Organization Export

You can export the information you've stored in Ovation so that you can retain your data after having terminated your subscription to Ovation. Contact Ovation support if you want to use this feature in preparation for a subscription termination.

The volume of data you would be exporting can be enormous, so a simple, browser-based download would not work. Instead, when you invoke the export facility, Ovation queries your data and prepares it for download. You will then download this prepared "download package," which consists of the necessary files to actually download your data. You can use whatever technique (meaning: code that you write) to download your data, but Ovation makes it simple for most situations by offering Python and NodeJS scripts and instructions for using them. Nevertheless, basic skills like using the command line are required.

User Instructions

Note: this feature is only available to users with a role whose name is "Admin".

To use the export facility

  1. In the LIMS application, go to More > Settings > System Settings
  2. Select the Export tab (which will only be available if Ovation has enabled this early access feature for you)
  3. Select Create Export
  4. Modify the form settings to suit your purpose (see below for details)
  5. Select Export and note that your export is now shown in the table
  6. Wait until the status for the export is "Complete"
  7. Select Download
  8. Wait until the file (package.tar.gz) is downloaded. Your browser should notify you when this is complete. Note: this step may take several minutes and you should not navigate away from the page while you are waiting.
  9. We suggest you copy this file to an empty directory but you can also choose to leave it in the default download directory.
  10. In Windows
    1. Open a command prompt (Win+r; cmd)
    2. Change directories to the directory that contains package.tar.gz.
    3. Extract package.tar.gz: tar -x -f "package.tar.gz"
    4. Change directories to the directory that contains package.tar.gz.
  11. On a Mac
    1. Extract package.tar.gz by double-clicking on it in Finder
    2. Run Terminal
    3. Change directories to the directory that contains package.tar.gz.
  12. Read and follow QuickStart.txt , which explains how to use provided Python (or NodeJS) scripts to download your files.
  13. Note the resulting CSV files in the exported_data folder and the documents, if requested, in the documents folder.
  14. Store and retain all these files according to your internal policies.

Export Options

Date Range. Enter From and To dates (inclusive) to restrict the data exported. These dates are in UTC. So, for example: 01.01.2024 through 01.31.2024 will include data from 12.31.2024 19:00 EST up to 01.31.2024 19:00 EST. See the table below for how the date range is applied to each CSV.

Record Categories. Select to download that type of data. Use Toggle All to easily select or de-select all of the options.

Include Audits. Select to include audit records for applicable data types that are selected. (Not all data types have audit records.) This will significantly increase the size of the download.

Include Documents. Select to include documents linked to applicable data types that are selected. (Not all data types have linked documents.) This will significantly increase the size of the download.

Zip/GZip. Choose the desired compression format. Most Windows users will want to select Zip.

Data Dictionary

Data Files

The following data files are downloaded into the exported_data folder in your download destination. See datadictionary.csv in the download package for field definitions. Also note the application of the range filter in the form to determine which records are included in the files.

Selection File Range Filter Applies To
Data projects.csv N/A

requisitions.csv Requisition creation date
requisition_comments.csv Requisition creation date
insurance_information.csv Requisition creation date

samples.csv Requisition creation date

reports.csv Requisition creation date
report_signatures.csv Requisition creation date

workflows.csv Requisition creation date
activities.csv Requisition creation date
workflow_sample_results.csv Workflow sample results creation date
Lab adapters.csv N/A

controls.csv N/A

instruments.csv N/A

sample_types.csv N/A

test_panels.csv N/A

tests.csv N/A
Business provider_accounts.csv N/A
saved_addresses.csv N/A

provider_account_contacts.csv N/A

provider_account_groups.csv N/A

sales_reps.csv N/A

sales_groups.csv N/A
Reports asp_reports.csv Report creation date

covid19_reports.csv Report creation date

infectious_disease_reports.csv Report creation date

fax_history.csv Report creation date

requisition_reports.csv Report creation date

qc_workflow_reports.csv Report creation date
Other containers.csv Requisition creation date

documents.csv N/A
document_notes.csv Note creation date
Audit Records audit_records.csv Change date

Documents Location

If you request documents (by selecting Include Documents in the form), documents that correspond to your selected data types will also be downloaded into the documents  folder in your download destination. These files will be downloaded into deeply nested folders to avoid common operating system limitations for files in a folder and to avoid file name duplication issues. The folders are organized as follows:

  • The associated entity type, either
    • "Requisitions" (which include patient result reports)
    • "Documents" (i.e., those uploaded in More > Documents)
    • "Projects" (i.e., documents uploaded on the project's Documents tab)
    • "Activities"
    • or one of the analytics reports types
  • 4-digit year
    • This is the year the entity was created. Please note that requisition documents (like patient result reports) are generally created at a different time than the requisition was created, which can fall into a different year and month. You will find those documents filed under the year and month in which they were created, not the year and month in which the requisition was created. This is also true for project documents and, to a much lesser extent, to documents attached to workflow activities.
  • 2-digit month
    • See the comment above under "year"
  • For Activities: The activity type with its unique internal identifier in parentheses. Ex: "Data Import (1234567)"
  • For Requisitions: The requisition identifier, the document folder (as defined by you in Ovation), the document name and the document's file name. (The document's name and its file name in Ovation are often the same, but not always.)
  • For each of the types of analytics reports: An internal identifier for that report.

Data Format Notes

  • All timestamps are in UTC.
  • Lists in single fields are delimited by pipe (| ).
  • Each CSV represents a table of data. Tables that are referenced by other tables contain a primary key (always id ). Referencing tables include that as a foreign key (ex: requisition_id ).
  • The data exported is as entered by you into Ovation and may contradict the semantic implied by the data dictionary. (For example, Ovation does not know what information you may have entered for the patient's street address, only that you entered it into that field.)
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