Abstract: A system comprises: (1) a central location comprising: (a) computer storage media having one or more databases thereon; and (b) one or more computers configured to communicate with the computer storage media: and (2) a plurality of sites, each site comprising: (a) an analytical apparatus; and (b) a site computer system comprising program instructions operable to generate a collection of apparatus signatures, each apparatus signature comprising a collection of data relating to the operation of the analytical apparatus at a time when said signature is generated, wherein the one or more computers at the central location are configured to store each collection of signatures in the one or more databases. In embodiments, each site computer system stores the plurality of apparatus signatures generated at the respective site and transmits the stored apparatus signatures to the one or more computers at the central location.