The NextSeq system upgrade is accomplished with an update to NextSeq Control Software (NCS) version 4. NCS v4 provides several enhancements to NextSeq systems, including:
- Windows 10 operating system upgrade from Windows 7
- Local Run Manager for simplified run setup and on-board analysis
- Infinium MethylationEPIC array scanning ability (NextSeq 550 systems)
- Improved base-calling accuracy
- Improved BaseSpace Sequence Hub connection
- Improved instrument performance monitoring
- Compatibility with NextSeq v2.5 kits on all NextSeq systems including research mode of NextSeq 550Dx*
* For In Vitro Diagnostic Use.
The Upgrade Process
An Illumina Field Service Engineer must come on site to do the upgrade. To schedule an upgrade, contact an Illumina Field Representative. Here’s what to expect with the upgrade:
- No specific preparation is necessary, although your IT department should be informed and aware of the changes for internal planning purposes.
- NextSeq system hard drives will be replaced, from the current 1 Tb drives to 2 Tb drives.
- After the NextSeq system is upgraded to NCS v4, the system cannot revert to previous versions of NCS. NCS v4 is Windows 10 based while previous versions of NCS run on Windows 7.
- The upgrade should take approximately 1-2 days.
Admin and Non-Admin Privileges in NCS v4
With NCS v4, non-admin users can run the instrument control software. There are several considerations for non-admin accounts:
- Accounts that are added to the NextSeq OS will need to be managed through customer IT administration for permissions and access.
- Control software allows only one user to be logged in at a time. For this reason, users should not log out of an account during an active sequencing run, to prevent premature termination of the run.
- Remote logins (like RDP, SSH, Telnet) should be avoided and/or disabled to avoid premature run termination (same reasons as above).
- Admin account login will be prompted for certain situations, such as installation of software, including Local Run Manager modules.
- Only admins will have read/write access to the C: drive; non-admin users will have read-only access.
Additional Resources