9. Troubleshooting and Support
Even with careful planning and best practices, challenges can arise when integrating ELabLIMS, SciForge, and PowerBI. Fortunately, most issues encountered during setup or daily operation are well understood and can be resolved with a systematic approach and the right resources.
Common issues often relate to authentication failures, expired JWT tokens, or misconfigured API endpoints. If PowerBI reports fail to refresh or return errors, the Application Key and username should be verified to ensure they are correct and have not been revoked or changed in ELabLIMS. JWT tokens are time-limited; if authentication errors appear after a period of inactivity, a fresh token request should be triggered as described in earlier chapters. For data retrieval problems, GraphQL queries should be double-checked in the SciForge Playground to ensure they are valid and return the expected results. The Playground is also invaluable for exploring schema changes or new endpoints that may have been added to the instance.
Performance issues, such as slow report refreshes or incomplete data, can often be traced to overly broad queries or excessively frequent refreshes. Power Query scripts should be reviewed to ensure filtering and aggregation of data occurs as close to the source as possible, and the performance guidance in Chapter 6 should be consulted for further optimization tips.
When problems persist or fall outside the scope of the team’s expertise, LabLynx support is available to assist. The support team can help with endpoint configuration, plugin development, and troubleshooting integration issues. Details such as error messages, query examples, and recent changes to the environment should be provided, as this will expedite the resolution process.
In summary, most integration challenges can be addressed by methodically checking credentials, query logic, and system configuration. With the combination of in-house troubleshooting and responsive LabLynx support, laboratories can maintain a robust, reliable reporting environment that continues to deliver value as organizational needs evolve.