Permissions required: Pipeline Pilot Administrator

The BIOVIA Desktop Connector enables communication between BIOVIA applications running in your browser and desktop applications, such as BIOVIA Draw, ChemDraw, or Microsoft Office. It replaces the BIOVIA Plugin, which was included in previous Pipeline Pilot releases.

To set up the Desktop Connector, configure the mode of operation and then configure the supported options for chemistry sketchers. The Desktop Connector runs in these modes:

• Messaging Service (Recommended): This mode offers improved security and support for the Microsoft Edge browser. It requires a Windows server in order to operate.
• Legacy: This mode works identically to the Plugin, and can operate on Windows and Linux servers.

Important: Legacy mode is supported only until September 4, 2021, when the current security certificates expire. If you are using Legacy mode, you must upgrade to Messaging Service mode.

After the Desktop Connector is set up, the Desktop Connector client runs on a user’s machine when they access Pipeline Pilot protocols or applications that create chemistry sketcher windows in web pages. If the Desktop Connector client is not yet installed on a user's machine, or if the connection between the browser and the client cannot be established, the user is prompted. The user must install the client once and might be prompted to allow the connection for each browser used.

Configuring Messaging Service Mode

1. Install the Messaging Service Server software.
   Refer to the BIOVIA Desktop Connector Messaging Administration Guide for more information.
   You must run this installer from a command line with System Administrator privileges.
2. When you run the Messaging Service Server Installer, make a note of the fully qualified domain name of the messaging server URI.
3. Log in to the Pipeline Pilot server Administration Portal.
4. Go to Setup > Global Properties.
5. In the Package field, select BIOVIA/Sketcher Integration.
6. Configure the following global properties for chemistry sketcher integrations:
   • DesktopConnectorMode: Messaging Service
   • MessagingServerRootURI: The URI specified when you installed the messaging service.

   For example:

   
7. Save the changes.

Configuring Legacy Mode

Note: When Desktop Connector is operating in legacy mode, users are not automatically prompted to download custom installers. If you want to use a custom installer in legacy mode, you must publish the installer for users and instruct them to download and install it instead of the standard installer. For information on creating custom installers, see "Providing a Custom Desktop Connector Installer" in the BIOVIA Desktop Connector Messaging Administration Guide.

1. Log in to the Pipeline Pilot server Administration Portal.
2. Go to Setup > Global Properties.
3. In the Package field, select BIOVIA/Sketcher Integration.
4. Configure the following global properties for chemistry sketcher integrations:
   • DesktopConnectorMode: HostProcess (Legacy)
   • MessagingServiceURI: Leave blank.

   For example:

   
5. Save the changes.

Configuring Supported Options for Chemistry Sketchers

1. Log in to the Pipeline Pilot server Administration Portal.
2. Go to Setup > Global Properties.
3. In the Package field, select BIOVIA/Sketcher Integration.
4. Configure the following global properties for chemistry sketcher integrations:
   • BioviaDrawSupportedVersions: Comma-separated list of supported versions for BIOVIA Draw.
   • EnableChemDraw: Whether users can open ChemDraw from BIOVIA applications. Defaults to True. When set to False, ChemDraw no longer shows as an option on the right-click menu in BIOVIA applications.
5. Save the changes.