Our Certified Service Providers (CSPs) deliver high-quality sequencing services using PacBio technology around the world. While PacBio doesn’t perform sequencing directly, you can easily find a CSP near you to get your samples processed.
Support FAQs
You can find answers to general product support questions at your convenience. Select filters on the right or use search to find topics. If you need additional assistance, you can reach our support team Monday–Friday, 7:00 AM–5:00 PM PST at 1.877.920.PACB (7222), option 1, or open and manage your support cases in the PacBio Customer hub.
Email support@pacb.com with your employer or institution name and address and we will connect you with the appropriate PacBio sales or support team for your region.
SMRT Link Cloud is a free online version of PacBio’s SMRT Link software that lets you set up and monitor sequencing runs for your Revio and Vega instruments without installing or maintaining servers. It connects to your own cloud storage for data transfer and works with external or third-party analysis tools instead of running SMRT Analysis directly. SMRT Link Cloud updates automatically and offers the same run setup and monitoring features as on-premises SMRT Link, but with no hardware requirements. View SMRT Link Cloud brochure.
SMRT Link Cloud includes the same core features for instrument management, run setup, and monitoring as the local version of SMRT Link. However, SMRT Link Cloud does not include SMRT Analysis. Instead, it connects directly to your chosen storage so you can use external or third-party analysis tools.
SMRT Link Cloud is available to all PacBio customers at no cost, with no one-time fees or recurring subscription charges.
Yes, users can use both SMRT Link Cloud and a local SMRT Link server simultaneously to manage their fleet of instruments. However, please note that each sequencing instrument can only be configured to connect to one SMRT Link server at any given time.
SMRT Link Cloud offers the convenience of a managed environment with automatic updates, simplified access, and no need to maintain local infrastructure. However, its use is optional. Users who prefer to host their own environment can download and install the on-premises version of SMRT Link from the PacBio software downloads page and manage their own computer hardware.
Please note that users of the on-premises version are responsible for purchasing and managing their own computer hardware.
SMRT Link Cloud is designed with strong data security and privacy protections. While it is not currently certified as GDPR or HIPAA compliant, PacBio does not collect or store biological data. All data stays within the user’s chosen storage environment. To follow industry best practices, avoid including any PII or PHI in metadata such as run names, sample IDs, or project descriptions.
You can transfer new run designs between SMRT Link Cloud and a local SMRT Link server using run design CSV files. Historical records of sequencing runs, however, cannot be synced or shared between instances. Run designs and run details from past sequencing experiments remain specific to the SMRT Link instance where they were generated.
For more details, refer to the SMRT Link user guide.
SMRT Link Cloud securely stores key metadata to help you manage and monitor your sequencing runs, while giving you full control over your sequencing data and results.
Data stored in SMRT Link Cloud includes:
- Sample setup information
- Run design information
- Instrument monitoring statuses
- Run monitoring statuses
- Run QC data
Data that is not stored in SMRT Link Cloud:
- Sample accessioning information (LIMS)
- Sequence data (e.g., BAM files)
- Secondary and tertiary analysis results
Users are responsible for storing sequencing data and analysis results in their own local or cloud storage environments.
No. PacBio does not charge for using SMRT Link Cloud. All core features, including run design, instrument monitoring, and run setup, are completely free with no usage limits. You are only responsible for any storage or analysis costs from your chosen third-party providers.
SMRT Link Cloud gives users full control over how and where their sequencing data is stored. While it does not include built-in sequence data storage and PacBio does not bill for cloud storage, users can easily configure their preferred storage options. Starting with v25.1, SMRTLink enables data transfer directly from instruments to:
- Local network storage owned and managed by the user
- Cloud storage owned and managed by the user
SMRT Link supports transfers to Amazon S3, Azure Blob Storage, and Google Cloud Storage Buckets, as well as other systems that use an S3-compatible API. Cloud storage fees are billed directly by the user’s chosen cloud provider, with pricing and limits determined by that vendor.
SMRT Link Cloud does not store your sequencing data. All data generated by your PacBio instruments is transferred to a storage location that you choose, such as your own cloud account (AWS, Google Cloud, or Azure) or on-premises storage. You control how long your data is retained in that location.
Your data stays yours. PacBio does not collect or store your sequencing data, and SMRT Link Cloud connects directly to your own secure storage. PacBio staff can only access your workspace with your permission during support or training sessions. This approach protects your privacy while allowing our team to provide expert assistance when needed.
Yes. You can use SMRT Link Cloud as a separate environment for testing or training without impacting your main SMRT Link server. Each SMRT Link Cloud workspace (tenant) operates independently, so any runs you create or monitor there stay isolated from your on-premises system. It can connect to any Revio or Vega instrument, making it useful for onboarding new users or testing workflows. Labs may also use SMRT Link Cloud as a backup option to minimize downtime if their local server is offline.