Visual Pipeline Builder can help you create Tetra Data Pipelines with drag-and-drop simplicity. You can use it to quickly connect lab systems, add data transformations, and route results where you need them—all through a visual interface that requires no programming knowledge.

Capabilities

• Create new Tetra Data Pipelines or edit existing pipelines by using a library of validated parsers, data integrations, and other available functions.
• Edit and modify pipeline steps and configurations without manually manipulating the pipeline's code.
• Deploy new and updated pipelines to the Tetra Data Platform (TDP) directly from the app's user interface.
• Use Artificial Intelligence to build new pipelines from existing TetraScience components.

Get Started

To activate the Visual Pipeline Builder in your TDP environment, contact your customer account leader.

Prerequisites

Visual Pipeline Builder requires the following:

• TDP v4.2.0 or higher (v4.3.1 or higher is recommended)
• Amazon Bedrock Access: Contact your customer account leader to obtain access. For more information about Amazon Bedrock, see the Amazon Bedrock User Guide.
• Customers must contact their customer account leader to activate the app in the TDP user interface
• App users must have the following TDP functionality permissions:
  • Pipelines: Full Access
  • Artifacts: Full Access

Access Visual Pipeline Builder

After coordinating with TetraScience to activate the Visual Pipeline Builder, you can access the app by doing the following:

1. Sign in to the TDP.
2. In the left navigation menu, choose Pipelines.
3. Select Visual Pipeline Builder. The app appears.

Build a Pipeline

To create a Tetra Data Pipeline in the Visual Pipeline Builder, do the following:

Step 1: Select a Template or Create a New One

Start from either an existing pipeline template or create a new one by doing the following:

1. Select the Builder tab.

2. To use an existing pipeline template, select one from the Templates list. Then, choose Load.

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   To create a new template, click New at the bottom of the Templates list.

Step 2: Add Pipeline Components

Configure pipeline components to parse your RAW data into harmonized Intermediate Data Schema (IDS) data. You can build and modify pipeline steps by dragging-and-dropping preconfigured components onto the page in the following ways:

1. In the Builder tab, do one of the following:

To select a protocol with preexisting pipeline steps, choose Protocols. Then, select a protocol and choose Load. The protocol's tile appears on the layout section of the page. Protocols are searchable by their name or slug in the search bar.

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To add specific pipeline steps (task scripts) individually, choose Steps. Then, select a task script and choose Add. The step's tile appears on the layout section of the page. Task scripts are searchable by their name or slug in the search bar.

2. (Optional) To see and edit configuration details for each component, including its data inputs and outputs, double click the component tiles. For more information, see Step Configuration Actions.

3. Use the visual connectors (wires) to link components by selecting one of the gray squares at the edge of a component's tile, and then dragging it to the edge of another component that you want to connect it to.

4. (Optional) Choose Auto Layout to automatically align the components on the layout page after you've connected them in the order that you want.

5. While editing the template, you can save the changes to storage by selecting Save. Saved changes persist between browser sessions. Unsaved changes won't. Choose Revert to revert to the last previously saved changes.

Builder Tab Actions

Step Configuration Actions

The Step Configuration modal opens when you double-click any pipeline step in the Builder tab, allowing you to configure individual step properties and parameters.

Step 3: Configure Pipeline Settings

Set up the pipeline's configuration settings by doing the following:

1. Select the Configuration tab.
2. Activate the Edit Mode toggle.
3. Configure the values required for your pipeline based on the components you selected. The required fields appear on the Configuration tab automatically. For more information about each component's required configuration details, see the Artifact README file for that component in the TDP. For instructions, see View Artifact Information. The Artifact README file is also viewable from within Visual Pipeline Builder by going to Steps, selecting the Task Script and choosing Readme or from within the Step configuration.

Configuration Tab Actions

Step 4: Deploy the Pipeline

Deploy the new pipeline or pipeline version to the TDP by doing the following:

1. Select the Launch tab. The code for your pipeline appears and a validation check runs automatically.
2. Make sure that the Checks: value appears as a green checkmark. If not, review your configurations on the Builder and Configuration tabs and make sure that all components are connected correctly.
3. After the pipeline code is validated, choose Deploy. The pipeline is deployed to the TDP, where other users in your organization can access it through the Pipeline Manager and Pipeline Edit pages.

Launch Tab Actions

Step 5: Activate the Pipeline

To activate the pipeline in the TDP after you've deployed it, do the following:

1. Open the Pipeline Edit page for the pipeline you created by following the instructions in Edit a Pipeline.
2. Configure the pipeline's trigger conditions.
3. Move the upper right ENABLED toggle to the right to activate the pipeline.
4. Select Save Changes to apply the changes.

Pipeline Deployment Behavior

The Visual Pipeline Builder applies the following default configurations and naming conventions when deploying pipelines to the TDP:

• Default Pipeline Triggers: Deployed pipelines are automatically configured with a default trigger condition that filters for files that include the label visual-pipeline-builder='change_me' and FileCategory=RAW. This trigger uses an AND operator to ensure both conditions are met before pipeline execution.

• Disabled by Default: Pipelines are deployed in a disabled state by default and must be manually enabled after reviewing and editing the trigger condition, which helps avoid processing unwanted files. You can find them in the Disabled section of the Pipeline Manager, Workflow Processing, and File Processing pages. The pipeline will be disabled every time a new version is deployed, and must be re-enabled after verifying the configuration.

• Private Protocol Artifacts: All protocols generated by the Visual Pipeline Builder are deployed as private namespace artifacts within your organization's namespace (for example, private-{orgSlug}). This behavior ensures that the protocols are accessible only within your organization.

• Automatic Naming Convention: The system automatically generates names using the following patterns:

  • Protocol Slug: vpb-{templateId-first8chars} (for example, vpb-a1b2c3d4)
  • Pipeline Name: Uses the template name if available, otherwise it defaults to vpb-{protocolSlug}-{version}
  • Protocol Namespace: private-{organizationSlug}

AI Chat Assistant

The Visual Pipeline Builder includes an integrated AI Chat Assistant that helps users automatically build pipelines from existing TetraScience components using natural language descriptions.

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IMPORTANT

To use the AI Chat Assistant, your TDP enviornment must have access to Amazon Bedrock Access. For access, contact your customer account leader. For more information about Amazon Bedrock, see the Amazon Bedrock User Guide.

To use the Visual Pipeline Builder AI Chat Assistant, do the following:

1. Open the Settings page by clicking the upper right gear icon.
2. Select the Advanced tab.
3. Click the Enable AI Chat toggle.
4. In the AWS Credentials for Bedrock Access section, enter your Amazon Bedrock credentials.
5. Click Save & Update Credentials. The AI Chat Assistant appears in the lower left corner of the app.
6. Provide the assistant prompts to help you build pipelines. For examples, see Usage Examples.

AI Chat Assistant Capabilities

• Pipeline/Protocol Generation: generate complete pipelines from natural language descriptions
• Self-Service Guidance: get recommendations for task scripts, protocols, and pipeline patterns
• Instrument Support: query which laboratory instruments are supported by TetraScience components
• Template Creation: generate pipeline templates based on specific requirements
• Launch Integration: deploy AI-generated pipelines directly through the Launch tab

Usage Examples

• Generate a pipeline for processing HPLC data from Agilent instruments.
• Find out what task scripts are available for parsing chromatography data.
• Lean what TetraScience components support Thermo Fisher instruments.

Documentation Feedback

Do you have questions about our documentation or suggestions for how we can improve it? Start a discussion in TetraConnect Hub. For access, see Access the TetraConnect Hub.

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NOTE

Feedback isn't part of the official TetraScience product documentation. TetraScience doesn't warrant or make any guarantees about the feedback provided, including its accuracy, relevance, or reliability. All feedback is subject to the terms set forth in the TetraConnect Hub Community Guidelines.