Quickstart#

BenchVault backs up LabArchives notebooks that the signed-in account is allowed to download, then creates a read-only local viewer and file-integrity records for later review. The local viewer is useful when the LabArchives site is unavailable, the Internet is unavailable, or you need notebook access while traveling or working somewhere without reliable Wi-Fi.

First Launch#

  1. Open BenchVault.

  2. Connect LabArchives credentials.

  3. Choose a backup folder outside the repository.

  4. Decide whether automatic backups should run while the app is open.

  5. Optionally save an AI API key locally for AI-assisted notebook search.

At NIH, full-size notebook backup is owner-only. A notebook can be visible to an account but still fail full-size backup if that account is not the notebook owner.

Try the Demo Backup#

On the setup screen, use Open Demo Backup to explore BenchVault before connecting LabArchives. The synthetic notebook shows the enhanced preview gallery, Certify Copy witness-email flow, and AI-assisted search example.

The demo is deliberately broad: CSV, FASTA, AB1 trace, DNA map, SDF chemistry, PDF, Office, Jupyter, TIFF, PNG, ZIP, and media attachments are all present so the viewer can show how it handles real laboratory file families.

Back Up Notebooks#

Use Check & Back Up Notebooks. BenchVault checks readiness, confirms backup rights per notebook, downloads the full LabArchives archive, extracts it locally, verifies reported original attachments, writes readable/search copies, and seals the backup with a SHA-256 integrity manifest.

Successful backups are organized under the selected backup folder:

notebooks/
  notebook_name/
    yyyy/
      mm/
        dd/
          run_timestamp/
            notebook.7z
            extracted/
            readable/
            backup_record.json
            original_files_manifest.json
            integrity_manifest.json
            audit/
runs/
  yyyy/
    mm/
      dd/
        run_timestamp.json

Read Offline#

Select a backup from the viewer. BenchVault checks the selected copy before normal reading. If any protected file changed, disappeared, or unexpectedly appeared, BenchVault shows a prominent warning before the notebook is opened.

Export Audit Files#

Use Export Audit for a local review packet:

  • backup_audit_summary.md

  • backup_audit_summary.json

  • integrity_files.csv

  • external_hash_anchor.txt

These files help records and support review. They are local tamper-evidence aids, not by themselves a records-management system.

Certify Copy#

After a selected backup copy verifies locally, use Certify Copy to open a prepared email draft. Send it to a colleague, supervisor, SD, records staff, or shared institutional mailbox. The email contains fingerprints and backup metadata only, not notebook contents or credentials.

The email can serve as an outside witness record that this exact backup-copy fingerprint existed when the recipient’s mail system received it.

For the printable version, download the BenchVault Quickstart PDF.