BIOVIA ELN

BIOVIA ELN (Electronic Lab Notebook) is a comprehensive laboratory informatics platform developed by Dassault Systèmes under the BIOVIA brand. Designed for pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical, and materials science organizations, BIOVIA ELN enables scientists to digitally capture, organize, and manage experimental data, protocols, chemical structures, analytical results, and research documentation in a compliant, searchable environment. The platform supports regulatory compliance with standards including 21 CFR Part 11 and GxP requirements, making it a trusted solution for organizations operating in validated environments. BIOVIA ELN integrates with laboratory instruments, LIMS, SDMS, and other scientific software systems, serving as a central repository for all research data across the scientific enterprise. The REST API enables programmatic access to notebook entries, experiments, templates, and associated scientific data, allowing organizations to build automated data pipelines and integrate ELN data with downstream analytics, reporting, and data warehousing systems.

Power end-to-end data operations for your BIOVIA ELN API with Nexla. Our bi-directional BIOVIA ELN connector is purpose-built for BIOVIA ELN, making it simple to ingest data, sync it across systems, and deliver it anywhere — all with no coding required. Nexla turns API-sourced data into ready-to-use, reusable data products and makes it easy to send data to BIOVIA ELN or any other destination. With comprehensive monitoring, lineage tracking, and access controls, Nexla keeps your BIOVIA ELN workflows fast, secure, and fully governed.

Features

Type: API

SourceDestination

• Seamless API Integration: Connect to any endpoint as source or destination without coding, with automatic data product creation
• Visual Composition & Chaining: Build complex integrations using visual templates, chain API calls, and compose workflows with data validation and filtering
• API Proxy: Expose curated slices of your data securely with a secure and customizable API proxy that validates and transforms data on the fly
• Request optimization with intelligent batching, retry, and caching to minimize API calls and costs

Prerequisites

To connect Nexla to BIOVIA ELN, you will need an API authentication token (or username and password credentials) and the base URL of your BIOVIA ELN deployment. BIOVIA ELN is typically deployed on-premise or in a private cloud environment managed by your organization, so connection details are specific to your organization's installation.

Identify Your BIOVIA ELN Instance URL

Because BIOVIA ELN is primarily deployed as an on-premise or private cloud solution, the base URL for your instance is determined by your organization's infrastructure configuration.

1. Contact your BIOVIA ELN system administrator to obtain the base URL for your organization's BIOVIA ELN deployment. The URL typically follows the pattern https://your-instance.example.com or https://biovia.your-organization.com.

2. Confirm that the BIOVIA ELN REST API is enabled for your instance. API access may need to be enabled by your system administrator in the BIOVIA ELN administration console.

BIOVIA ELN REST API access is typically controlled at the administrator level. Your BIOVIA ELN system administrator can confirm whether the API is enabled and provide the correct base URL and API endpoint paths for your deployment.

Obtain API Authentication Credentials

BIOVIA ELN supports API authentication using an API token or username and password credentials. The method available to you depends on your organization's BIOVIA ELN configuration and version.

Obtain an API Token

API tokens provide a secure, non-interactive method of authenticating with the BIOVIA ELN API and are the recommended approach for automated integrations such as Nexla data flows.

1. Sign in to your BIOVIA ELN instance using your organizational credentials.

2. Navigate to your user profile settings. Depending on your BIOVIA ELN version, this may be accessible through My Profile, Account Settings, or the user menu in the upper right corner of the interface.

3. Locate the API Tokens or Developer Access section within your profile settings.

4. Click Generate Token or Create API Token to create a new token for use with Nexla.

5. Enter a descriptive name for the token (for example, "Nexla Integration") to identify its purpose.

6. Copy the generated token immediately and store it in a secure location, as the token value may not be displayed again after initial creation.

Important

Treat your BIOVIA ELN API token as a sensitive credential. Do not share it in emails, code repositories, or other insecure locations. If a token is compromised, revoke it immediately through your BIOVIA ELN profile settings and generate a replacement.

If API token management is not visible in your profile settings, your organization may restrict API token creation to administrators. Contact your BIOVIA ELN system administrator to request an API token or to obtain the appropriate credentials for API access.

Using Username and Password Authentication

If your BIOVIA ELN deployment uses username and password authentication for API access rather than token-based authentication, you will use your standard BIOVIA ELN login credentials when configuring the Nexla credential.

1. Confirm with your BIOVIA ELN system administrator that username/password authentication is enabled for API access in your deployment.

2. Use the same username and password that you use to sign in to the BIOVIA ELN web interface. In some configurations, a dedicated service account with appropriate API access permissions may be required.

Using a dedicated service account for API integrations is recommended as a security best practice. A service account provides controlled, auditable API access and prevents disruptions if an individual user's account status changes. Contact your BIOVIA ELN administrator to set up a service account if needed.

Authenticate

Create a credential in Nexla

1. After selecting the data source/destination type, click the Add Credential tile to open the Add New Credential overlay.

2. Enter a name for the credential in the Credential Name field and a short, meaningful description in the Credential Description field.

3. Enter the base URL of your BIOVIA ELN instance in the Base URL field. This is the root URL of your organization's BIOVIA ELN deployment, including the protocol (for example, https://biovia.your-organization.com). Do not include a trailing slash.

   The Base URL is specific to your organization's BIOVIA ELN deployment. Contact your BIOVIA ELN system administrator if you are unsure of the correct base URL for your instance.

4. Enter your BIOVIA ELN API token in the Token field. This token authenticates Nexla with your BIOVIA ELN instance and is included in the authorization header of each API request. The token value is obtained from your BIOVIA ELN profile settings as described in the Prerequisites above.

   If your BIOVIA ELN instance uses username and password authentication instead of token-based authentication, enter your BIOVIA ELN username in the Username field and your password in the Password field rather than providing an API token.

5. Once all of the relevant steps in the above sections have been completed, click the Save button at the bottom of the overlay to save the configured credential. The newly added credential will now appear in a tile on the Authenticate screen during data source/destination creation.

Use as a data source

To create a new data flow, navigate to the Integrate section, and click the New Data Flow button. Select the BIOVIA ELN connector tile, then select the credential that will be used to connect to the BIOVIA ELN instance, and click Next; or, create a new BIOVIA ELN credential for use in this flow.

Endpoint templates

Nexla provides pre-built templates that can be used to rapidly configure data sources to ingest data from common BIOVIA ELN endpoints. Select the endpoint from which this source will fetch data from the Endpoint pulldown menu. Available endpoint templates are listed in the expandable boxes below.

List Experiments

Retrieve a paginated list of experiments from the BIOVIA ELN system with optional status and date filters.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/experiments?status={parameter}&modifiedAfter={parameter}
• Data path: $.experiments[*]
• Status (Optional): Filter experiments by status. Accepted values: 'Open', 'Closed', 'Archived'.
• Modified After (Optional): Return only experiments modified after this ISO 8601 date.

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

Get Experiment by ID

Retrieve complete details for a specific experiment including metadata, sections, and attached data.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/experiments/{parameter}
• Data path: $
• Experiment ID (Required): The unique identifier of the experiment to retrieve.

The Experiment ID parameter is required to identify the specific resource to retrieve.

List Projects

Retrieve all projects in the BIOVIA ELN system with their metadata and associated experiment counts.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/projects
• Data path: $.projects[*]

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

Get Project by ID

Retrieve detailed information for a specific project including members and associated experiments.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/projects/{parameter}
• Data path: $
• Project ID (Required): The unique identifier of the project to retrieve.

The Project ID parameter is required to identify the specific resource to retrieve.

List Templates

Retrieve available experiment templates for creating standardized experiments.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/templates
• Data path: $.templates[*]

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

List Samples

Retrieve samples registered in the BIOVIA ELN system with optional experiment and date filters.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/samples?experimentId={parameter}&createdAfter={parameter}
• Data path: $.samples[*]
• Experiment ID (Optional): Filter samples by parent experiment ID.
• Created After (Optional): Return only samples created after this ISO 8601 date.

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

Get Sample by ID

Retrieve detailed information for a specific sample including properties and linked experiment data.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/samples/{parameter}
• Data path: $
• Sample ID (Required): The unique identifier of the sample to retrieve.

The Sample ID parameter is required to identify the specific resource to retrieve.

List Users

Retrieve all users registered in the BIOVIA ELN system with their roles and group memberships.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/users
• Data path: $.users[*]

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

List Groups

Retrieve all groups and teams defined in the BIOVIA ELN system.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/groups
• Data path: $.groups[*]

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

List Attachments

Retrieve file attachments associated with experiments or samples in BIOVIA ELN.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/attachments?entityType={parameter}&entityId={parameter}
• Data path: $.attachments[*]
• Entity Type (Optional): The type of entity to retrieve attachments for. Accepted values: 'experiment', 'sample'.
• Entity ID (Optional): The ID of the specific entity to retrieve attachments for.

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

List Protocols

Retrieve standard operating procedures and protocols stored in BIOVIA ELN.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/protocols
• Data path: $.protocols[*]

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

List Reagents

Retrieve reagents and chemical inventory registered in BIOVIA ELN.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/reagents
• Data path: $.reagents[*]

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

List Instruments

Retrieve laboratory instruments and equipment tracked in BIOVIA ELN.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/instruments
• Data path: $.instruments[*]

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

List Notebooks

Retrieve electronic lab notebooks and their associated experiments from BIOVIA ELN.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/notebooks
• Data path: $.notebooks[*]

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

Search Experiments

Search for experiments using full-text search across titles, descriptions, and content fields.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/experiments/search?query={parameter}
• Data path: $.results[*]
• Search Query (Required): Full-text search query string to match against experiment content.

The Search Query parameter is required to identify the specific resource to retrieve.

List Audit Logs

Retrieve audit trail records for compliance and regulatory tracking of all system actions.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/audit-logs?startDate={parameter}&endDate={parameter}
• Data path: $.logs[*]
• Start Date (Optional): Return audit logs from this date (ISO 8601 format).
• End Date (Optional): Return audit logs until this date (ISO 8601 format).

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

List Experiment Sections

Retrieve all sections and their content for a specific experiment in BIOVIA ELN.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/experiments/{parameter}/sections
• Data path: $.sections[*]
• Experiment ID (Required): The experiment ID to retrieve sections for.

The Experiment ID parameter is required to identify the specific resource to retrieve.

List Experiment Results

Retrieve structured result data and measurements recorded in a specific experiment.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/experiments/{parameter}/results
• Data path: $.results[*]
• Experiment ID (Required): The experiment ID to retrieve results for.

The Experiment ID parameter is required to identify the specific resource to retrieve.

List Compound Records

Retrieve chemical compound records with structure data and associated experimental properties.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/compounds
• Data path: $.compounds[*]

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

List Inventory Items

Retrieve laboratory inventory items with stock levels and location information.

• Endpoint: GET https://{parameter}/api/rest/1.0/inventory
• Data path: $.items[*]

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

Once the selected endpoint template has been configured, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu to retrieve a sample of the data that will be fetched. Sample data will be displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right, allowing you to verify that the source is configured correctly before saving.

Manual configuration

BIOVIA ELN data sources can also be manually configured to ingest data from any valid BIOVIA ELN API endpoint, including endpoints not covered by the pre-built templates, chained API calls, or sources that require custom authentication headers or request parameters. Select the Advanced tab at the top of the configuration screen, and follow the instructions in Connect to Any API to configure the API method, endpoint URL, date/time and lookup macros, path to data, metadata, and request headers.

The exact API endpoint paths available in your BIOVIA ELN instance depend on your version and configuration. Consult your BIOVIA ELN system administrator or the API reference documentation included with your BIOVIA ELN deployment for a complete list of available endpoints.

Once all of the relevant settings have been configured, click the Create button in the upper right corner of the screen to save and create the new BIOVIA ELN data source. Nexla will now begin ingesting data from the configured endpoint and will organize any data that it finds into one or more Nexsets.

Use as a destination

Click the + icon on the Nexset that will be sent to the BIOVIA ELN destination, and select the Send to Destination option from the menu. Select the BIOVIA ELN connector from the list of available destination connectors, then select the credential that will be used to connect to the BIOVIA ELN instance, and click Next; or, create a new BIOVIA ELN credential for use in this flow.

Endpoint templates

Nexla provides pre-built templates that can be used to rapidly configure destinations to send data to common BIOVIA ELN endpoints. Select the endpoint to which data will be sent from the Endpoint pulldown menu. Then, click on the template in the list below to expand it, and follow the instructions to configure additional endpoint settings.

Create Experiment

Create a new experiment in BIOVIA ELN. Nexset must include name and projectId. Optional: description, templateId, status.

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

Update Experiment

Update an existing experiment record in BIOVIA ELN. Nexset must include experimentId and fields to update.

• Experiment ID (Required): The ID of the experiment to update.

The Experiment ID parameter is required to identify the specific resource to retrieve.

Create Sample

Register a new sample in BIOVIA ELN. Nexset must include name and type. Optional: experimentId, properties.

All parameters are optional; omitting filters returns all available records.

Add Experiment Section

Add a new section to an existing experiment in BIOVIA ELN. Nexset must include experimentId, sectionType, and content.

• Experiment ID (Required): The ID of the experiment to add a section to.

The Experiment ID parameter is required to identify the specific resource to retrieve.

Upload Attachment

Attach a file to an experiment or sample in BIOVIA ELN. Nexset must include entityType, entityId, and file data.

• Entity Type (Required): The type of entity to attach the file to (experiment or sample).

The Entity Type parameter is required to identify the specific resource to retrieve.

Record Experiment Result

Record structured measurement data or results into an experiment in BIOVIA ELN.

• Experiment ID (Required): The ID of the experiment to record results for.

The Experiment ID parameter is required to identify the specific resource to retrieve.

Once the selected endpoint template has been configured, click the Test button to the right of the endpoint selection menu to retrieve a sample of the data that will be sent. Sample data will be displayed in the Endpoint Test Result panel on the right, allowing you to verify that the destination is configured correctly before saving.

Manual configuration

BIOVIA ELN destinations can also be manually configured to send data to any valid BIOVIA ELN API endpoint. Select the Advanced tab at the top of the configuration screen, and follow the instructions in Connect to Any API to configure the API method, data format, endpoint URL, request headers, attribute exclusions, record batching, and response webhooks.

BIOVIA ELN APIs typically accept data in JSON format. For update/upsert operations, include the ID of the object to be updated at the end of the URL. The exact API endpoint paths for writing data in your BIOVIA ELN instance depend on your version and configuration; consult your BIOVIA ELN system administrator for a complete list of writable endpoints and their required request body formats.

Save & activate

Once all endpoint settings have been configured, click the Done button in the upper right corner of the screen to save and create the destination. To send the data to the configured BIOVIA ELN endpoint, open the destination resource menu, and select Activate.

The Nexset data will not be sent to the BIOVIA ELN endpoint until the destination is activated. Destinations can be activated immediately or at a later time, providing full control over data movement.