Managing Storage Of Samples
====
 
## Allocate storage positions to samples

  
openBIS provides a graphical overview of lab storages, to track physical storage of materials and samples. 

Lab storages need to be configured by a *lab manager* or *group admin*,
as explained here: [Configure Lab
Storage](../general-admin-users/admins-documentation/customise-inventory-of-materials-and-samples.md#configure-lab-storage)

  
Storage information of samples can be added in two ways:

1.  add storage information on the sample form during (or after) sample registration.
2.  batch register storage positions for several samples.  
      

###  Register storage position for a single sample

 
1. Navigate to the **Storage** section, at the bottom of the sample
form. Click the **+ Storage Position** above the table, as shown
below:

![image info](img/201012-object-form-add-new-storage-position.png)

  
2. In the widget that opens, select the appropriate **Storage** from the
dropdown menu. 

![image info](img/storage-selection-1024x202.png)

3\. Select the **position** in the storage (shelf and rack).

4\. If the sample is in a box, provide a **Box Name.**

5\. Select the **Box Size** form the list of configured sizes (the list
can be configured by an *Instance Admin*).

6\. Select the **Position** in the box.

7\. Click **Accept.**

![image info](img/storage-assign-positions-1024x355.png)


#### Add additional metadata to storage positions

  
By default, the storage only keeps track of locations. If the **Storage
Position** has been configured by an *Instance admin* to have additional
metadata (e.g. freezing date), these can be added by clicking on the
link in the storage table, as shown below. The link becomes available
after saving the sample.

 

![image info](img/201012-object-form-storage-position.png)

 

The additional information can be entered in the **Storage Position**
*Object* form.

###  Batch register storage positions

#### XLS Batch Registration

With the XLS batch registration, samples and their storage positions
can be registered in one transaction using the XLS template file, as
explained in [Batch register entries in a
Collection](./inventory-of-materials-and-methods.md#batch-register-entries-in-a-collection).

 

#### Batch Registration with TSV file

  
Storage positions are modelled in openBIS as children of other entries.
To register the positions for several samples with the Batch
Registration using the .tsv template, first the parent samples need to
be registered in openBIS. In a second step, the positions are assigned.

To assign storage positions in batch mode follow the steps below:

1.  Select **Storage positions** from the **Batch Registration** drop
    down menu.
2.  Download the **template file**.
3.  Remove the **identifier** column from the file (identifiers need
    to be automatically generated by openBIS).
4.  Fill in the **parents** column. These are the identifiers of the
    samples for which we want to register the storage
    positions(/MATERIALS/PROJECT/OBJECT\_CODE).  
5.  Fill the remaining information about the storage positions.
6.  Save the file and upload with the **Batch Registration**.

An example file can be found
here: [SAMPLE-STORAGE\_POSITION-template](att/SAMPLE-STORAGE_POSITION-template.xlsx)


 
## Batch update storage positions
 

To update several storage positions, we can use the batch update option
from the **Object Browser**:

 

1.  Go to the **Object Browser** under **Utilities** in the main menu, under the **Tools** tab (see picture).

![image info](img/201012-object-browser-dropdown-storage-position.png)


2.  Use the table **Filter** to select the storage positions you want to update (see [Tables](./additional-functionalities.md#tables)).
3.  Export the table (see [Tables](./additional-functionalities.md#tables)).
4.  Edit the file to make the changes needed (e.g. change the name of a box, change the storage, change a box position, change box size etc).
5.  Select **XLS Batch Update Objects** from the **More..** dropdown.

![image info](img/201012-object-browser-batch-update.png)

6. Import the file you modified before and update the storage
positions.

 

 
## Delete storage positions



### Delete single storage positions


To delete a single storage position from a sample:

 

1.  Edit the sample for which you want to deleted the storage position.
2.  Navigate to the **Storage** section at the end of the page.
3.  Use the “**–**” button in the **Storage Position** table, as shown in the picture below.
4.  **Save** the sample.

![image info](img/201012-object-form-remove-storage-position.png)

 

Please note that the storage position deleted in this way is moved to
the trashcan. To delete the position permanently, this has to be deleted
from the trashcan (see [Trashcan](./additional-functionalities.md#trashcan)).

 
 

### Remove one of multiple positions in the same box

 

If one sample has been assigned to multiple positions in the same box
and you need to remove only one or some of them, you can follow these
steps:

 

1.  **Edit** the sample for which you need to remove the storage position in the box.
2.  Navigate to the **Storage** section at the end of the page.
3.  Click on the **table row** (see picture below).
4.  **Unselect** the position you want to remove (eg. A5 in the example below).
5.  Click **Accept**.
6.  **Save** the sample.

 

![image info](img/delete-storage-positions.png)

 

### Delete multiple storage positions

 

To delete multiple storage positions from multiple samples we can use
the **Object Browser**.

 

1.  Go to the **Object Browser** under **Utilities** in the main menu, under the **Tools** tab.
2.  Select **Storage Position** from the **Object Type** dropdown.

 

![image info](img/201012-object-browser-dropdown-storage-position.png)

 

3. **Filter** the table to find the storage positions you want to
delete (see [Tables](./additional-functionalities.md#tables)).

4. Select the positions you want to delete from the table and click the
**Delete** button (see picture below).

5. You will be asked to provide a reason for deletion.

6. The deleted storage positions will be moved to the trashcan and
should be removed from there to be permanently deleted (see
[Trashcan) ](./additional-functionalities.md#trashcan).

 

![image info](img/201012-object-browser-delete-storage-positions.png)

 

## Overview of lab storages
  
The **Storage Manager**, under **Utilities**, in the **Tools** tab, provides an overview of
each single storage configured for the lab, by the lab admin.


1.  Select the storage containing the samples to visualise from the **Storage** drop down menu.
2.  Click on a box to view its content.
3.  When hovering with the mouse over a sample inside a box, the info about the sample is shown.



![image info](img/201012-storage-manager-overview.png)



### Change storage position of samples

The **Storage Manager** can also be used to move samples from one
storage position to another, if the location of the sample is changed:

1.  Click on **Toggle Storage B** (see figure above).
2.  Select the destination storage, from the **Storage** drop down menu.
3.  Drag and drop the box or sample to move from **Storage A** to the desired position in **Storage B**. Please note that the move
    operation for samples with multiple positions in the same box or
     in different boxes is not supported.
4.  Changes are visualised at the bottom of the page. To save them,
     click **Save Changes** on top of the **Storage Manager** form.