Integration with Azenta Strata

Integrating OpenSpecimen with the Azenta Strata freezer requires two essential steps:

Configuring a logical representation of the freezer within OpenSpecimen.
Setting up notifications from the Strata freezer to OpenSpecimen, ensuring that the system is alerted whenever specimens are stored or retrieved.

By following these steps, seamless communication between OpenSpecimen and the Azenta Strata freezer can be achieved.

Create an automated freezer provider. The provider serves as a list of settings required to connect to the Strata freezer for placing the retrieve request, and process store/retrieve notifications from Strata. A sample configuration is shown in the screenshot below:
1. username and password are authentication credentials required for connecting to Strata to retrieve specimens etc
2. system_id identifies the physical Strata freezer
3. url encompasses everything leading up to the web service endpoint of the Strata APIs (i.e., all components before /ws)
  
  Providers can be created by navigating to Home --> Extras --> Automated Freezer --> New Provider
The newly created provider needs to be subsequently used in the dimensionless storage container that represents Strata freezer within OpenSpecimen. Refer to the illustration below:

Once the above configuration is done, the Strata freezer needs to be instructed to alert/notify OpenSpecimen whenever specimens are either stored or retrieved from the freezer. Specifically, the Strata freezer needs to be asked to send TrayInputEvent and TrayOutputEvent notifications to OpenSpecimen.
Subscription to events is achieved by invoking the following API

Method: PUT 
Endpoint: <OpenSpecimen_URL>/rest/ng/strata-notifications?providerId=<ProviderId>
Body: {}
Response: {"status": "OK"}

All notifications sent from Strata to OpenSpecimen must be authenticated. To achieve this, the OpenSpecimen user credentials need to be configured in the Strata freezer. Follow the steps outlined below:
1. Create an API User in OpenSpecimen (domain = openspecimen) without assigning any roles. Ensure that the IP address of this user is restricted to either the freezer or the freezer’s subnet.
2. Use Strata’s admin console to configure the Strata freezer to utilize the newly created API user for sending notifications to OpenSpecimen. Set the authentication mode to Basic Auth.