MUC 1 Vbecs 2 3 0 Tech Security Guide
User Manual:
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- Revision History
 - Table of Contents
 - Introduction
 - How This Technical Manual-Security Guide Is Organized
 - Remote Desktop Configuration (Windows)
 - Server Hardware and System Configuration
 - VistA Maintenance Operations
 - Troubleshooting
- Deleting the Remote Desktop Services Licensing Information on a VBECS Workstation
 - Identity Verification Warning
 - Stopping VBECS Services
 - Starting VBECS Services
 - VBECS Auditing
 - VBECS Exception Logging
 - VBECS Application Interfaces
 - Zebra Printer Problems
 - Scanner Problems
 - Archiving and Recovery (Enterprise Operations Only)
 - Restore the Databases
 
 - VBECS responds to the new order request with an application reject (AR) acknowledgement message indicating Patient Name(s) not found in HL7 Message or Patient's Name(s) field size(s) exceed(s) VBECS maximum supported value. Rejected patient order messages due to invalid patient name message content are recorded on the Windows Event Log (Finding Application Log Entries from Email Alerts) and an email message containing the MSH segment of the rejected HL7 message.
 - VBECS responds to the patient update request with an application reject (AR) acknowledgement message indicating Patient Name(s) not found in HL7 Message or Patient's Name(s) field size(s) exceed(s) VBECS maximum supported value. Rejected patient update messages due to invalid patient name message content are recorded on the Windows Event Log (Finding Application Log Entries from Email Alerts)
 - Failover
 - Performance
 - Security
 - Glossary
 - Appendices
 - Index
 

September 2018 VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) Version 2.3.0 
Technical Manual-Security Guide Version 2.0 
VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software 
(VBECS) Version 2.3.0 
Technical Manual-Security Guide 
September 2018 
Department of Veterans Affairs 
Enterprise Project Management Office
September 2018 VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) Version 2.3.0 
Technical Manual-Security Guide Version 2.0 
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September 2018 VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) Version 2.3.0 
Technical Manual-Security Guide Version 2.0 
Revision History 
Date 
Revision 
Description 
Author 
4/10/18 
1.0 
Modified VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) 
2.2.1 Technical Manual-Security Guide, Version 2.0 to create the 
VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) 2.3.0 
Technical Manual-Security Guide, Version 1.0. 
BBM team 
9/13/18 
2.0 
Document updated to include Known Defects and Anomalies. (Task 
791102) 
BBM team 
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Table of Contents 
REVISION HISTORY ............................................................................................................................... 3 
INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................................... 1 
VBECS VERSION NUMBERS ..................................................................................................................... 1 
RELATED MANUALS AND REFERENCE MATERIALS ................................................................................. 3 
HOW THIS TECHNICAL MANUAL-SECURITY GUIDE IS ORGANIZED ................................... 5 
Terms .................................................................................................................................................... 5 
Figures and Tables ............................................................................................................................... 5 
Screen Shots ......................................................................................................................................... 5 
Enterprise Operations Tasks ................................................................................................................. 5 
Appendices ........................................................................................................................................... 5 
REMOTE DESKTOP CONFIGURATION (WINDOWS) ..................................................................... 7 
SERVER NAME AND SCREEN RESOLUTION ............................................................................................... 7 
SOUND .................................................................................................................................................... 10 
KEYBOARD ............................................................................................................................................. 11 
CONNECTION SPEED ............................................................................................................................... 12 
SAVE SETTINGS ...................................................................................................................................... 13 
CREATE A REMOTE DESKTOP CONNECTION SHORTCUT FOR VBECS ................................................... 14 
SERVER HARDWARE AND SYSTEM CONFIGURATION ............................................................ 15 
REQUIRED PERIPHERALS ........................................................................................................................ 17 
PRINTERS ................................................................................................................................................ 17 
Report Printer ..................................................................................................................................... 17 
Label Printer (Zebra ZM400, Z4Mplus and ZT410) .......................................................................... 23 
SCANNERS ............................................................................................................................................... 24 
WORKSTATION CONFIGURATION ........................................................................................................... 25 
REPORT SHARE ....................................................................................................................................... 26 
IMPLEMENTATION AND MAINTENANCE (ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS ONLY) ................ 27 
PERIODIC SYSTEM MAINTENANCE ......................................................................................................... 27 
SQL MAINTENANCE JOBS ...................................................................................................................... 28 
SQL Maintenance Job Alerts ............................................................................................................. 29 
SQL DATABASE BACKUPS ..................................................................................................................... 29 
APPLYING WINDOWS UPDATES .............................................................................................................. 30 
APPLYING UPDATES TO VBECS SQL SERVER SYSTEM ........................................................................ 32 
EPOLICY AND VIRUS DEFINITIONS ......................................................................................................... 43 
VISTA MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS ............................................................................................. 45 
SET UP VBECS OUTBOUND LOGICAL LINKS ......................................................................................... 45 
SET UP THE VBECS INBOUND LOGICAL LINK ....................................................................................... 47 
START VISTA HL7 LOGICAL LINKS ....................................................................................................... 48 
MONITOR VBECS HL7 LOGICAL LINKS ................................................................................................ 49 
CONFIGURE VBECS VISTALINK LINKS ................................................................................................. 50 
VBECS MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS .................................................................................................... 51 
RECORD WORKLOAD DATA ................................................................................................................... 51 
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EXTERNAL INTERFACES .................................................................................................................... 55 
VISTALINK REMOTE PROCEDURE CALLS .............................................................................................. 55 
VBECS WINDOWS SERVICES ................................................................................................................. 57 
TROUBLESHOOTING ........................................................................................................................... 59 
Remote Desktop Session Issues ......................................................................................................... 59 
Remote Desktop Services Licensing Issues ....................................................................................... 60 
Stopping and Starting VBECS Services ............................................................................................. 62 
VBECS Auditing ................................................................................................................................ 63 
VBECS Exception Logging ............................................................................................................... 63 
VBECS Application Interfaces .......................................................................................................... 63 
Zebra Printer Problems ....................................................................................................................... 73 
Scanner Problems ............................................................................................................................... 75 
Archiving and Recovery (Enterprise Operations Only) ..................................................................... 79 
Restore the Databases ......................................................................................................................... 79 
FAILOVER ............................................................................................................................................... 81 
PERFORMANCE ..................................................................................................................................... 83 
LOCKING ................................................................................................................................................. 83 
SECURITY ................................................................................................................................................ 85 
ACCESS REQUEST PROCESS .................................................................................................................... 85 
ACTIVE DIRECTORY ................................................................................................................................ 85 
GROUP POLICY ....................................................................................................................................... 85 
SYSTEM CENTER OPERATIONS MANAGER ............................................................................................. 85 
APPLICATION-WIDE EXCEPTIONS .......................................................................................................... 86 
CONFIGURING THE APP SERVER AND LAB WORKSTATIONS ............................................... 89 
SERVER TASKS (ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS ONLY) ................................................................................ 89 
Grant User Permissions ...................................................................................................................... 89 
Configure the Report Share ................................................................................................................ 91 
WORKSTATION TASKS ............................................................................................................................ 96 
Update the RDP Shortcut ................................................................................................................... 96 
Configure a Shortcut to the Report Share ........................................................................................... 98 
GLOSSARY ............................................................................................................................................ 101 
APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................................... 103 
APPENDIX A: INSTRUCTIONS FOR CAPTURING SCREEN SHOTS ............................................................ 103 
APPENDIX B: DATA CENTER INSTRUCTIONS (ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS ONLY) ................................. 105 
Purpose ............................................................................................................................................. 105 
Server Configuration ........................................................................................................................ 105 
Initial Setup Tasks ............................................................................................................................ 106 
Ongoing Tasks .................................................................................................................................. 108 
APPENDIX C: AUDITING ON VBECS SERVERS ..................................................................................... 109 
INDEX ...................................................................................................................................................... 111 

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Introduction 
The main purpose of the VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) is to automate the 
daily processing of blood inventory and patient transfusions in a hospital transfusion service. 
 Unauthorized access or misuse of this system and/or its data is a federal crime. Use of all data, 
printed or electronic, must be in accordance with VA policy on security and privacy. 
 Do not change the system! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies this software as a 
medical device. Unauthorized modifications will render this device an adulterated medical device under 
Section 501 of the Medical Device Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Acquiring 
and implementing this software through the Freedom of Information Act require the implementer to 
assume total responsibility for the software and become a registered manufacturer of a medical device, 
subject to FDA regulations. Adding to or updating VBECS software without permission is prohibited.  
VBECS Version Numbers 
In previous VBECS patch releases, the user documentation referred to the VBECS version in a 4-digit 
format (e.g., 2.1.0.2 – where 2.1.0 represents the patch version and the last digit (2) is the patch build 
number). 
The VBECS version (Figure 1) is now represented with only the first three digits (e.g., 2.1.0) and appears that 
way in all user documentation to simplify readability  
The revision letter tracks database-only updates (e.g., blood product table updates, canned comments 
updates). The revision letter is normally a single alpha character (e.g., C), but can be two characters (e.g., 
AA, AB, AC) in the unlikely event that more than 25 database updates are made before a code change is 
implemented. The revision letter starts at A with each new code change and is incremented to B when the first 
database-only update is made. The revision letter is then updated by one character in the alphabet for every 
successive database-only update until a new code change is implemented, at which time the revision letter 
reverts back to A. The version submitted for system testing is revision A, but the version customers receive can 
be revision A, B or a higher revision letter.  

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Figure 1: Example of Help, About VBECS 

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The VBECS Administrator and VBECS applications, when started, will verify that the application code 
(binary build number) matches the SQL Server code (database build number) in order to ensure that 
application servers and SQL servers are patched and remain in sync with each other. In the rare event that 
they fall out of sync, the applications will present the following error message (Figure 2) and close until 
both the code and the database are in sync.  
Figure 2: Example of System Error 
Related Manuals and Reference Materials 
HL7 V2.3.1 Implementation Guide 
CPRS-VBECS Interface (OR*3.0*212) Release Notes April 2009 
PIMS V. 5.3 Technical Manual  
Duplicate Record Merge: Patient Merge Technical Manual Version 7.3 April 1998 Revised December 2010 
Kernel Systems Manual Version 8.0, Chapter 1: Sign-On Security/User Interface, pp. 13–20 
Manage Open Sessions and Files in Windows 2008 R2 
Health Product Support Release of Products and Patches Guide V2.3 Updated: February 2014 
VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) 2.3.0 User Guide 
VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) 2.3.0 Admin User Guide 
VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) – <instrument> Configuration and Setup Guide 
VistALink Version 1.5 Developer-System Manager Manual, Chapter 6: Security Management, pp. 34–35 
Windows Server 2008R2 Security Guide, Microsoft Corporation 
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How This Technical Manual-Security Guide Is 
Organized 
Outlined text is used throughout this guide to highlight warnings, limitations, and cautions: 
 Warnings, limitations, cautions 
Terms 
For consistency and space considerations, the pronouns “he,” “him,” and “his” are used as pronouns of 
indeterminate gender equally applicable to males and females. 
In many instances, a user may scan a barcode or enter data manually (by typing). The term “enter” is used 
throughout this guide to mean “enter manually.”  
See the Glossary for definitions of other terms and acronyms used in this guide. 
Figures and Tables 
If you refer to figures and tables from the Technical Manual-Security Guide in your local policy and 
procedure documents, you may wish to use their titles only, without figure or table numbers: as the 
technical manual-security guide is updated, those numbers may change. 
Screen Shots 
Because VBECS is a medical device, screen shots must be captured at various points throughout the 
technical manual-security guide to meet FDA requirements for objective evidence and documentation. A 
(camera) at the beginning of each step that requires a screen capture will identify these points. For 
more information, see Appendix A: Instructions for Capturing Screen Shots. 
Enterprise Operations Tasks 
Some of the tasks in this guide are executed by members of Enterprise Operations (EO) affiliated with the 
data center where VBECS Servers are hosted. These tasks are differentiated by the text in the headings 
with (Enterprise Operations Only) noted in the heading. 
Appendices 
The appendices contain reference materials. 
While pressing the Ctrl button, left-click on a section name or page number in the table of contents to 
move to that section or page. The index does not incorporate this feature. 
. 
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Remote Desktop Configuration (Windows) 
Configure the screen resolution, sound, and connection speed, and create a Remote Desktop Connection 
shortcut on each VBECS workstation.  
Server Name and Screen Resolution 
To set the screen resolution: 
1) Double-click   (the Remote Desktop Connection icon). 
2) Click Show Options (Figure 3). 
Figure 3: Example of Remote Desktop Connection Options 

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3) Click the General tab (Figure 4).  
4) Enter the VBECS application server’s fully qualified domain name (FQDN) in the Computer 
field. The name will always be your server name followed by .aac.dva.va.gov 
Figure 4: Example of General Tab Computer and Domain 

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Sound 
To enable sound:  
7) Click the Local Resources tab (Figure 6). 
8) Click the Settings button. 
 Failure to properly configure the sound disables audible alerts throughout VBECS. 
Figure 6: Example of Remote Computer Sound 

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9) Select Play on this computer (Figure 7) from the Remote audio playback section. 
10) Click the OK button. 
Figure 7: Remote audio playback selection 
Keyboard 
To configure keyboard settings:  
11) Click the Local Resources tab (Figure 8). 
12) Select On this computer from the Keyboard drop-down list. 
Figure 8: Example of Remote Computer Keyboard 

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Connection Speed 
To set the connection speed: 
13) Click the Experience tab (Figure 9). 
14) Select LAN (10 Mbps or higher) from the Choose your connection speed to optimize 
performance drop-down list. Deselect Font smoothing. 
Figure 9: Example of Connection Speed 

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Create a Remote Desktop Connection Shortcut for VBECS 
17) To create a Remote Desktop Connection shortcut for VBECS (Figure 11), save the file as 
VBECS.rdp in the C:\Users\Public\Public Desktop folder. 
Figure 11: Example of Remote Desktop Connection Shortcut for VBECS 
18) Double-click the shortcut to launch the Remote Desktop Connection to VBECS. The Windows 
start-up sound confirms that the sound functions. 
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Server Hardware and System Configuration 
The VBECS application requires hardware and system software to service the requirements of a user 
population of five users in a standard configuration and up to twenty-five users in an integrated Veterans 
Integrated Service Network (VISN) environment. 
VBECS is installed in a virtualized environment using vSphere® as the virtualization platform. This 
section focuses on the configuration of the virtual machines. Table 15 and Table 16 contain the virtual 
machine specifications for the Application and SQL Servers respectively. The System Schematic diagram 
(Figure 12) describes the major system components:  
• Application Server (App Server): This is a Windows 2008 Server Enterprise Edition R2 (x64) 
server and is the execution environment for the VBECS application (both Test and Production). It 
also functions as a Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Server. Each VBECS instance (single or 
multidivisional) has a unique App Server. 
The App Server also communicates with and exchanges information with VistA applications and 
other HL7 interfaces through messages formatted using Extensible Markup Language (XML) and 
Health Level 7 (HL7) over Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) 
networking. 
• SQL Server: This is a Windows 2008 Server Enterprise Edition R2 (x64) server that runs SQL 
Server 2012. It hosts the VBECS’ databases for each single or multidivisional instance. Up to 15 
sites share a single SQL Server. 
SQL Servers exist in an AlwaysOn cluster, which consists of three nodes. The Primary and High 
Availability servers reside at the primary site while a Disaster Recovery server resides at an 
alternate location: 
o Primary SQL Server: This server fields all requests. Its data are replicated to the High 
Availability and Disaster Recovery servers. 
o High Availability (HA) SQL Server: This server provides database backup services 
through synchronous replication. Its data are guaranteed to be consistent with the 
Primary. It becomes the Primary should the original Primary server fail or become 
unreachable. Failover to this server is automatic. 
o Disaster Recovery (DR) SQL Server: This server resides at a remote site and provides 
database backup services through asynchronous replication. It becomes the Primary 
server should both the Primary and HA server fail or become unreachable. Failover to 
this server is a manual process. 
• Windows Workstations: Users continue to access the VBECS application using Remote 
Desktop Services.  

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Figure 12: System Schematic 
VBECS App Server Configuration
VistA System
VistA
VBECS Business 
Objects
VBECS Data 
Access 
Components
VistALink M 
Components
VistALink 
Components
VBECS GUI
(User Interface)
VistA HL7 
Components
Blood Bank User Systems
Windows 
(Remote 
Desktop 
Connection)
BTRF and Report 
Printer
Caution Tag
Printer
TCP/IP Sockets 
Communication
passing HL7
TCP/IP Sockets 
Communication
passing XML
Remote Desktop 
Connection
BCE System
BCE
TCP/IP Sockets 
Communication
passing HL7
BCE HL7 
Components
HA SQL 
Server
VBECS Database
Primary SQL 
Server
DR SQL 
Server
VBECS Database
VBECS Database
VistA HL7 M 
Components
BCE HL7 
Interface
Automated 
Instrument (AI) 
System
Automated 
Instrument HL7 
Components
Automated 
Instrument 
Middleware
TCP/IP Sockets 
Communication
passing HL7
AI
External 
IAM 
Service 
Provider

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Required Peripherals 
Table 1 describes additional required hardware. 
Table 1: Additional Required Hardware 
 Additional Required Hardware 
Barcode Scanner 
Hand-Held Model 4600 (This is the model distributed with the original VBECS deployment 
and is now discontinued. The successor is the Honeywell Xenon 1900.)  
Report Printer 
HP LaserJet 9040dn (sites may elect to use a different report printer) 
Label Printer 
Zebra ZM400, Z4MPlus or ZT410; Must print at 300 DPI and have Ethernet connectivity. 
Printers 
Report Printer   
A laser printer capable of printing 8.5" x 11" sheets may be used. VBECS supports duplex printing, but 
not all printers are duplex capable. Consult the printer documentation to determine if it has this capability. 
Installing a Printer (Server Administrators Only) 
To install a printer, execute the following instructions: 
1) Copy the printer driver to the C:\temp directory on the app server. 
2) Log into the app server with administrative privileges. 

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3) Click Start, Devices and Printers. The Device and Printers window is displayed (Figure 13). 
Click the Add a printer button. 
Figure 13: Example of Devices and Printers, Add a printer 
4) In the Add Printer Wizard screen, select the Add a local printer button (Figure 14). 
Figure 14: Example of Add Printer Wizard 

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5) On the Choose a printer port window, select Create a new port radio button. From the Type of 
port: drop-down, select Standard TCP/IP Port. Click Next (Figure 15).  
Figure 15: Example of Add Printer Wizard 
6) Enter the IP address of the printer in the Hostname or IP address field (the Port Name field will 
populate automatically). Click Next (Figure 16). 
Figure 16: Example of TCP/IP Settings 

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9) Click Browse (Figure 19). Navigate to the driver that you copied to C:\temp\ in Step 1. Click 
Open (Figure 20).  
 Figure 19: Example of Install from Disk 
Figure 20: Example of Select Driver 

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10) Click OK (Figure 19). 
11) For a single-division site, enter VBECS Printer as the printer name. For a multidivisional site, 
enter VBECS Printer and the site name (e.g., VBECS Printer Hines). Click Next (Figure 21) 
Figure 21: Example of Add Printer Wizard 
12) Click the Do not share this printer radio button. Click Next (Figure 22). 
Figure 22: Example of Add Printer Wizard 

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13)  Click Next (Figure 23). 
Figure 23: Example of Add Printer Wizard 
Label Printer (Zebra ZM400, Z4Mplus and ZT410) 
 Do not install the label printer on the VBECS Server. Connectivity is configured in VBECS 
Administrator (See the VBECS Administrator User Guide). 
VBECS is configured to work only with Zebra printers: VBECS uses Zebra Programming Language to 
communicate with the printer. Other requirements: 
• Ethernet connectivity: the label printer must have an Ethernet card 
• Must print on 4" x 4" label stock 
• Must print at 300DPI 
Prior to configuring the label printer, load the ribbon and label stock and ensure that the printer is on. If 
the printer does not display PRINTER READY, there is a problem that must be resolved before 
proceeding. Refer to the Zebra user guide or printer CD for more information. 

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Scanners 
Scanners used with VBECS must be able to scan Codabar, ISBT 128, and PDF-417 barcodes. To 
configure a scanner. VBECS no longer supports entry of new Codabar units into the system. 
1) Connect the scanner to the workstation. 
a. To configure a Hand-Held 4600 scanner, scan the barcode in Figure 24. 
Figure 24: Configuration Barcode for a Hand-Held 4600 
b. The configuration barcodes below only apply to the Honeywell Xenon 1900 series 
scanner. Do not try to configure any other scanners with these barcodes. To configure a 
Honeywell Xenon 1900 scanner, scan the Standard Product Defaults barcode in Figure 
25 followed by the VBECS Default barcode in Figure 26. 
Figure 25: Xenon 1900: Restore Defaults 

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Figure 26: Xenon 1900: VBECS Settings 
To test the scanner, open Notepad. Print and scan the barcodes in Figure 27, Figure 28 and Figure 
29. The Codabar and ISBT barcodes must scan as “~123456789”; the PDF 417 must scan as 
“~Testing.”  
Save and print the Notepad file for validation records. 
Figure 27: Codabar 
Figure 28: ISBT 128 
Figure 29: PDF 417 
Workstation Configuration 
Specifications are as follows: 
• Memory: 2GB 
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• Display: 17” 
• Video: video card with 16-bit color and 1024 x 768 resolution 
• Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Enterprise 
• Input Devices: U.S. 101-key keyboard, mouse 
• Audio: Sound card and speakers 
• Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card reader: required for PIV card access 
 Report Share 
The VBECS system provides a share for users to access reports from their workstations (see Configure a 
Shortcut to the Report Share). While VBECS administrators have the ability to create and delete files and 
folders, users have read-only access to the share. 

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Implementation and Maintenance (Enterprise 
Operations Only) 
 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies this software as a medical device. Unauthorized 
modifications will render this device an adulterated medical device under Section 501 of the Medical 
Device Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Acquiring and implementing this 
software through the Freedom of Information Act require the implementer to assume total responsibility 
for the software and become a registered manufacturer of a medical device, subject to FDA regulations.  
Periodic System Maintenance 
 The VBECS SQL Maintenance jobs run nightly from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM (CST). Do not reboot the 
server during this time interval. Doing so may cause consistency and allocation errors. 
The system will fail to function as intended when maintenance checks are not performed or are not 
performed correctly (Table 2). 
Table 2: Periodic System Maintenance 
Action Frequency Description 
System Center 
Operations Manager 
(SCOM) Alerts 
Daily SCOM emails alert messages to a Server Administrators mail group. 
Investigate all alerts to completion. 
Review Database 
Integrity Reports 
Daily Take action only upon receipt of a job failure email. See the SQL 
Maintenance Jobs section for more details. 
Apply Windows 
Updates 
Wednesday, two 
weeks after 2nd 
Tuesday of the 
month 
See Applying Windows Updates. 
VBECS Reports 
folder cleanup 
Annually or as 
needed 
Users are able to export reports to the D:\VBECSReports folder on the 
App Server. The D drive is 10 GB in size and logs are also stored 
there. 
On an annual basis or whenever the folder is over 90% full, old reports 
must be deleted. This activity must be performed by a server 
administrator and should be coordinated with blood bank personnel. 

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SQL Maintenance Jobs 
The VBECS databases are contained within Microsoft SQL Server and require regular maintenance jobs 
to backup, validate integrity, and improve performance. The jobs are automated and configured to run 
according to the specifications shown in Table 3, Table 4 and Table 5. 
System Level Jobs: Each system level job executes against all databases found on the SQL system not 
contained in an Availability Group. Email alerts are sent to VAOITVBECSSQLSupport@va.gov.  
Table 3: System Level Jobs 
Databases Affected 
Job Name 
Start Time 
All databases not in an Availability Group 
System_IntegrityCheck 
10:00pm 
All databases not in an Availability Group 
(except TempDB) 
System_FullBackups 11:00pm 
n/a System_ResetServerLog Every Saturday at 12:00am 
Availability Group Level Jobs:  Each Availability Group level job executes against all VBECS 
databases found within the Availability Group indicated by the job name (Table 4). Email alerts are sent 
to the recipients defined in the targeted database’s CPRS interface (see SQL Maintenance Job Alerts 
section).  
Table 4: Availability Group Level Jobs 
Databases Affected 
Job Name 
Start Time 
All VBECS databases in 
the Availability Group 
AGVISNXX (XX is equal 
to the VISN number) 
AGVISNXX_DifferentialBackups 
Every 6 hours between 3:00am and 10:00pm 
AGVISNXX_TransactionalLogBackups 
Every 2 hours between 2:00am and 11:00pm 
AGVISNXX_ReIndexTables 
10:00pm 
AGVISNXX_UpdateStats 
10:30pm 
AGVISNXX_IntegrityCheck 
11:30pm 
AGVISNXX_FullBackups 
12:15am 
VBECS Level Jobs: Each VBECS level job targets a single VBECS database indicated in the job name 
(Table 5). These jobs affect user data by expiring Component and Test Orders and marking units 
Presumed Transfused.  Email alerts are sent to the recipients defined in the targeted database’s CPRS 
interface (see SQL Maintenance Job Alerts section). 
Table 5: VBECS Level Jobs 
Databases Affected 
Job Name 
Start Time 
(Test SQL Server) 
VBECS_SSS_TEST 
(SSS is equal to the Site 
Code) 
AGVISNXX_VBECS_SSS_TEST_Background_Jobs 
12:01am 
(Production SQL Server) 
VBECS_SSS_PROD 
AGVISNXX_VBECS_SSS_PROD_Background_Jobs 

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SQL Maintenance Job Alerts 
Email alert messages are sent only when a SQL maintenance job fails. System Level job alerts are sent to 
VAOITVBECSSQLSupport@va.gov and EOVBEDatabaseAdministration@va.gov. Refer to the VistA 
Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) Admin User Guide. 
SQL maintenance job alerts are marked with High Importance and must be acted upon immediately. The 
email will contain details of the failure and instructions for contacting the Service Desk Primary Contact. 
When a SQL integrity job fails, a report will be included as an attachment with the alert – include this 
with any support ticket (Service Desk Primary Contact) or communication (Figure 30).  
Figure 30: Example of a SQL Maintenance Job Failure Email 
SQL Database Backups 
To assist recovery and support options, database backup files and integrity reports are retained for 7 days 
for each SQL database and can be found on the SQL Server at H:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL 
Server\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Backup. If tape or offsite backups are desired, locate and 
backup the folders associated with the 3-character site code (SSS). For example, on a production SQL 
server, Hines (“HIN” site code) would backup the VBECS_HIN_PROD and 
VBECS_HIN_PROD_MIRROR folders.  

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Applying Windows Updates 
 App server updates require downtime, which is detailed in Table 6 and Table 7. SQL server updates 
require no downtime. 
The VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) systems are updated with Microsoft 
Windows Security patches by Austin Information Technology Center (AITC) staff during defined 
maintenance periods (Table 6 and Table 7). 
The monthly maintenance schedule begins the second Tuesday of the month that Microsoft defines 
as Patch Tuesday. 
1) Enterprise Operations installs Windows Updates patches to VBECS maintenance team pre-
production servers. 
2) VBECS maintenance team tests the patched pre-production servers and proves that the updates do 
not affect VBECS. 
3) After the VBECS maintenance team approves the updates, Enterprise Operations creates change 
orders for the customer-test system and another for the production system. 
4) Enterprise Operations will submit an ANR and then install the patches, using the approved 
schedule, on the customer-test systems.   
5) Enterprise Operations will submit an ANR and then install the patches, using the approved 
schedule, on the production systems.  
 Table 6: Customer Test System Patch Schedule 
Server 
Day 
App Servers 
15 days after patch Tuesday, 10 AM local time (automatic with 
notification) 
Product Support Servers 
10 days after patch Tuesday, 8-9 AM CST (manual) 
Production Quorum Servers 
11 days after patch Tuesday, 8-9 AM CST (manual) 
SQL Server, Disaster Recovery node 
10 days after patch Tuesday, 8-9 AM CST (manual) 
SQL Server, High Availability node 
10 days after patch Tuesday, 9-10 AM CST (manual) 
SQL Server, Primary node 
10 days after patch Tuesday, 10-11 AM CST (manual) 
Table 7: Production System Patch Schedule 
Server 
Day 
Application Servers 
15 days after patch Tuesday, 10 AM local time (automatic with 
notification) 
SQL Server, Disaster Recovery node 
15 days after patch Tuesday, 9-10 AM CST (manual) 
SQL Server, High Availability node 
15 days after patch Tuesday, 10-11 AM CST (manual) 
SQL Server, Primary node 
15 days after patch Tuesday, 11-12 PM CST (manual) 

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The App Servers are updated differently than the SQL Servers: 
• App Servers: The App Servers are updated and rebooted by an automated process at 10:00am 
local time on the day of patch release. VBECS users connected to the server receive a warning at 
the following time intervals: 15 minutes, 10, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 (Figure 31). 
• If the App Server is not operational by 10:15AM local time, contact the Service Desk Primary 
Contact. 
Figure 31: Example of Server Restart Warning 
• SQL Servers: Due to clustering, the SQL Servers require manual update. The manual process is 
described in the next section. 

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Applying Updates to VBECS SQL Server System 
Each VBECS SQL Server system is comprised of three servers that are setup for redundancy with the use 
of Windows Failover Clustering and the Microsoft SQL AlwaysOn technology: 
• Server 1: referred to as the Primary server 
• Server 2: local secondary server, referred to as the High Availability (HA) server 
• Server 3: remote secondary server, referred to as the Disaster Recovery (DR) server 
 Replica is another name for a server within a SQL Server AlwaysOn configuration. 
The names of the VBECS SQL servers can be found on the Data Center Worksheet (Figure 32). 
Figure 32: Example Data Center Worksheet 
 Failure to adhere to these instructions could result in data loss and/or system failure. Always apply 
updates to Server 3 first and the Primary Replica last. 

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When updating a VBECS SQL Server system, refer to the flowchart in Figure 33 for the proper execution 
order. 
Figure 33: Updating a VBECS SQL Server System Process Flow 
start
Identify the Primary  
and Secondary 
Replica
Apply Updates to 
Server 3
*reboot if required
Change the Failover 
Mode from Manual 
to Automatic
Failover Availability 
Groups to the 
Secondary Replica
Apply Updates to 
the Remaining 
Server (Original 
Primary Replica)
*reboot if required
end
Change the Failover 
Mode from 
Automatic to 
Manual
Failover Availability 
Groups to Primary 
Replica
Are all 
Availability 
Groups Running 
on the Primary 
Replica?
Apply Updates to 
the Secondary 
Replica
*reboot if required
Failover Availability 
Groups back to the 
Original Primary 
Replica
Create Backups
NO
YES
Failover is a term used to describe the process of changing which server in a SQL AlwaysOn 
configuration is designated as the Primary Replica. Never use the following instructions to failover to 
Server 3 (DR Server). Instructions for forcing a failover to Server 3 are provided in the VBECS Disaster 
and Recovery guide. 
A Server Administrator should only initiate manual failover when client usage of the system is 
minimal. Users may briefly lose VBECS database connectivity depending on how long the failover takes. 
Apply Updates to Server 3 
1) Open a remote desktop connection to Server 3 of the VBECS SQL Server system.  
2) Apply the Windows/Software Updates using the supplied instructions for the updates (reboot 
Server 3 only if instructed). 
Identify the Primary and Secondary Replica 
3) Open a remote desktop connection to Server 1 of the VBECS SQL Server system. On the Start 
menu, click All Programs, Microsoft SQL Server 2012, SQL Server Management Studio.  

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4) When prompted to connect to a server, enter the name of Server 1 in the Server Name field and 
click Connect (Figure 34). Note 1: VBECS Test system SQL Servers are named differently than 
production SQL servers. Note 2: If you have issues connecting, use the fully qualified domain 
name. 
Figure 34: Example of the Connect to SQL Server Window 
5) On the left side of the SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) screen is the Object Explorer 
pane. Within the Object Explorer pane, right-click on the AlwaysOn High Availability folder 
and select Show Dashboard (Figure 35). 
Figure 35: Example of Launching the SQL Dashboard 

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6) A Dashboard tab (Figure 36) displays the Primary Instance and Failover Mode of the VBECS 
SQL Availability Groups (AG). Each AG has one of the following status indicator icons: 
: your SSMS is connected to the AG’s Primary Instance server (i.e., the Primary 
Replica) 
: your SSMS is not connected to the AG's Primary Instance server 
: there is a severe issue with the AG 
Figure 36: Example of the SQL Server Dashboard 
 If any Availability Group status indicators are   or if there are a mix of   and   indicators, 
VBECS is down and the problem must be resolved immediately. 
7) If all of the indicators are  , close SSMS. Restart at Step 3 connecting to the server listed in the 
Primary Instance column. 
8) Make a note of the Primary and Secondary Replicas (i.e., if Server 1 is the Primary Replica, then 
Server 2 is the Secondary Replica and visa-versa). 
Create Backups 
9) Now that all of the AGs are running under the Primary Replica, navigate to and expand the SQL 
Server Agent, Jobs folder in the Object Explorer pane. 
10) Double-click on Job Activity Monitor. 

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11) In the Job Activity window, click the   button (Figure 37). 
Figure 37: Example of Job Activity Monitor 
12) In the Filter Settings window, enter full in the Name field, check the Apply filter box and click 
OK (Figure 38). 
Figure 38: Filter Settings 

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13) Right-click the first job in the filtered list and select Start Job at Step… (Figure 39). 
Figure 39: Example Starting a SQL Job 
14) Wait for the job to finish (Figure 40). Verify the status indicator is Success before clicking Close. 
Figure 40: Example Job Completion Message 
15) Repeat Steps 13 and 14 for each job in the list. 
 If any of the jobs fail to complete successfully, please notify the appropriate support personnel 
immediately by contacting the Service Desk Primary Contact. 
16) Click Close on the Job Activity Monitor window. 

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Change the Failover Mode from Automatic to Manual 
17) In the Object Explorer pane, navigate to and expand the AlwaysOn High Availability, 
Availability Groups folder. 
18) Right-click on the first AG and select Properties; the Availability Group Properties window 
opens. 
19) Locate the two servers with an Availability Mode of Synchronous commit (Figure 41). Change 
both Failover Mode cells from Automatic to Manual and click OK. If the fields are greyed-out, 
you are not connected to the Primary Replica: close SSMS, logoff the server and restart at Step 3.  
Figure 41: Example of the Availability Group Properties 
20) Repeat Steps 18 and 19 for each AG on the server until each has their Failover Mode set to 
Manual. 
21) Close SSMS. 
To prevent an unintentional automatic failover during the upgrade process, the Failover Mode must 
be set to Manual on each replica before performing a Manual Failover of the Availability Groups. 

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Apply Updates to the Secondary Replica 
22) Open a remote desktop connection to the Secondary Replica identified in Step 8 of the VBECS 
SQL Server system.   
23) Apply the Windows/Software Updates using the supplied instructions for the updates (reboot the 
server only if instructed). 
Failover the Availability Groups to the Secondary Replica 
24) Open SSMS and connect to the Secondary Replica noted in Step 8. 
25) Inside the Object Explorer pane, navigate to and expand the AlwaysOn High Availability, 
Availability Groups folder. 
26) Right-click on the first AG and select Failover…; an Availability Group Failover wizard starts. 
27) Click Next (Figure 42). 
Figure 42: Example of the Availability Group Failover Wizard 

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28) Verify the Failover Mode is Manual and Failover Readiness is No data loss. Click Next (Figure 
43). Note: If two servers appear in the list, then you are connected to the Primary Replica. Click 
Cancel and close SSMS. Restart at Step 24. 
Figure 43: Example of Selecting the New Primary Replica 
 If the Failover Readiness field is not in a state of No data loss, notify SQL Server support personnel 
immediately by contacting the Service Desk Primary Contact. 
29) A Summary window is displayed (Figure 44). If any of the field values are incorrect (Failover 
Actions must be No data loss), click Cancel and close SSMS. Restart at Step 24. 
Figure 44: Example of Availability Group Failover Wizard Summary 

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30) Click Finish to initiate the failover. 
31) A failover may take several minutes to complete. Click Close (Figure 45). 
Figure 45: Example of Successful Failover Wizard 
 If any of the Results indicate Error, Warning or Failure, contact SQL Server support personnel by 
contacting the Service Desk Primary Contact. Databases contained in the problem Availability Group 
will not be available for use until the problem is resolved. 
32) Repeat Steps 26 through 31 for each AG on the server. 
33) Close SSMS. 
Apply Updates to the Remaining Server (Original Primary Replica) 
34) Open a remote desktop connection to the Original Primary Replica (identified in Step 8) of the 
VBECS SQL Server system.   
35) Apply the Windows/Software Updates using the supplied instructions for the updates (reboot the 
server only if instructed). 
Failover the Availability Groups Back to the Original Primary Replica 
36) Open SSMS and connect to the Primary Replica noted in Step 8. 
37) Inside the Object Explorer pane, navigate to and expand the AlwaysOn High Availability, 
Availability Groups folder. 
38) Right-click on the first AG and select Failover…; an Availability Group Failover wizard starts. 
Click Next (Figure 42). 
39) Verify the Failover Mode is Manual and Failover Readiness is No data loss. Click Next (Figure 
43). If two servers appear in the list, then you are connected to the Secondary Replica. Click 
Cancel and close SSMS. Restart at Step 36. 

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 If the Failover Readiness field is anything other than No data loss, contact SQL Server support 
personnel (contact the Service Desk Primary Contact). 
40) A Summary window is displayed (Figure 44). If any of the field values are incorrect (Failover 
Actions must be No data loss), click Cancel and close SSMS. Restart at Step 36. 
41) Click Finish to initiate the failover. 
42) The failover may take several minutes to complete. Click Close (Figure 45). 
 If any of the Results indicate Error, Warning or Failure. Databases contained in the problem, 
contact SQL Server support personnel (contact the Service Desk Primary Contact). Availability Group 
will not be available for use until the problem is resolved. 
43) Repeat Steps 28 through 42 for each AG on the server. 
Change the Failover Mode from Manual to Automatic 
44) Right-click on the first AG and select Properties; the Availability Group Properties window 
open. 
45) Locate the two servers with an Availability Mode of Synchronous commit (Figure 46). Change 
both Failover Mode cells from Manual to Automatic and click OK. 
Figure 46: Example of the Availability Group Properties 

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46) Repeat Steps 44 and 45 for each AG on the server until each has their Failover Mode set to 
Automatic. 
47) Close SSMS and log off the server. 
ePolicy and Virus Definitions 
Virus definitions are automatically updated on the VBECS system. The VBECS maintenance team 
monitors the releases. 
 Do not change the system! The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies this software as a 
medical device. Unauthorized modifications will render this device an adulterated medical device under 
Section 501 of the Medical Device Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Acquiring 
and implementing this software through the Freedom of Information Act require the implementer to 
assume total responsibility for the software and become a registered manufacturer of a medical device, 
subject to FDA regulations. Adding to or updating VBECS software without permission is prohibited. 
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VistA Maintenance Operations 
Four HL7 Logical Links and one VistALink connection must be established and configured to establish 
proper communication with VBECS. The HL7 links are OERR-VBECS, VBECS-OERR, VBECSPTU, 
and VBECSPTM. The VistALink connection configuration is the data that VistA will use to transmit data 
in XML format to VBECS. The following set of instructions will aid in the proper configuration of these 
links, and ensure reliable communication between VistA and VBECS. These links must be configured 
during the initial installation of VBECS, and after any changes to the HL7 or VistALink configuration on 
VBECS. The settings should also be updated after the VistA Test account has been remirrored. 
Set Up VBECS Outbound Logical Links 
 At the “Select HL7 Main Menu Option:” prompt, enter Filer. 
 Shut down the logical link. 
 At the “Select Filer and Link Management Options Option:” prompt, enter Link Edit. 
 At the “Select HL LOGICAL LINK NODE:” prompt, enter OERR-VBECS (Figure 47). 
Figure 47: HL7 Logical Link Edit Menu Navigation 
HL7 Main Menu 
   Event monitoring menu ... 
   Systems Link Monitor 
   Filer and Link Management Options ... 
   Message Management Options ... 
   Interface Developer Options ... 
   Site Parameter Edit 
Select HL7 Main Menu Option: FILER 
   SM     Systems Link Monitor 
   FM     Monitor, Start, Stop Filers 
   LM     TCP Link Manager Start/Stop 
   SA     Stop All Messaging Background Processes 
   RA     Restart/Start All Links and Filers 
   DF     Default Filers Startup 
   SL     Start/Stop Links 
   PI     Ping (TCP Only) 
   ED     Link Edit 
   ER     Link Errors ... 
Select Filer and Link Management Options Option: ED 
Select HL LOGICAL LINK NODE: OERR-VBECS 

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 Enter Enabled in the AUTOSTART field (Figure 48).  
 Move the cursor to the LLP TYPE field and press Enter (Figure 48).  
Figure 48: HL7 Logical Link 
                          HL7 LOGICAL LINK 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
NODE: OERR-VBECS      
INSTITUTION:                     
DOMAIN: 
AUTOSTART: ENABLED 
QUEUE SIZE: 10     
LLP TYPE: TCP                            
_____________________________________________________________________________
_ 
COMMAND:                                       Press <PF1>H for help    
Insert  
 Change the value of the “TCP/IP ADDRESS” and “TCP/IP PORT” parameters to the Internet 
Protocol (IP) address and port number of the Blood Bank medical device application server at 
your site. Standard port numbers of 21993 for Test and 21994 for Prod are typically used. 
 Move the cursor to the “COMMAND:” prompt.  
 Enter Close to return to the previous screen.  
 At the “COMMAND:” prompt, enter Save.  
 Enter Exit. 
Figure 49: TCP Lower Level Parameters: OERR-VBECS 
HL7 LOGICAL LINK 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
TCP LOWER LEVEL PARAMETERS 
OERR-VBECS 
TCP/IP SERVICE TYPE: CLIENT (SENDER)                               
TCP/IP ADDRESS: <IP address of VBECS application server>                           
TCP/IP PORT: <Port number of VBECS application server>                                 
   ACK TIMEOUT: 30                      RE-TRANSMISION ATTEMPTS:            
   READ TIMEOUT: 30                  EXCEED RE-TRANSMIT ACTION: restart    
   BLOCK SIZE:                                      SAY HELO:            
   STARTUP NODE:         PERSISTENT: NO     
   RETENTION: 15       UNI-DIRECTIONAL WAIT:        
 ____________________________________________________________________________ 
COMMAND:                                       Press <PF1>H for help    
Insert  
 Repeat Steps 3 through 11 substituting “VBECSPTM” and “VBECSPTU” for “OERR-VBECS” 
when prompted for the logical link name to change the IP address and port numbers for the 
VBECSPTM and VBECSPTU logical links. 

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Set Up the VBECS Inbound Logical Link 
 At the “Select HL7 Main Menu Option:” prompt, enter Filer. 
 At the “Select Filer and Link Management Options Option:” prompt, enter Link Edit. 
 At the “Select HL LOGICAL LINK NODE:” prompt, enter VBECS-OERR (as shown for 
OERR-VBECS in Figure 47). 
 Enter Enabled in the AUTOSTART field (Figure 50).  
 Move the cursor to the LLP TYPE field and press Enter (Figure 50).  
Figure 50: HL7 Logical Link 
                          HL7 LOGICAL LINK 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
NODE: VBECS-OERR      
INSTITUTION:                     
DOMAIN: 
AUTOSTART: ENABLED 
QUEUE SIZE: 10     
LLP TYPE: TCP                            
_____________________________________________________________________________ 
COMMAND:                                       Press <PF1>H for help    
Insert  
 No “TCP/IP ADDRESS” should be entered. Change the value of the “TCP/IP PORT” parameter 
to the port number of the VistA HL7 Listener at your site. Regional support should be contacted 
for the correct port numbers. Standard port numbers of 21993 for Test and 21994 for Prod can be 
used if unique ports have not been assigned. 
 Move the cursor to the “COMMAND:” prompt.  
 Enter Close to return to the previous screen.  
 At the “COMMAND:” prompt, enter Save.  

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 Enter Exit. 
Figure 51: TCP Lower Level Parameters: VBECS-OERR 
HL7 LOGICAL LINK 
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
TCP LOWER LEVEL PARAMETERS 
 VBECS-OERR                                          
    TCP/IP SERVICE TYPE: SINGLE LISTENER                                    
         TCP/IP ADDRESS:                                                    
            TCP/IP PORT: <VistA HL7 Listener Port>                                              
     ACK TIMEOUT: 30                      RE-TRANSMISION ATTEMPTS:            
    READ TIMEOUT: 30                    EXCEED RE-TRANSMIT ACTION:            
      BLOCK SIZE:                                      SAY HELO:            
  STARTUP NODE:                                      PERSISTENT: NO         
     RETENTION:                            UNI-DIRECTIONAL WAIT:            
 ____________________________________________________________________________ 
COMMAND:                                       Press <PF1>H for help    
Insert  
Start VistA HL7 Logical Links 
 Before data can be transmitted over the VBECS logical links, edit the link definitions as 
described above. 
 To turn on the new VBECS logical links, select START/STOP LINKS [HL START]. 
 Start the “OERR-VBECS” logical link. 
 Start the “VBECS-OERR” logical link. 
 Start the “VBECSPTM” logical link. 
 Start the “VBECSPTU” logical link. 
 Ensure that the VistA HL7 Link Manager is running; VBECS messaging cannot occur without it.  
 To check the status of the Link Manager (and, if necessary, restart it), access the HL 
START/STOP LINK MANAGER menu option. 

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Monitor VBECS HL7 Logical Links 
Once two-way communication has been established, you can monitor the links. 
 Use the “System Link Monitor” to view the status of the VBECS Logical Links. 
 From the “HL7 Main Menu”, select System Link Monitor (Figure 52). 
Figure 52: HL7 System Link Monitor Menu Navigation 
HL7 Main Menu 
   Event monitoring menu ... 
   Systems Link Monitor 
   Filer and Link Management Options ... 
   Message Management Options ... 
   Interface Developer Options ... 
   Site Parameter Edit 
Select HL7 Main Menu Option: System Link Monitor 
 When a list of VistA HL7 links defined at your site appears, press V at the “Select a Command:” 
prompt (Figure 53).  
 At the “Select LINK MONITOR VIEWS:” prompt, enter VBECS (Figure 53).  
Figure 53: System Link Monitor 
                   SYSTEM LINK MONITOR for <your site name> 
                MESSAGES  MESSAGES   MESSAGES  MESSAGES  DEVICE 
     NODE       RECEIVED  PROCESSED  TO SEND   SENT      TYPE     STATE 
     LA7V 657                        4         4          MM      Halting 
     LL15VISN   105       105        394       105        NC      Shutdown 
     MPIVA      0         0          322       0          NC      Shutdown 
     NPTF       0         0          25        0          MM      Halting 
     OERR-VBE   34        34         1019      1018       NC      Idle 
     PSOTPBAA   28        28         52        28         NC      Shutdown 
     VABAC      0         0          1         0          NC      Shutdown 
     VAFAV      0         0          2         0          NC      Shutdown 
     VAFHM      0         0          3         0          NC      Shutdown 
     VAFRE      0         0          4         0          NC      Shutdown 
     Incoming filers running => 1            TaskMan running 
     Outgoing filers running => 1            Link Manager running 
                                             Monitor OVERDUE 
     Select a Command: 
 (N)EXT  (B)ACKUP  (A)LL LINKS  (S)CREENED  (V)IEWS  (Q)UIT  (?) HELP: V 
Select LINK MONITOR VIEWS: VBECS 

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 A screen similar to Figure 54 appears. 
Figure 54: System Link Monitor 
                 SYSTEM LINK MONITOR for <your site name>                             
                MESSAGES  MESSAGES   MESSAGES  MESSAGES  DEVICE   
     NODE       RECEIVED  PROCESSED  TO SEND   SENT      TYPE     STATE    
     OERR-VBECS 0         0          0         0          NC      Idle 
     VBECS-OERR 0         0          0         0          SS      Idle 
     VBECSPTM   0         0          0         0          NC      Enabled 
     VBECSPTU   0         0          0         0          NC      Enabled 
     Incoming filers running => 1            TaskMan running  
     Outgoing filers running => 1            Link Manager Running 
                                             Monitor OVERDUE 
     Select a Command: 
 (N)EXT  (B)ACKUP  (A)LL LINKS  (S)CREENED  (V)IEWS  (Q)UIT  (?) HELP:   
 To exit the “System Link Monitor”, at the “Select a Command:” prompt, enter q to quit. 
 The volume of HL7 traffic over these links depends on the number of daily CPRS Blood Bank orders 
and updates to the VistA clinical information at your site. These can be significant at large sites. Monitor 
the links closely the first few days after the installation and purge the HL7 log data (as appropriate) in 
accordance with your standard HL7 monitoring and purging procedures. 
Configure VBECS VistALink Links 
 Use the “Edit Parameter Values” option on the “GENERAL PARAMETER TOOLS” menu to 
edit the values for the VistALink connection to VBECS. 
 At the “Select Instance:” prompt, enter LISTENER IP ADDRESS. 
 At the “Value:” prompt, enter the VBECS application server IP address. 
 At the “Select Instance:” prompt, enter LISTENER PORT NUMBER. 
 At the “Value:” prompt, enter the VBECS VistALink listener port number. This is typically 
21991 for Test and 21992 for Prod. 

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 Press Enter to exit the option. 
Figure 55: VistALink Configuration 
Select OPTION NAME: GENERAL PARAMETER TOOLS  XPAR MENU TOOLS     General 
Parameter Tools 
   LV     List Values for a Selected Parameter 
   LE     List Values for a Selected Entity 
   LP     List Values for a Selected Package 
   LT     List Values for a Selected Template 
   EP     Edit Parameter Values 
   ET     Edit Parameter Values with Template 
   EK     Edit Parameter Definition Keyword 
Select General Parameter Tools Option: EP  Edit Parameter Values 
                         --- Edit Parameter Values 
Select PARAMETER DEFINITION NAME: VBECS VISTALINK 
---------------- Setting VBECS VISTALINK  for Package: VBECS 
Select Instance: LISTENER IP ADDRESS 
Instance: LISTENER IP ADDRESS//    LISTENER IP ADDRESS 
Value: <IP address>//      Enter the VBECS application server IP address here. 
Select Instance: LISTENER PORT NUMBER 
Instance: LISTENER PORT NUMBER  Replace    LISTENER PORT NUMBER 
Value: 8000//     Enter the VBECS VistALink listener port here. 
Select Instance: 
VBECS Maintenance Operations  
Refer to the VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) Admin User Guide. 
Record Workload Data 
VBECS workload data is recorded in VBECS when records that qualify as Workload Events are saved in 
VBECS. This data is transmitted to the VistA Laboratory workload recording system for national and 
local workload reporting. 
Assumptions 
• Workload codes were assigned to VBECS processes using Workload Codes. 
• Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System (HCPCS) codes were assigned to blood products using 
Blood Products. 
• A record was saved or inactivated immediately preceding workload data collection. 
• The connection to VistA is active. 

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Outcome 
• Information was transmitted to VistA for inclusion in appropriate reports. 
Limitations and Restrictions 
None  
Additional Information 
• Workload Event data must include information required for Decision Support System (DSS), Patient 
Care Encounter (PCE), and Billing Awareness. Once in VistA, existing VistA functionality will handle 
required reporting. 
• Billing Awareness is being developed concurrently and related requirements are anticipated based on 
initial contact with the Billing Awareness team. 
• The system accumulates and periodically transmits workload information to the VistA Lab workload 
recording process. The data is transmitted from VBECS to VistA by the VBECS Workload Capture 
Remote Procedure called by a nightly Lab background process. 
• Workload multipliers for all blood bank activities in VistA File #64 must be set to one (1) to avoid 
excessive Laboratory Management Index Program (LMIP) counts. This allows the workload multiplier 
set in VBECS to be correctly reflected on VistA reports. 
User Roles with Access to This Option 
All users  
Transmit Workload Data 
These steps are associated with the “Save” function within any class that performs a Workload Event such 
as recording a blood test result or interpretation for a unit or a patient, modifying a unit, and pooling units. 
VBECS must know which classes perform Workload Events and how to classify the work accomplished 
for reporting. When the database is updated, the VistA technologist ID of the updater, the division, and 
the date and time of the update are recorded. In some instances, a mechanism to capture LMIP workload 
information exists. In addition, for certain events that involve patient processing, the patient location, 
treating specialty, service, etc., are captured to satisfy PCE or DSS reporting requirements.  
These steps address the initial recording of these events. 
User Action 
VBECS 
 Click Save to save a record from 
an option. 
Creates a Workload Event for every process record saved. 
Recognizes the activity as a new Workload Event. 
Checks for required reporting properties based on the type of record 
being saved.  
Determines the proper workload codes and other related information to be 
included. 
NOTES 
One or more workload codes can be collected with each 
Workload Event saved. A workload code may be multiplied for 
certain Workload Events. 
 Exit.  

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Inactivate a Workload Event 
VBECS updates VistA to inactivate the associated workload information (for a patient or a unit) so that 
PCE and Billing Awareness can be updated to reflect that the transaction is not valid. 
User Action 
VBECS 
 Inactivate a saved record. 
Recognizes the activity performed as an inactivation of an existing 
Workload Event record. 
NOTES 
 Complete the update and choose 
to save. 
Prompts to confirm the save. Saves workload data. 
NOTES 
When a previously saved workload-generating event is 
invalidated (such as in Remove Final Status, Invalidate Test 
Results, or invalidating previously logged-in units through Edit 
Unit Information or Invalidate Shipment), VBECS must create 
and transmit the same Workload Event information to VistA as a 
negative number. 
 Confirm the save. 
Saves workload data. 
NOTES 
When a saved Workload Event is associated with a patient, 
VBECS needs to link the Workload Event to the patient for future 
reports. 
 The option ends when the record 
is saved. 
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External Interfaces
VistALink Remote Procedure Calls 
Remote Procedure Calls (RPCs) provide a method of data exchange through VistALink for VBECS. The 
VBECS software provides data to or receives data from the VBECS Application Interfacing Support 
Software (VAISS) located in the VistA M environment through RPCs. This data exchange is controlled 
through Database Integration Agreements (DBIAs) between the blood bank medical device software and 
the VAISS VistA M software.  
The VAISS software provides a set of M Application Programmer Interfaces (APIs) that call VBECS 
RPCs through the VBECS VistALink Listener Windows Service and return blood bank data to other 
VistA applications. The VAISS software also provides a set of VistA RPCs under the VBECS namespace 
in the Remote Procedure File (#8994) that are called by the VistA VistALink Listener client-server 
software. These calls are not public utilities and may be subject to change. 
Table 8: Remote Procedure Calls 
RPC Name 
Database 
Integration 
Agreement 
(DBIA) 
This RPC: 
VBECS Order Entry 
4619 
Supports order entry of blood bank requests from the blood 
bank order entry dialog in CPRS 
VBECS Patient Available Units 
4620 
Provides a list of assigned, crossmatched, autologous and 
directed blood units that are available for a patient 
VBECS Patient Transfusion 
History 
4621 
Provides a list of past transfusions performed for a patient 
VBECS Blood Products 
4622 
Provides a list of orderable blood products, or component 
classes, to the VistA Surgery package 
VBECS Patient Report 
4623 
Provides patient specimen testing results, component requests, 
and available blood units for a patient to be displayed in CPRS 
VBECS Patient ABO_RH 
4624 
Provides the most current ABO Group and Rh Type identified 
for a patient 
VBECS Patient ABID 
4625 
Provides a list of antibodies identified for a patient 
VBECS Patient TRRX 
4626 
Provides a list of transfusion reactions for a patient 
VBECS Workload Capture 
4627 
Provides blood bank workload data to the VistA Laboratory 
Service package for workload reporting to national and local 
entities 
VBECS Workload Update 
Event 
4628 
Updates completed workload-related data into the VBECS 
database after the VistA Laboratory Services package has 
completed workload-reporting transactions. Upon completion of 
the update, the RPC returns an XML response to the VAISS 
that initiated the communication indicating a successful or 
unsuccessful transaction. 
VBECS Accession Area 
Lookup 
4607 
Provides a list of all Laboratory Blood Bank Accession Areas in 
VistA and their associated divisions to VBECS for workload 
reporting purposes 
VBECS Blood Bank User 
Lookup 
4608 
Returns a list of all blood bank users identified in the VistA 
system to VBECS. Blood bank users are identified by the 
Security Keys of either LRBLOODBANK or LRBLSUPER. 
VBECS Division Lookup 
4609 
Returns a list of all VAMC divisions associated with a VistA 
system 
VBECS HCPCS Codes 
4610 
Returns a list of blood bank related HCPCS codes to be 

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RPC Name 
Database 
Integration 
Agreement 
(DBIA) 
This RPC: 
Lookup 
associated with processes, or procedures, performed in 
VBECS 
VBECS Laboratory Test 
Lookup 
4611 
Returns a list of VistA Laboratory tests to be associated with 
blood components in VBECS 
VBECS Lab Test Results 
Lookup 
4612 
Returns a list of VistA Laboratory test results for a patient 
VBECS Medication Profile 
Lookup 
4613 
Returns a list of medications for a patient from the VistA 
Pharmacy package 
VBECS Lab Accession UID 
Lookup 
4614 
Returns data from the VistA Laboratory Services package 
based on a Lab order number. The data is used to validate a 
VBECS specimen test request for a patient and specimen 
received in the blood bank for that test. 
VBECS Workload Codes 
Lookup 
4615 
Returns a list of blood bank related workload related data that 
is associated with processes in VBECS 
VBECS Patient Lookup 
4616 
Provides a patient lookup function using standard VistA patient 
lookup criteria. A list of matching patients found in the lookup is 
returned to VBECS along with required patient identifiers and 
demographics. 
VBECS Provider Lookup 
4617 
Provides a lookup of VistA users that hold the PROVIDER 
security key 
VBECS Hospital Location 
Lookup 
4618 
Returns a list of hospital locations associated with a division in 
VistA 
VBECS Lab Order Lookup by 
UID 
4633 
Returns a list of Laboratory Services data related to an order 
based on a specimen UID 
VBECS Dss Extract 
4956 
Provides BloodBank post-transfusion related data to the VistA 
DSS Blood Bank Extract application for DSS reporting 
TCPConnect 
N/A 
The purpose of this RPC is to establish a Broker TCP IP 
connection. This RPC initiates the initial connection between 
VBECS and the Broker. This is not yet using the token; this is 
an initial connection to the required Broker endpoint. 
XUS SIGNON SETUP 
N/A 
The purpose of this RPC is to authenticate user with a Client 
Agent token during each application’s session. This is the IAM 
Sign on and Setup steps needed prior to validation. 
XUS ESSO VALIDATE 
N/A 
The purpose of this RPC is to validate a user's token for each 
session. This is the IAM token validation that occurs inside 
VistA. 
XUS GET TOKEN 
N/A 
The purpose of this RPC is to return a handle to a token that 
will sign-on a new process for subsequent RPC calls. 

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VBECS Windows Services 
VBECS uses Microsoft Windows Services (services) to provide minimal downtime and minimal user 
interaction. These services are installed on each VBECS application server. For details on stopping and 
starting VBECS services, see the Stopping VBECS Services and Starting VBECS Services sections. All 
VBECS services start with the VBECS namespace prefix. There are duplicate services for production and 
test accounts that provide functionality for their respective databases. See Figure 56 for a complete listing 
of VBECS services. 
 Figure 56: Example of VBECS Services 

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Table 9: VBECS Windows Services 
Windows Service Name 
Description 
VBECS Prod HL7 Dispatcher 
The startup type is set to automatic. It polls the VBECS Production database 
for HL7 messages to be sent to CPRS or BCE in the VistA Production account.  
VBECS Prod HL7 Listener 
The startup type is set to automatic. This is the default HL7 listener service for 
all Production HL7 interfaces 
VBECS Prod Report Scheduler 
The startup type is set to automatic. It runs scheduled VBECS reports for the 
Production database. 
VBECS Prod VistALink Listener 
The startup type is set to automatic. It provides a client-server TCP/IP listener 
service for VistALink RPC XML messages from the VAISS APIs. It calls 
VBECS RPCs to provide blood bank data from the VBECS Production 
database to VistA Production account applications. 
VBECS Test HL7 Dispatcher 
The startup type is set to automatic. It polls the VBECS Test database for HL7 
messages to be sent to CPRS or BCE in the VistA Test account. 
VBECS Test HL7 Listener 
The startup type is set to automatic. This is the default HL7 listener service for 
all Test HL7 interfaces. 
VBECS Test Report Scheduler 
The startup type is set to automatic. It runs scheduled VBECS reports for the 
Test database. 
VBECS Test VistALink Listener 
The startup type is set to automatic. It provides a client-server TCP/IP listener 
service for VistALink RPC XML messages from the VAISS APIs. It calls 
VBECS RPCs to provide blood bank data from the VBECS Test database to 
VistA Test account applications. 

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Troubleshooting 
Remote Desktop Session Issues 
Occasionally remote desktop sessions require disconnection by a server administrator. Sessions may 
become unresponsive and require disconnection. Additionally, if you need to apply a patch such as a 
window update but sessions remain on the server you may need to force a session to disconnect. To 
disconnect a remote session, navigate to the application or SQL server and click Start, Administrative 
Tools, Remote Desktop Services, Remote Desktop Services Manager. Locate the session(s) that require 
disconnection. Right-click on the session and select Disconnect (Figure 57). 
Figure 57: Example of Remote Desktop Services Manager  

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Remote Desktop Services Licensing Issues  
In order to connect to VBECS, a workstation must have a valid license from an active Remote Desktop 
Services licensing server. A problem may occur when this license has expired on the workstation; the user 
receives an error message when trying to establish a Remote Desktop Connection (Figure 58). Deleting 
the Remote Desktop Services license information from the registry will cause the workstation to refresh 
its license information and restore the ability to connect using remote desktop.  
Figure 58: Example of Expired Remote Desktop License  
Deleting the Remote Desktop Services Licensing Information on a VBECS Workstation 
Administrative rights on the workstation are required to perform the following steps. 
 Log into the workstation that is receiving the error (Figure 58) and click Start, Run… 
 In the Run window, type regedit and click Enter. 
 In the Registry Editor window, expand the folders to the following location: Computer, 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, SOFTWARE, Microsoft. 
 Locate and right-click the MSLicensing folder; select Delete (Figure 59). 
Figure 59: Deleting the MSLicensing Registry Key 
 Make sure you are at the correct path and click Yes to confirm the deletion.  
 Close the Registry Editor. 

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Identity Verification Warning 
Occasionally, a warning may appear when initiating an RDP session that states that the identity of the 
remote computer could not authenticated (Figure 60). This is due to an archived certificate and is not 
dangerous. Select Don’t ask me again… and click Yes. 
Figure 60: Example of Identity Warning 

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Stopping and Starting VBECS Services 
Stopping VBECS Services 
 Click Start, Administrative Tools, Services (Figure 61). 
 Right-click on the service you would like to stop and click Stop. 
Figure 61: Example of Stopping a VBECS Service 
 Starting VBECS Services 
 Click Start, Administrative Tools, Services (Figure 62). 
 Right-click on the service you would like to start and click Start 
Figure 62: Example of Starting a VBECS Service 

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VBECS Auditing 
For a complete list of audited server events, please see: Appendix C: Auditing on VBECS Servers. 
VBECS Exception Logging 
VBECS logs all errors that occur in the system in the Application log of Event Viewer on the application 
server. A user defined as an administrator on the application server can connect to the server through 
Remote Desktop Connection to view these errors.  
 Click Start, Control Panel, Administrative Tools.  
 Open the Event Viewer and open the Windows logs folder, then select Application to view the 
errors that VBECS logs.  
 In the list view on the right side of the screen, click the date column header to sort the errors by 
date.  
 Evaluate “Error” and warning errors that were logged at the same time a VBECS user reported an 
error. Ignore informational messages. If you require assistance from the VBECS maintenance 
team, file a support ticket (Service Desk Primary Contact). 
VBECS Application Interfaces 
When the HL7 Listener service encounters an error parsing an HL7 message it generates an event 
description like the following: 
VBECS Patient Update HL7 Parser: Error processing HL7 message:  
Missing or invalid content in HL7 message:  
ERR^MSH~1~12~203~ 
Upon troubleshooting an email message regarding an HL7 message, file a ticket with the Service 
Desk Primary Contact and include the contents of the email for a description so that Health Product 
Support can assist in identifying the patient associated with the failed HL7 message. Due to PII and 
HIPAA constraints, patient information will not be sent over email. Product support will have access to 
the event viewer and be able to identify the appropriate patient information. Table 10 describes the ERR 
codes (e.g., 203 like in the above example) descriptions. 
Table 10: Troubleshooting Rejected VBECS HL7 Messages 
Error Code 
Description of Problem 
100 Segment Sequence Error  
101 
Required Field Missing 
102 
Data Type Error 
103 
Table Value Not Found 
200 
Unsupported Message Type 
201 
Unsupported Event Code 
202 
Unsupported Processing ID 
203 
Unsupported Version Id 
See Table 11: VBECS HL7 Versions. 
204 
Unknown Key Identifier 
205 
Duplicate Key Identifier 
206 
Application Record Locked 
207 
Application Internal Error 
208 
Conflicting Processing Id   

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Table 11: VBECS HL7 Versions 
HL7 Interface 
HL7 Version 
VistA CPRS- Order Update – CPRS OERR 
2.4 
VistA PIMS Patient ADT Update – VAFC ADT 
2.3 
VistA MPI/PD PatientMerge – MPI TRIGGER 
2.4 
BCE COTS –  Patient Blood Product Transfusion Verification 
2.5 
Automated Instrument 
2.4 
Table 12: Troubleshooting VBECS Application Interfaces 
Source 
Description of Problem 
Possible Cause 
Solution 
VBECS: Order 
Alerts and 
Pending Order 
List 
New orders or 
cancellations of existing 
orders in CPRS are not 
showing up in VBECS. 
The OERR-VBECS Logical 
Link is not running on the 
VistA system. 
Start the OERR-VBECS 
Logical Link. 
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
HL7 Listener Windows 
Service is not running or is 
locked on the application 
server. 
Start or restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> HL7 Listener 
Windows Service. 
Network connectivity issue 
Contact local system support. 
The HL7 message is missing 
patient name or one or more 
name components length(s) 
exceed(s) the VBECS 
maximum supported value. 
VBECS responds to the new 
order request with an 
application reject (AR) 
acknowledgement message 
indicating Patient Name(s) not 
found in HL7 Message or 
Patient's Name(s) field size(s) 
exceed(s) VBECS maximum 
supported value. Rejected 
patient order messages due to 
invalid patient name message 
content are recorded on the 
Windows Event Log (Finding 
Application Log Entries from 
Email Alerts) and an email 
message containing the MSH 
segment of the rejected HL7 
message. 
VBECS Admin: 
Edit Division 
New orders are not 
showing up in VBECS. 
Order mappings to institutions 
within a division’s 
configuration were changed. 
Stop and restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> HL7 Listener 
Service. 
VBECS: Patient 
Update Alerts 
VistA patient updates are 
not showing up in VBECS. 
The patient being updated in 
VistA is not in the VBECS 
Patient table and is, therefore, 
not a blood bank patient. 
No action is required. 
The fields that were updated 
in VistA are not stored in 
VBECS; therefore, no data 
will be updated. 
No action is required. 

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Source 
Description of Problem 
Possible Cause 
Solution 
The Taskman scheduled 
option VAFC BATCH 
UPDATE is not scheduled to 
run or has not reached the 
time limit in the schedule. 
Schedule the VAFC BATCH 
UPDATE option to run at the 
desired frequency (the 
recommended frequency is 
every 10 minutes) or use the 
option “One-time Option 
Queue” in the Taskman 
Management Options to start 
the task. 
The VBECSPTU Logical Link 
is not running on the VistA 
system. 
Start the VBECSPTU Logical 
Link. 
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
HL7 Listener Windows 
Service is not running or is 
locked on the application 
server. 
Start or restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> HL7 Listener 
Windows Service. 
Network connectivity issue 
Contact local system support. 
The HL7 message is missing 
patient name or one or more 
name components length(s) 
exceed(s) the VBECS 
maximum supported value. 
VBECS responds to the patient 
update request with an 
application reject (AR) 
acknowledgement message 
indicating Patient Name(s) not 
found in HL7 Message or 
Patient's Name(s) field size(s) 
exceed(s) VBECS maximum 
supported value. Rejected 
patient update messages due 
to invalid patient name 
message content are recorded 
on the Windows Event Log 
(Finding Application Log 
Entries from Email Alerts) 
and an email message 
containing the MSH segment 
of the rejected HL7 message 
as a means to identify the 
message in the server event 
log is sent to the interface 
failure alert recipient set in 
VBECS Administrator for 
immediate action. 
VBECS: Patient 
Merge Alerts 
VistA Patient Merge 
events are not showing up 
in VBECS. 
The two patient identifiers in 
the merge do not exist in 
VBECS and, therefore, cannot 
be merged. 
No action is required. 
The VBECPTM Logical Link is 
not running on the VistA 
system. 
Start the VBECSPTM Logical 
Link. 
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
HL7 Listener Windows 
Service is not running or is 
locked on the application 
server. 
Start or restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> HL7 Listener 
Windows Service. 
Network connectivity issue 
Contact local system support. 

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Source 
Description of Problem 
Possible Cause 
Solution 
The HL7 message is missing 
patient name or one or more 
name components length(s) 
exceed(s) the VBECS 
maximum supported value. 
Failed patient merge 
messages due to invalid 
patient name message content 
are recorded on the Windows 
Event Log and an email 
message containing the MSH 
segment of the rejected HL7 
message as a means to 
identify the message in the 
server event log is sent to the 
interface failure alert recipient 
set in VBECS Administrator for 
immediate action. 
VistA: HL7 
System Link 
Monitor 
The VistA HL7 System 
Link Monitor shows more 
MESSAGES TO SEND 
than MESSAGES SENT 
for the OERR-VBECS 
Logical Link and is hung in 
an “Open” state. 
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
HL7 Listener Windows 
Service is not running or is 
locked on the VBECS 
Application server. 
Start or restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> HL7 Listener 
Windows Service. 
Network connectivity issue Contact local system support. 
The VistA HL7 System 
Link Monitor shows more 
MESSAGES TO SEND 
than MESSAGES SENT 
for the VBECSPTU Logical 
Link and is hung in an 
“Open” state. 
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
HL7 Listener Windows 
Service is not running or is 
locked on the VBECS 
Application server. 
Start or restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> HL7 Listener 
Windows Service. 
Network connectivity issue.  Contact local system support. 
The VistA HL7 System 
Link Monitor shows more 
MESSAGES TO SEND 
than MESSAGES SENT 
for the VBECSPTM 
Logical Link and is hung in 
an “Open” state. 
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
HL7 Listener Windows 
Service is not running or is 
locked on the application 
server. 
Start or restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> HL7 Listener 
Windows Service. 
Network connectivity issue.  Contact local system support. 
CPRS: Orders 
Tab 
CPRS does not display the 
correct status of a blood 
bank order after it was 
updated in VBECS.  
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
HL7 Dispatcher Windows 
Service is not running or is 
locked on the application 
server. 
Start or restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> HL7 Dispatcher 
Windows Service. 
The VBECS-OERR Logical 
Link is not running. 
Start the VBECS-OERR 
Logical Link. 
Network connectivity issue 
Contact local system support. 
CPRS: Blood 
Bank Order 
Dialog 
CPRS displays “Not able 
to open port” message in 
Patient Information screen 
in Blood Bank Order 
Dialog. 
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
VistALink Listener Service is 
not running or is locked on the 
VBECS Application server. 
Start or restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> VistALink 
Listener Service. 
Network connectivity issue 
Contact local system support. 
CPRS: Reports 
Tab, Blood Bank 
Report 
CPRS displays “---- 
BLOOD BANK REPORT 
IS UNAVAILABLE----“  
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
VistALink Listener is not 
running or is locked on the 
VBECS Application server. 
Start or restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> VistALink 
Listener Service. 
Network connectivity issue. 
Contact local system support. 
Incorrect parameters file 
Verify settings are pointing to 
the correct VBECS application 
server and port.  

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Source 
Description of Problem 
Possible Cause 
Solution 
CPRS: Blood 
Bank Order 
Dialog: Signing 
an Order 
CPRS displays an “Error 
Saving Order” dialog 
screen with the text “The 
error, One or more orders 
to the VBECS system 
failed and are queued for 
later delivery.” 
An error occurred in the 
VBECS <Prod or Test> HL7 
Listener Windows Service, 
which caused a failure to 
respond to CPRS with 
acceptance. 
Log onto the application server 
and review the System 
Application Event Log for error 
details.  
Network connectivity issue. Contact local system support. 
VBECS 
Application 
Server 
Application Event 
Log: Source is 
VBECS 
SimpleListener 
An application error has 
been logged to the Event 
Log where the Message 
under Exception 
Information is “Could not 
access ‘CDO.Message’ 
object.” 
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
HL7 Listener Windows 
Service has encountered an 
error trying to send an email 
message to the Interface 
Administrator. 
Disable port 25 blocking in 
McAfee. Open the VirusScan 
Console and select Access 
Protection. Click the Task 
menu option, the Properties. 
Uncheck Prevent mass mailing 
worms from sending mail, port 
25 under Ports to block.  
An application warning 
was logged in the Event 
Log with the description 
stating, “An unsupported 
HL7 message was 
received from IP Address 
[IP address].”  
The IP address in the 
description of the error will 
indicate where the 
message is coming from. 
If the IP address is associated 
with the local VistA system, 
the HL7 Application 
Parameters in VistA were not 
set up correctly for the 
supported protocols. 
Refer to the VBECS 
Application Interfacing Support 
Software Installation and User 
Configuration Guide for HL7 
setup procedures in VistA. 
If the IP address is not from 
the local VistA system, a 
rogue HL7 system is sending 
messages to the VBECS 
server. 
Contact IRM to identify the 
location of the server with 
which the IP address is 
associated. Notify the site that 
the message is coming from 
the problem so that the 
messages can be routed to the 
correct location. 
VBECS 
Application 
Server 
Application Event 
Log: Source is 
VBECS HL7 
MailServer 
An application error was 
logged in the Event Log 
with the source of VBECS 
HL7 MailServer where the 
Message under Exception 
Information is, “Could not 
access ‘CDO.Message’ 
object.” 
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
HL7 Listener Windows 
Service encountered an error 
trying to send an email 
message to the Interface 
Administrator. 
Disable port 25 blocking in 
McAfee. Open the VirusScan 
Console and select Access 
Protection. Click the Task 
menu option, Properties. 
Uncheck Prevent mass mailing 
worms from sending mail, port 
25 under Ports to block. 
VBECS 
Application 
Server 
Application Event 
Log: Source is 
CPRS HL7 
Parser 
An HL7 message sent 
from CPRS to VBECS was 
rejected. The description in 
the Event Log is 
“Exception message: 
Division [division] is not 
supported by this instance 
of VBECS.” 
An invalid or unsupported 
division associated with the 
Patient Location was selected 
in CPRS when the order was 
created. 
The order must be created in 
CPRS again with a valid 
Patient Location associated 
with a VBECS-supported 
division. 
An HL7 message sent 
from CPRS to VBECS was 
rejected. The description in 
the Event Log is 
“Exception message: 
Unable to find valid 
Associated Institutions 
information. Please check 
configuration in VBECS 
Admin.” 
Clinician logs into VistA with a 
division that is not mapped to 
VBECS. 
The order must be created in 
CPRS again with a division 
that is mapped to VBECS. 

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Source 
Description of Problem 
Possible Cause 
Solution 
Automated 
Instrument 
Messages not being 
received from the 
instrument. 
The VBECS <Prod or Test> 
HL7 Listener Windows 
Service is not running or is 
locked on the VBECS 
Application server. 
Start or restart the VBECS 
<Prod or Test> HL7 Listener 
Windows Service. 
CPRS 
Transfusion Reactions 
imported during initial 
VistA conversion are being 
displayed under the 
VBECS section of the 
CPRS Blood Bank Report. 
The Unit ID fields display 
“Unknown”.  
This is a code defect. VBECS 
is sending converted 
transfusion reaction records to 
populate both the VBECS 
section and Legacy VistA 
section. 
Entries with a Unit ID field of 
“Unknown” can be ignored. 
Transfusion Reactions 
processed in VBECS are 
displayed correctly in the 
VBECS section.  

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Finding Application Log Entries from Email Alerts 
When HL7 message patient last or first name components length(s) exceed(s) the VBECS maximum 
supported value of 40, an email will be received (Figure 63). 
Figure 63: Example of Error in VBECS HL7 Listener for CPRS 
1) On the Application Server, click Start, Administrative Tools, Event Viewer. 

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2) On the Event Viewer Window, expand the Windows Logs and click on Application in the left-
hand tree; click the top event in the log table, then click Find on the right side of the window 
(Figure 64). 
Figure 64: Example of Event Viewer 

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3) Paste the MessageID highlighted in the email received (Figure 63) in the Find What text box. 
Click Find Next (Figure 65).  
Figure 65: Example of Find in Local Application 
4) When the event record has been found, the row will be highlighted (Figure 66).  
Figure 66: Example of Message ID Located in Event Log 
5) Click Cancel to close the Find window (Figure 65). 

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6) Double-click on the highlighted row (Figure 67).   
Figure 67: Example of Event Properties 
7) If the Message ID in the email is part of the Message Receive information in the Event 
Properties, analyze the detail message to identify the Patient Information causing the error (Figure 
68). 
Figure 68: Example of Analyzing Event Properties 
8) If the Message ID in the email is not found in the Message Received, proceed to the next error by 
repeating Steps 3 through 7. 

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Zebra Printer Problems  
Problem: The printer prints, but there is no text on the label or text is too light. 
Probable Cause: The printer is out of ribbon or the DARKNESS setting is too light (Figure 69).   
Solution:  Increase the DARKNESS setting after verifying printer has ribbon. 
Figure 69: Example Zebra Printer Settings 

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Problem: The printer does not print.  It also cannot be pinged or be seen in a web browser (Figure 70). 
Probable Cause: Network settings are not correct on the printer 
Solution:  Correct the printer’s network settings. All printer manuals may be found on the VBECS 
SharePoint. 
Figure 70: Example of Zebra Printer Web Console 
Problem: The printer does not print and network settings have been verified (see previous). 
Probable Cause: One or more settings are incorrect.   
Solution: Verify that the PRINT METHOD, CONTROL PREFIX, FORMAT PREFIX, DELIMITER 
CHAR and ZPL MODE match the settings in Figure 69. 

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Problem: The printer is online and network settings have been verified (see previous), but the printer fails 
to print. 
Probable Cause: The network is blocking the printer, most likely due to a firewall. Test with Telnet 
PowerShell script. You may find it on D:\VBECS-Tools\ (App Server) (Figure 71). Read the 
accompanying readme file for instructions.  
Solution: Open the firewall to the printer on port 9100. 
Figure 71: Example of Telnet test setup 
Scanner Problems  
Problem: When scanning, a ` character appears at the start of the scan. 
Probable Cause: The Caps Lock is on. 
Solution: Turn the Caps Lock off. 
Problem: When scanning, characters appear in the field that do not match the label being scanned. Often, 
the bad characters are not alphanumeric. 
Probable Causes: Remote Desktop setting or network latency causes data to become corrupted. 
Solution #1: First, try adjusting the keyboard settings in Remote Desktop Connection. Change the 
Keyboard setting to On the local computer (Figure 8). If this does not work, try solution #2. 
Solution #2: The lab supervisor will program an inter-character delay into the scanner to fix the issue. 
This puts a small time-delay between each character as it is sent over the network, which results in 
slightly slower scan speeds. 
Figure 72 through Figure 79 are configuration barcodes arranged from a 10-millisecond inter-character 
delay all the way up to an 80-millisecond delay respectively. We suggest that you start with the 10-

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millisecond delay. If that does not resolve the problem, proceed with larger delays until the problem is 
corrected. 
Note that these barcodes include all of the configuration information for the scanners. There is no need to 
scan any additional barcodes to configure the scanner. 
Figure 72: 10 milliseconds 
Figure 73: 20 milliseconds 
Figure 74: 30 milliseconds 

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Figure 75: 40 milliseconds 
Figure 76: 50 milliseconds 
Figure 77: 60 milliseconds 
Figure 78: 70 milliseconds 

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Figure 79: 80 milliseconds 

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Archiving and Recovery (Enterprise Operations Only) 
The VBECS database will be backed up once daily and the backup to tape can be taken any time after 
1:00 AM (CST). 
Assumptions 
• The SQL Server job that backs up the database is running correctly. 
• Replacement hardware will have a tape drive that is compatible with the one lost in the disaster. 
Outcome 
• VBECS data is successfully recovered. 
Limitations and Restrictions 
None 
Additional Information 
None 
Restore the Databases 
 If you find the need to perform a database restore and require assistance, file a support ticket 
(Service Desk Primary Contact) for the VBECS Maintenance Team. 
Service Desk Primary Contact 
See Customer Support section of VBECS 2.3.0 Release Notes. 
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Failover 
VBECS does not have a seamless failover mechanism. If an application server fails, the user will receive 
a message that the remote connection was lost. VBECS will lose information entered since the last save. 
The user must reopen a Remote Desktop Connection session. The user will have to reenter all information 
that was lost since the last save.  
The connection between VBECS and VistA can be lost for a number of reasons: 
An application server can fail or the VistA server can fail. When this connection is lost, no messages can be 
exchanged. When the connection between VBECS and VistA is lost due to a failure of VBECS, the messages 
are queued on the VistA side. Orders placed during this downtime will remain in the queue. Once the VBECS 
system recovers and a connection is reestablished with VistA, the messages come across. The order alerts icon 
located in the VBECS status bar will display the orders that were in the queue at the time of failure. 
An application server can fail because of a vSphere failure. If the underlying physical host that VBECS resides 
on fails, the VBECS servers will fail too. vSphere clustering will restore the server on another host. 
If a user’s client workstation fails in the middle of a VBECS session, the session remains active on the 
server for a period set by the server administrator. The standard session time-out is 15 minutes. If the user 
resolves the issues with the client workstation and reconnects to the VBECS server through Remote 
Desktop Connection before the session times out, the session will remain as it was when the client failed. 
VBECS uses a feature within Microsoft SQL Server 2012 called AlwaysOn. SQL Server AlwaysOn 
provides both High Availability (HA) and Disaster Recovery for VBECS databases. HA is implemented 
within one datacenter through synchronous replication. If a primary SQL server should fail, the VBECS 
application is automatically directed to use the databases on the HA SQL server. This is a seamless 
failover and occurs automatically with no intervention needed. The previously defined HA server 
becomes the new primary server and when the original primary server recovers, it becomes the new HA 
server. This will occur during normal maintenance of the servers during Windows update deployment on 
a monthly basis as those servers are rebooted. Using the same AlwaysOn technology, disaster recovery is 
implemented through asynchronous replication between the primary data center and a disaster recovery 
data center. Unlike the HA configuration, activating a disaster recovery server requires manual 
intervention.  
If the VBECS user is in the process of performing a query at the exact second a synchronous failover 
takes place, they are presented with the message shown in Figure 80: 
Figure 80: Synchronous Failover Message 
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Once the VBECS user clicks OK, any open child dialogs automatically close to preserve data integrity. 
They may proceed to use VBECS and will not see this message again. This message could present itself 
in the event of a disaster recovery failover as well. In that case, the system will not recover automatically 
and the VBECS user continues to see this message every time they try to query the database. Manual 
failover recovery to the disaster recovery server takes place through written instructions defined in the 
Disaster Recovery Plan and requires the intervention and expertise of the datacenter and VBECS 
maintenance teams. 
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Performance 
VBECS may delay a critical function such as patient transfusion if the network suffers latency issues. File 
a support ticket (Service Desk Primary Contact) per local procedures when latency issues arise.  
VBECS was re-factored after performance testing results showed latency issues for VistA queries. As a 
result, many queries are cached in the VBECS database. Due to the criticality of having correct and 
current patient data, patient lookups cannot be cached.  
Locking  
VBECS is designed with pessimistic locking controlled within the application code: if one user selects a 
record for edit, the record is locked by that user. If another user tries to edit that record, a message will tell 
him that the record is locked and who has the record. The second user is not granted access to the record.  
Locks have a timeout period defined in the edit divisions portion of the VBECS Administrator application 
(refer to the VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) Admin User Guide). When a lock 
times out or is released by a user completing his edit, another user can edit that record.  
If the application code fails due to a logic bug, optimistic locking is in place to prevent data corruption. 
When a record is retrieved, a row version is also retrieved. When a record is saved, the row in the 
database gets an updated row version; before the save takes place, the save routine checks that the row 
version supplied matches the row version in the table. If it does not match, the routine notifies the caller 
that another user changed the data. The save does not complete; the user must retrieve the updated record 
and start his edits again. 
If VBECS had an application error resulting in the application terminating, locks may have to be 
manually deleted. Contact the Service Desk Primary Contact. 
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Security 
VBECS contains sensitive data and performs a critical function, so it is critical to secure the system. It is 
important to secure the server from both users and malicious attacks from an individual who is trying to 
gain access to the system. 
Access Request Process 
To gain access to the VBECS server, reference the VBECS SharePoint site: 
(http://vaww.oed.portal.va.gov/projects/vbecs/default.aspx). 
 A NMEA must be used at all times to access a VBECS server with administrator access. 
Active Directory 
Access to the VBECS servers is controlled through AD. Each VBECS site will have two groups set up in 
AD, one for normal VBECS users and one for VBECS Administrators (this is not a server administrator). 
Unless the user is a server administrator, he must be a member of one of these two groups to gain access 
to the server. 
These groups also play a role in application level security. Even if a user were able to access the server, 
he would not be able to access VBECS. 
Group Policy 
Group policy controls the user experience (what the user sees and has access to on the VBECS server). To 
configure this correctly, the recommendations in “Windows Server 2008 R2 Security Guide” (Microsoft 
Web site) were followed to establish a baseline for group policy.  
Group policy can be applied to user accounts or to the servers directly. In the case of VBECS, group 
policy is applied to the servers (it is easier to manage). It is also undesirable to have group policy 
associated with the user, which may inhibit his use of other systems. Enabling loopback processing 
applies the policy to any user that logs into the server. 
In some cases, group policy also enables VBECS to perform actions on the Windows operating system. 
For example, there is a group policy setting that allows the VBECS services to be restarted after a 
configuration change in VBECS Administrator. 
System Center Operations Manager 
SCOM is a proactive monitoring tool. SCOM will constantly monitor each server for system 
abnormalities. If SCOM detects a problem, an email will be sent to the system administrator defined 
during the SCOM installation process. SCOM will monitor these high-level categories: 
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Operating System 
• CPU health and usage 
• Network interface cards 
• SQL Server (SQL Clustering and SQL AlwaysOn) 
• Memory usage 
• Hard-disk health and usage 
• VBECS files and services 

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• Windows Services 
Application-Wide Exceptions 
Table 13 explains system exceptions to aid VA Health Product Support in determining the cause and 
resolving system issues. 
Table 13: Application-Wide Exceptions 
System Exceptions 
Description 
ArgumentException 
Base class for all argument exceptions 
ArgumentNullException 
Thrown by methods that do not allow an argument to be null 
ArgumentOutOfRangeException 
Thrown by methods that verify that arguments are in a given range 
ComException 
Exception encapsulating COM HRESULT information 
Exception 
Base class for all exceptions 
ExternalException 
Base class for exceptions that occur or are targeted at environments 
outside the runtime 
IndexOutOfRangeException 
Thrown by the runtime only when an array is indexed improperly 
InvalidOperationException 
Thrown by methods when in an invalid state 
NullReferenceException 
Thrown by the runtime only when a null object is referenced. 
SEHException 
Exception encapsulating Win32 structured exception handling information 
System.ArithmeticException 
A base class for exceptions that occur during arithmetic operations, such 
as System.DivideByZeroException and System.OverflowException 
System.ArrayTypeMismatchException 
Thrown when a store into an array fails because the actual type of the 
stored element is incompatible with the actual type of the array 
System.DivideByZeroException 
Thrown when an attempt to divide an integral value by zero occurs 
System.IndexOutOfRangeException 
Thrown when an attempt to index an array via an index that is less than 
zero or outside the bounds of the array 
System.InvalidCastException 
Thrown when an explicit conversion from a base type or interface to a 
derived type fails at run time 
System.NullReferenceException 
Thrown when a null reference is used in a way that causes the referenced 
object to be required 
System.OutOfMemoryException 
Thrown when an attempt to allocate memory (via new) fails 
System.OverflowException 
Thrown when an arithmetic operation in a checked context overflows 
System.StackOverflowException 
Thrown when the execution stack is exhausted by having too many 
pending method calls; typically indicative of very deep or unbounded 
recursion 
System.TypeInitializationException 
Thrown when a static constructor throws an exception, and no catch 
clauses exist to catch it 
SystemException 
Base class for all runtime-generated errors 

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Table 14 explains the event sources that VBECS uses to write to the Application log in Event Viewer 
(Finding Application Log Entries from Email Alerts). 
Table 14: Event Sources 
Event Source 
Description 
VBECS Exception 
A VBECS system crash 
VBECS Prod 
VBECS Production  
VBECS Test 
VBECS Test 
VBECS Admin Prod 
VBECS Administrator Production 
VBECS Admin Test 
VBECS Administrator Test 
HL7Dispatcher Prod 
VBECS Services 
HL7Dispatcher Test 
HL7Service Prod 
HL7Service Test 
ReportScheduler Prod 
ReportScheduler Test 
VistaLinkService Prod 
VistaLinkService Test 
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Configuring the App Server and Lab Workstations 
After the App Server is deployed, additional configuration will need to be performed on it and on the lab 
workstations. On the server, install the printer, configure permissions and create the Report share. On the 
workstation, create a shortcut to the report share. 
Server Tasks (Enterprise Operations Only) 
Perform the following tasks on the App Server only. 
Grant User Permissions 
1) Open a remote desktop connection to the VBECS App Server and login with server administrator 
privileges. 
2) Click Start, Administrative Tools, Computer Management. Expand Local Users and 
Groups. Select Groups and double-click Remote Desktop Users (Figure 81). 
Figure 81: Computer Management 

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3) Click Add (Figure 82). 
Figure 82: Remote Desktop Users Properties 
4) Specify the VBECS Users and VBECS Administrators group (Figure 83). Note that groups 
typically follow this naming convention (substitute the 3-letter site code for sss): 
• VBECS Users: VHAsssVbecsUsers 
• VBECS Administrators: VHAsssVbecsAdministrators 
Click OK to close the window. Click OK again to close the Properties window. 
Figure 83: Example of Select Users, Computers... 

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Configure the Report Share 
1) Open a remote desktop connection to the VBECS App Server and login with server administrator 
privileges. 
2) Open Windows Explorer and navigate to the D drive. 
3) Right-click on VBECSReports and click Properties. Select the Security tab and click Edit 
(Figure 84). 
Figure 84: Example of VBECSReports Properties 

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4) Click Add (Figure 85). 
Figure 85: Example of Permissions 
5) Specify the VBECS Users and VBECS Administrators group (Figure 86). Note that groups 
typically follow this naming convention (substitute the 3-letter site code for sss): 
• VBECS Users: VHAsssVbecsUsers 
• VBECS Administrators: VHAsssVbecsAdministrators 
Click OK to close the window. 
Figure 86: Example of Select Users, Computers... 

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6) In the Permissions window, assign Write access to both groups in addition to the rights granted 
by default. Click OK (Figure 87). 
Figure 87: Example of Permissions 
7) Select the Sharing tab and click Advanced Sharing (Figure 88). 
Figure 88: VBECSReports Properties 

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9) Click Add (Figure 90). 
Figure 90: Permissions 
10) Specify the VBECS Users and VBECS Administrators group (Figure 91). Note that groups 
typically follow this naming convention (substitute the 3-letter site code for sss): 
• VBECS Users: VHAsssVbecsUsers 
• VBECS Administrators: VHAsssVbecsAdministrators 
Click OK. 
Figure 91: Example of Select Users... 

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11) Select the VBECS Administrators group and select Full Control. Leave the default permissions 
for the VBECS Users group and click OK (Figure 92). 
Figure 92: Permissions for VBECSReports 
Workstation Tasks 
Update the RDP shortcut and create a link to the report share on each lab workstation. 
Update the RDP Shortcut 
1) Log into the lab workstation with administrator privileges. 
2) Right-click on the VBECs remote desktop shortcut and click Edit (Figure 93). 
Figure 93: Edit shortcut 

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3) In the Computer field, the VBECS application server’s fully qualified domain name. The name 
will always be your server name followed by aac.dva.va.gov (Figure 94). Click Save. 
Figure 94: Remote Desktop Connection 

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Configure a Shortcut to the Report Share 
The report share section (Configure the Report Share) must have been executed before proceeding with 
this section. The report share contains patient identifiable information, so the shortcut must only be 
accessible by authorized laboratory personnel. If the workstation will only be used by laboratory 
personnel, the shortcut may be placed in the Public Desktop folder. Otherwise, create it separately in 
each user’s folder.  
1) Log into the lab workstation with administrator privileges. Navigate to the user’s desktop folder 
(C:\Users\Public\Public Desktop), right-click on the Desktop folder and select New, Shortcut 
(Figure 95). Note: If you cannot see the Public Desktop folder in the tree view type 
C:\Users\Public\Public Desktop in the address bar and hit enter. 
Figure 95: Example of New Shortcut 

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2) Enter the share name (\\<VBECS application server fully qualified domain name 
>\VBECSReports) and click Next (Figure 96).  
Figure 96: Example of Report Share 
3) Name the shortcut VBECSReports. Click Finish (Figure 97). 
Figure 97: Create Shortcut 
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Glossary 
Acronym, Term Definition 
ABO 
A group for classifying human blood, based on the presence or 
absence of specific antigens in the blood, which contains four blood 
types: A, B, AB, and O. The ABO group is the most critical of the 
human blood systems. It is used to determine general compatibility 
of donor units to a recipient. 
Access Code 
A field in the VistA New Person file used to uniquely identify a user 
on the VistA system. 
Active Directory (AD) 
A hierarchical directory service built on the Internet's Domain 
Naming System (DNS). 
ADPAC 
Automated Data Processing Application Coordinator. 
AG 
Availability Group. 
ANR 
Automated Notification Report. 
API 
Application Programmer Interface. 
AITC 
Austin Information Technology Center. 
BCE 
Bar Code Expansion. 
CPRS 
Computerized Patient Record System. 
DBIA 
Database Integration Agreement. 
DR 
Disaster Recovery. 
DSS 
Decision Support System. 
DUZ 
Designated User. 
EO 
Enterprise Operations. 
FQDN 
Fully Qualified Domain Name. 
HA 
High Availability. 
HCPCS 
Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System. 
HL7 
Health Level Seven. 
LAN 
Local Area Network. 
LLP 
Lower Layer Protocol. 
LMIP 
Laboratory Management Index Program. 
PCE 
Patient Care Encounter. 
PIV 
Personal Identification Verification. 
RDP 
Remote Desktop Protocol. 
RPC 
Remote Procedure Call. 
SQL 
Structured Query Language. 
SSMS 
SQL Server Management Studio. 
SCOM 
System Center Operations Manager. 
TCP/IP 
Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol. 
VAISS 
VBECS Application Interfacing Support Software. 

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Acronym, Term Definition 
VBECS 
VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software. 
VDL 
VA Software Document Library. 
Verify Code 
A field in the VistA New Person file used to verify the identity of a 
user associated with an Access Code. 
VISN 
Veterans Integrated Service Network. 
XML 
Extensible Markup Language. 

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Appendices 
Appendix A: Instructions for Capturing Screen Shots  
Throughout the technical manual-security guide, the Administrator is asked to capture screen shots to 
document configuration options. To capture a screen shot:  
 Open a blank document (for example, in Microsoft Word) and save it as (click File, Save As) 
“mmddyy Technical-Security Validation Record,” or another easily identified file name. 
 If you wish to place a document on the server for ease of copying and pasting, assign file names 
similar to “mmyydd Technical-Security Validation Record Server1” and “mmyydd Technical-Security 
Validation Record Server2.” 
When the screen you wish to capture is displayed, press the Print Screen key. 
In the Technical-Security Validation Record document, place the cursor where you want to insert the 
picture. 
Click   (the paste icon) or select Edit, Paste (Figure 98).  
Figure 98: Paste 
Label the screen shot within the document with the technical manual-security guide step, page number, 
and server on which the picture was taken.  
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Appendix B: Data Center Instructions (Enterprise Operations only) 
Purpose  
This appendix describes the server configuration as well as the tasks that must be completed by the data 
center for a successful VBECS installation: 
• Initial Setup Tasks: These tasks must be completed prior to installation of any VBECS systems. 
• Ongoing Tasks: These are continual maintenance tasks. 
Server Configuration 
 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration classifies this software as a medical device. Unauthorized 
modifications will render this device an adulterated medical device under Section 501 of the Medical 
Device Amendments to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. Acquiring and implementing this 
software through the Freedom of Information Act require the implementer to assume total responsibility 
for the software and become a registered manufacturer of a medical device, subject to FDA regulations. 
 VBECS is a medical device; all updates and changes to it must be tested and documented. This will 
be centrally managed. The VBECS servers must be added to site exclusion lists so they are not part of 
local update mechanisms. Ensure that login scripts do not run on VBECS servers as they may attempt to 
install unauthorized software. Do not install the ePolicy agent on the VBECS systems: exclude them from 
Systems Management Server (SMS) updates. Install Windows updates only after approval is granted. 
App and Database Server Virtual Machine Configurations 
Table 15 and Table 16 describe the configurations of the App and Database Server virtual machines 
respectively. 
These configurations are designed to promote 24/7 availability and use of the application. At an App 
Server level, replication provides high availability. At the Database Server level, AlwaysOn cluster 
configuration provides near immediate failover in case the primary server fails.  
Table 15: App Server Virtual Machine Configuration 
 App Server Specifications 
Processor 
2 virtual CPUs (vCPUs) with a speed of 2.67GHz 
Memory 
6 gigabyte (GB) main storage (RAM) 
Storage 
80GB system drive (C) with a 10GB (D) drive to host configuration and reports 
Operating 
System 
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Server Enterprise Edition R2 (x64) 
Network 
Controller 
Two 10/100 network cards; one for network configuration and another for backups. 
Backup 
Servers are replicated at the disaster recovery site. 

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Table 16: Database Server Virtual Machine Configuration 
 Database Server Specifications  
Processor 
4 vCPUs: Xeon(R) X5650 @ 2.67GHz 
Memory 
32GB main storage (RAM)  
Storage 
Server: 80GB system drive (C) 
Shared storage: 4 x 980GB drives*: E (Data), F (Logs), G (TempDB) and H (Backup) 
Operating 
System 
Microsoft Windows Server 2008 Server Enterprise Edition R2 (x64) 
Network 
Controller 
Two 10/100 network cards; one for network configuration and another for backups. 
Backup 
Data is replicated to the disaster recovery site via SQL AlwaysOn. 
*The drives used in the test servers will be scaled down. 
Physical Host Configurations 
Table 17 describes the requirements of the hosting hardware. Input/Output Operations per Second (IOPS) 
is a storage benchmark. The Storage Totals row describes the total amount of storage that each region 
must provide.  
Table 17: App Server Virtual Machine Configuration 
 Specification 
R01 
R02 
R03 
R04 
IOPS 
Read (Avg/ Max) 
654/ 5,265 
2,435/ 10,435 
658/ 5,326 
2,445/ 10,543 
985/ 7,959 
3,663/ 15,761 
646/ 5,143 
2,418/ 10,220 
Write (Avg/ Max) 
Storage Totals 
31.16 TB 
31.32 TB 
46.9 TB 
30.84 TB 
Initial Setup Tasks  
Execute the tasks in this section prior to installation.  
Group Policy 
For Group Policy purposes, VBECS servers will reside in their own OU, which will contain only VBECS 
servers. You may also create OUs under the main OU for organizational purposes. For more information, 
see the Group Policy section. 
Import the VHA VBECS Terminal Server Policy from the VHAMASTER domain. Place the group policy 
in the top-level server OU. For more information about OUs and server organization, see the Active 
Directory section. 

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Configure the policy so that it is not applied to the RxxVbecsServerAdmins Active Directory group. See 
the example in Figure 99.  
Figure 99: Example of a Group Policy Not Applied to VBECSAdministrators Group 
RDP Server 
VBECS is a RDP Server application and requires a license. Specify the license server in the group policy 
at the following location: 
 Computer Configuration, Policies, Administrative Templates, Windows Components, Remote 
Desktop Services, Remote Desktop Session Host, Licensing, Use the specified Remote Desktop 
license servers (Enabled), License servers to use: <specify the VA’s license server with the 
server’s fully qualified domain name> 
 Remote desktop is critical to VBECS. Failure to connect to a license server will result in widespread 
outages. If you see errors related to Terminal Server licensing, contact the Enterprise Engineering group 
immediately: VAITEngineeringCISIDM@va.gov. 
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Ongoing Tasks  
Execute the tasks in this section continually.  
1) Back Up the VBECS Database 
Back up the VBECS databases nightly (1am CST): 
• Back up all folders and files in the <Primary Server> H:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL 
Server\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Backup  and <Secondary (HA) Server> 
H:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\MSSQL11.MSSQLSERVER\MSSQL\Backup  
directories. 
• Database backups are maintained for at least seven days on the Active Replica servers.  
2) VBECS Updates 
When the VBECS maintenance team releases a VBECS patch, install the patch in accordance 
with instructions supplied by the VBECS maintenance team. 
3) Windows Updates 
The VBECS maintenance team tests every Microsoft Windows update. Once the VBECS 
maintenance team certifies the Microsoft Windows update, EO staff at the AITC install the 
updates during the monthly maintenance periods defined for the test and production servers. 
Refer to Applying Windows Updates section for details. 
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Appendix C: Auditing on VBECS Servers  
The following events are audited on VBECS servers. These events may be viewed in Event Viewer logs 
(under Administrative Tools): 
• Account logon events (Success, Failure) 
• Account management (Success, Failure) 
• Directory service access (Success, Failure) 
• Logon events (Success, Failure) 
• Object access (Success, Failure) 
• Policy Change (Success, Failure) 
• System events (Success, Failure) 
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Index 
A 
Active Directory ............................................................................................................................................................................. 85 
Appendices ................................................................................................................................................................................... 103 
Application-Wide Exceptions ......................................................................................................................................................... 86 
Archiving and Recovery ................................................................................................................................................................. 79 
B 
Back Up the VBECS Database ..................................................................................................................................................... 108 
C 
Configuring the App Server and Lab Workstations ........................................................................................................................ 89 
Connection Speed ........................................................................................................................................................................... 12 
Create a Remote Desktop Connection Shortcut for VBECS ........................................................................................................... 14 
D 
Data Center Instructions ............................................................................................................................................................... 105 
Database Conversion Updates ...................................................................................................................................................... 109 
E 
ePolicy and Virus Definitions ......................................................................................................................................................... 43 
External Interfaces .......................................................................................................................................................................... 55 
G 
Glossary ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 101 
Group Policy ........................................................................................................................................................................... 85, 106 
H 
Hardware and System Configuration .............................................................................................................................................. 15 
Hardware Specifications and Settings ............................................................................................................................................... 7 
How This Technical Manual-Security Guide Is Organized .............................................................................................................. 5 
I 
Implementation and Maintenance ................................................................................................................................................... 27 
Instructions for Capturing Screen Shots ....................................................................................................................................... 103 
Introduction ...................................................................................................................................................................................... 1 
L 
Locking ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 83 
M 
Maintenance Operations ................................................................................................................................................................. 51 
Monitor VBECS HL7 Logical Links ........................................................................................................................................ 49, 50 
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O 
Ongoing Tasks ...................................................................................................................................................................... 106, 108 
P 
Performance .................................................................................................................................................................................... 83 
Printers ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 17 
Purpose ......................................................................................................................................................................................... 105 
R 
Related Manuals and Reference Materials ........................................................................................................................................ 3 
Remote Desktop Configuration ........................................................................................................................................................ 7 
S 
Save Settings ................................................................................................................................................................................... 13 
Scanners .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 24 
Screen Resolution ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7 
Screen Shots ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 5 
Security ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 85 
Server Configuration .................................................................................................................................................................... 105 
Set Up the VBECS Inbound Logical Link ...................................................................................................................................... 47 
Set Up VBECS Outbound Logical Links ........................................................................................................................................ 45 
Sound .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 10 
Start VistA HL7 Logical Links ....................................................................................................................................................... 48 
System Center Operations Manager ............................................................................................................................................... 85 
T 
Terminal Server License Server .................................................................................................................................................... 107 
Transmit Workload Data ................................................................................................................................................................ 51 
V 
VBECS Updates ........................................................................................................................................................................... 108 
VBECS Windows Services ............................................................................................................................................................. 57 
VistALink Remote Procedure Calls ................................................................................................................................................ 55 
W 
Windows Updates ......................................................................................................................................................................... 108 
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This is the last page of the VistA Blood Establishment Computer Software (VBECS) 2.3.0 Technical 
Manual-Security Guide. 



