnical FAQ
Common questions from IT teams evaluating ELabELN Server for on-premise deployment.
What are the minimum and recommended hardware specifications?
Minimum: 8-core CPU, 32 GB RAM, 500 GB SSD, Gigabit Ethernet. Recommended for 50+ concurrent users: 16-core Intel Xeon or AMD EPYC, 64 GB ECC RAM, redundant SSDs in RAID 1/10, 10 GbE networking. LabServer runs on bare metal or virtualized (VMware ESXi 7+, Hyper-V, Proxmox). LabLynx provides a sizing calculator during the scoping call.
Which operating systems are supported?
RHEL 8/9, Ubuntu 22.04/24.04 LTS, and Windows Server 2019/2022. The application stack (PostgreSQL, application services, message queue) is containerized with Docker or Podman, so the host OS manages networking, storage, and access control.
How does LabServer connect to lab instruments?
LabServer exposes a local REST API and supports OPC-UA, MQTT, and raw TCP/serial protocols. Instruments on the same LAN communicate directly. For serial instruments (RS-232/RS-485), a lightweight agent on the connected workstation relays data over LAN. Pre-built connectors available for Agilent OpenLab, Waters Empower, and Shimadzu LabSolutions.
Can LabServer run in a fully air-gapped environment?
Yes. Zero external dependencies at runtime. DNS, NTP, certificate validation, and license checks all operate locally. Updates are delivered as signed, offline packages via encrypted USB or SFTP transfer. Package integrity is validated via SHA-256 checksums and GPG signatures.
How are backups and disaster recovery handled?
Built-in backup tooling creates encrypted, point-in-time snapshots of the database and file store, written to local disk, NAS, or SAN. Hot standby configurations are available for labs requiring RTO under 1 hour using PostgreSQL streaming replication.
Does the server deployment include all ELN Suite features?
Yes. Zero feature gap between server and cloud. Every module, workflow, integration, e-signature, audit trail, and API endpoint is included at the same $125/user/month price.
How are updates applied to on-premise installations?
Monthly update packages. Internet-connected servers pull updates via a single CLI command. Air-gapped environments receive signed archives. Updates apply with zero downtime using rolling restarts. Your IT team controls timing — you can hold on a specific release for validation cycles.
Can I migrate between server and cloud deployments?
Fully supported in both directions. LabLynx provides a migration tool that exports your complete dataset (records, files, audit trails, configurations, user accounts). Typical migrations complete in under 24 hours for datasets up to 1 TB. Some organizations run hybrid configurations.
Bring the full ELN Suite into your lab
Talk to our team about on-premise deployment, instrument connectivity, and infrastructure sizing.