Important change on sample parent functionality | ‘Parent' field replaced with 'Parents' field

Upcoming changes: ‘Parent' field replaced with 'Parents' field

The following updates will apply automatically to eLabNext for our Shared-Cloud on March 17th, 2026. For customers with Private Cloud or On-Premises installations, the update is scheduled in the 2026 Q2 release update.

To better support sample lineage tracking, SciSure is introducing the ability for samples to have multiple parent samples. As part of this enhancement, the existing Parent field will be replaced by a new Parents field. This article describes all the changes that come along with the introduction of this new feature, as well as the potential impacts to you as a user in case you have previously been using the Sample Parent and Sample Lineage functionality.

These updates do not introduce any breaking changes but may require action for users who rely on the functionality provided by the Sample Parent and Sample Lineage add-ons. For customers using our API to update sample parent or lineage, specific API endpoints will be deprecated by February 1st, 2027 (see section: Updates to the API)

Introducing the new Parents field

Historically, users could set a single Sample Parent either by cloning a sample or by using the Sample Parent add-on available in the Marketplace. To enhance sample tracking capabilities and streamline lineage tracking, we will introduce a new sample field called Parents. This new field will enable selecting and setting multiple samples as parents.

Parent-to-Parents field migration: To ensure compatibility with the existing Sample-to-Parent relationships, all parent data will be copied from the Parent field to the new Parents field during the release process. Once the update is live, users will automatically be directed to add or update the new Parents field. For customers who have never used the Sample Parent add-on, the ability to set sample parents will appear as a new feature. The original Parent field will remain visible in the user interface and will be marked as deprecated to indicate that it is no longer in use.

Updates to Sample Lineage 

To support multi-parent relationships, the Sample Lineage feature has been redesigned and will be available directly in a new Lineage tab on the Sample Overview. Within this new Lineage tab, users can visualize the lineage of samples based on the data in the Sample Parents Field. Along with these changes, we not only improved the usability and modernized it’s looks and feel but also included several improvements, including seeing Archived Samples in the Sample Lineage visualization.

Sample Lineage was originally an add-on in the Marketplace. Following the Sample Lineage functionality rework, the old Sample Lineage add-on will be removed from the marketplace after customers transition to the new and improved Sample Lineage visualization. Notices will be presented in the interface for anyone using the old Sample Lineage add-on.

Updates to Sample Views, Searches, and Export

All saved searches and filters that use the old Parent field should be updated to display information in the new Parent fields. To support the transition to updated views, the view owner will be prompted to update the view as soon as a view is used that still includes the Parent field. The Advanced Search will include both the legacy Parent and the new Parents field in the generated export file.

Updates to Sample Cloning

No changes are needed when using the new enhanced sample and sample series cloning. These features will automatically update and set the parent in the new Parents field. Following the cloning process, additional sample parents can be set for the cloned sample or sample series.

Updates to Sample Imports

The Sample Batch Import functionality automatically uses the new Parents field. For customers with a Private Cloud or On-Premises installation that use the system admin Sample Import functionality, a new template is available to support multiple parents and import to the new Parents field. The data should be formatted as a comma-separated list (e.g, Parent Name 1, Sample Parent Name 2; for more information, see Here).

Updates to the API

To help our customers and partners who utilize our SDK and API, this update includes the following changes to support transitioning to multiple sample parents.

Note: as of February 1st, 2027, certain API endpoints will be deprecated. Please update your add-ons, scripts, and integrations to prevent workflow disruptions

If you are currently using the API for sample creation or modification, all relevant API endpoints used to set or modify the Parent field have been updated such that any mutations will also automatically update the Parents field, to avoid introducing any breaking changes.

Usage of “parentSampleID” is considered deprecated and should be replaced with “parentIds” for future compatibility.

Updates to Add-ons

All public marketplace add-ons that use the Parent field have been updated. In case you or your organization uses Private add-ons, those add-ons should be updated to use the new Parents field. Please get in touch with support for more information if you want your add-ons to be updated.

FAQs

1. What do you have to do following this update?  

With the introduction of the new Parents field, there will not be any breaking changes. However, to use the new feature, some changes to existing configurations are required. These include:

• Updating views and search filters to enable listing, searching and reporting of samples based on the new Parents field
• Update workflow to view the Sample Lineage: Sample lineage has been moved to the Sample Overview. The original sample lineage add-on will no longer display the full lineage, as this tool uses only the old field.
• When using the API, update the used API endpoints to update the samples to the new endpoint prior to February 1st 2027

2. Will existing Parent links be preserved?

Yes, historic data will remain stored and but have been copied to the new Parents field. The parent field will be displayed as deprecated and will eventually be removed from the UI.

3. Will I still be able to see the historic parent data after these changes are made?  
Yes, you'll still be able to see the Sample Parent in the Legacy Field and it will remain available to enable the transition of our customers. The legacy field will be removed from the UI following the transition in 2027

4. What happens to the Parents value if I update the Parent value?

If you use the API to update the Parent field, the Parents field will be updated automatically.

5. What happens to the deprecated Parent field if I add multiple parents?

When you add multiple parents using the new Parents field, a value is also generated in the deprecated Parent field. This is intended behaviour to ensure a smooth transition from the old single-parent field to the new multiple-parent functionality without breaking any workflows. The deprecated Parent field will be removed from the user interface in an upcoming update.

Need more help?

If you have any questions, please leave a comment here, contact our support team at support@elabnext.com or submit a ticket.