A method for monitoring a fluidic system of a liquid chromatography system comprising a syringe pump (1 1s) having a piston, a multi-port valve having a port configured to, in operation, both deliver fluid to and receive fluid from the syringe pump (1 1s), and a container having a known fluid therein, the method comprising: (a) drawing the fluid from the container into the syringe pump (1 1s); (b) configuring the multi-port valve so as to fluidically couple the syringe pump (1 1s) to, in a first valve configuration, a port of the multi-port valve that is coupled to a fluidic pathway having an intentional flow blockage therein that prevents flow through the fluidic system beyond the intentional flow blockage, wherein the intentional flow blockage is provided in a test-related cartridge (40b, 40c) that is disposed within the fluidic system at a nominal position of a two-column-bearing cartridge and that is interchangeable with the two-column-bearing cartridge, the test-related cartridge (40b, 40c) comprising a plugged line (6q, 6h) at the nominal position of a first chromatographic column of the two-column-bearing cartridge; (c) causing the piston of the syringe pump to move at a predetermined rate in a direction so as to, if the multi-port valve is in the first valve configuration, progressively compress the fluid therein while measuring a pressure of the fluid or to, if the multi-port valve is in the second valve configuration, expel the fluid to the fluidic pathway while measuring a pressure of the fluid; (d) determining a profile of the variation of the measured pressure for the time that the piston is caused to move; (e) comparing the determined profile to an expected profile that depends upon the fluid; and (f) providing a notification of a sub-optimal operating condition or malfunction if the determined profile varies from the expected profile by greater than a predetermined tolerance. (a) drawing the fluid from the container into the syringe pump (1 1s); (b) configuring the multi-port valve so as to fluidically couple the syringe pump (1 1s) to, in a first valve configuration, a port of the multi-port valve that is coupled to a fluidic pathway having an intentional flow blockage therein that prevents flow through the fluidic system beyond the intentional flow blockage, wherein the intentional flow blockage is provided in a test-related cartridge (40b, 40c) that is disposed within the fluidic system at a nominal position of a two-column-bearing cartridge and that is interchangeable with the two-column-bearing cartridge, the test-related cartridge (40b, 40c) comprising a plugged line (6q, 6h) at the nominal position of a first chromatographic column of the two-column-bearing cartridge; (c) causing the piston of the syringe pump to move at a predetermined rate in a direction so as to, if the multi-port valve is in the first valve configuration, progressively compress the fluid therein while measuring a pressure of the fluid or to, if the multi-port valve is in the second valve configuration, expel the fluid to the fluidic pathway while measuring a pressure of the fluid; (d) determining a profile of the variation of the measured pressure for the time that the piston is caused to move; (e) comparing the determined profile to an expected profile that depends upon the fluid; and (f) providing a notification of a sub-optimal operating condition or malfunction if the determined profile varies from the expected profile by greater than a predetermined tolerance.