Troubleshooting NovaSeq 6000 Control Software fails to initialize with Universal Copy Service error

The NovaSeq 6000 Control Software can fail to initialize with a Universal Copy Service (UCS) communication error. In certain control software versions, this may occur at 97% initialization and typically presents the following error messages: * Universal Copy Service is unable to copy run files to the output folder location. Check that all network cables are connected or contact Technical Support for help).

• Unable to communicate with Universal Copy Service. Exit application, then use Windows Task manager as administrator to close UCS before restarting.

  

Background and Potential Root Causes If the control software is unable to establish communication with Universal Copy Service (UCS), the control software will fail to initialize. This can occur if there are runs that have stalled in the cleaning up state or if the UCS status was left pending prior to a control software upgrade.

Note: Error "Universal Copy Service is unable to copy run files to the output folder location. Check that all network cables are connected or contact Technical Support for help." can also occur mid run if connection to the output location is lost. If this is the case, please check the connection to network output location. File transfer will automatically restart once network connection is restored.

If Initialization issues related to Universal Copy Service are observed, the issue is resolved by either archiving or deleting the UCS Runs folder according to the Troubleshooting Actions below.

Troubleshooting Actions

1. Close the NovaSeq 6000 Control Software.

   1. Select the dropdown menu in the top-left corner, then select Exit Application.

2. Open the Windows Task Manager.

3. Select the Process tab, and review process list for ucs.exe or universal-copy-service.exe. If Universal Copy Service (UCS) is running, right-click the process and select End Process.

4. Open C:\ProgramData*\Illumina\Universal Copy Service\Runs,

• Option 1: Archive the existing Runs folder by moving the contents of this folder into a new "Archive" folder.

• Option 2: Delete the contents of the Runs folder.

1. Power cycle the NovaSeq 6000. See the Knowledge Base article How to Power Cycle the NovaSeq 6000 System for additional details.

2. After instrument has restarted, restart the NovaSeq 6000 Control Software.

*Note: The ProgramData folder may be hidden. To un-hide folder, select the View tab in File Explorer and then select the checkbox next to “Hidden items”.

See the following instructions if the run data needs to be manually transferred to the network output folder:

1. On the NovaSeq 6000 control computer, open File Explorer and navigate to the run folder under Z:\outputfolder[Run_Folder]

2. Copy the entire contents of the run folder from the Z:\ drive to the intended network output location.

3. Within File Explorer, navigate to the run folder under C:\ProgramData\Illumina\NovaSeq\NovaSeqTemp[Run_Folder]\

   1. Note: The ProgramData folder may be hidden. To un-hide the folder, select the View tab in File Explorer and then select the checkbox next to “Hidden items”.

4. Within the [Run_Folder] under the ProgramData directory, copy the following 2 files into the intended network output location:

   1. RunParameters.xml

   2. SampleSheet.csv

For any feedback or questions regarding this article (Illumina Knowledge Article #2545), contact Illumina Technical Support [e-mail].