Vista Imaging Routing Users Manual User Guide

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Routing User Guide-DRAFT
VistA Imaging 

V. 3.0, Patch 18

April 2006 


VistA Imaging Software Design & Development

Veterans Health Administration 

Department of Veterans Affairs


Routing User Guide-DRAFT
Patch 18
April 2006
Property of the US Government
No permission to copy or redistribute the software described in this document is given. Use of unreleased
versions of this software requires the user to execute a written test agreement with the VistA Imaging
Development Office.
This is a controlled document. No changes to this document may be made without the express written consent
of VistA Imaging Development Office.
While every effort has been made to assure the accuracy of the information provided, this document may
include technical inaccuracies and/or typographical errors. Changes are periodically made to the information
herein and are incorporated into new editions of this document.
Product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective
companies, and are hereby acknowledged.
VistA Imaging Software Design & Development
Department of Veterans Affairs
1335 East-West Highway 3rd Floor
Silver Spring, MD 20910
(301) 734-0100

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Contents

Introduction........................................................................................................ v

Terms of Use....................................................................................................................v

About this Manual ............................................................................................................vi

Related Documents ......................................................................................................... vii


Routing Overview ............................................................................................... 1

Routing Explained ............................................................................................................ 1

Routing Prerequisites ....................................................................................................... 2

How Autorouting Works.................................................................................................... 4

How On-Demand Routing Works ....................................................................................... 7

How Routing Priority Works .............................................................................................. 8


Defining Routing Rules....................................................................................... 9

Routing Rules Explained ................................................................................................... 9

Rule Destinations ............................................................................................................12

Rule Conditions...............................................................................................................14

Routing Rule Priority .......................................................................................................22

Routing Images from Prior Exams ....................................................................................22

Routing Rule Tips............................................................................................................23


Configuring Routing ......................................................................................... 25

Defining Imaging Destinations .........................................................................................26

Defining DICOM Destinations ...........................................................................................37

Defining “Route Priors” Logic ...........................................................................................40

DICOM Gateway Configuration .........................................................................................42

Importing Routing Rules (Route.dic) .................................................................................44

VistARad Configuration—Sending Sites..............................................................................47

VistARad Configuration—Receiving Sites ...........................................................................48

Changes Affecting Routing System Configuration ...............................................................50


Using the Routing Gateway .............................................................................. 51

Activating Routing...........................................................................................................51

Maintaining Routing ........................................................................................................53

Disabling Routing............................................................................................................54

Routing Gateway Menu Options .......................................................................................55


Using VistARad in a Routing System ................................................................ 59

Displaying Routed Exams.................................................................................................59

VistARad & On-Demand Routing.......................................................................................61


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Routing User Guide

Contents

Troubleshooting Routing .................................................................................. 65

Basic Troubleshooting .....................................................................................................65

Getting Help ...................................................................................................................65

Additional Routing Considerations.....................................................................................66


Appendix A........................................................................................................69

Imaging Destination Worksheet........................................................................................71

DICOM Destination Worksheet .........................................................................................73

Routing Rule Definition Worksheet ...................................................................................74

Routing Setup Checklist ...................................................................................................78


Appendix B: Using MAG_Decompressor ........................................................... 79

Licensing........................................................................................................................79

MAG_Decompressor Setup...............................................................................................79

MAG_Decompressor Logging............................................................................................81


Glossary ............................................................................................................83

Index ................................................................................................................ 87

98H

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Introduction

This manual explains how to configure and use the routing capability of the VistA
DICOM Gateway. This manual also explains how to use the on-demand routing
capability of the VistARad diagnostic workstation software.
This manual is intended for:
ƒ	 Staff at VA Medical Centers who are responsible for setting up and maintaining
Routing Gateways.
ƒ	 Clinical staff who need to use VistARad for on-demand routing.
For technical staff, this manual assumes familiarity with the VistA system, MUMPS, and
Windows networking. For clinical staff, this manual assumes familiarity with the
Windows environment and the VistARad diagnostic workstation software.

Terms of Use
In compliance with FDA and VA policies, authorization to use the software described in
this document is contingent on the execution of a Site Agreement between the VistA
Imaging HSD&D group and the site where this software is installed.
Once a routing system is enabled at a site, an updated Site Agreement must be filed
before significantly altering the configuration of a routing system.
In addition to any restrictions noted in the Site Agreement, the following restrictions
apply:

!

Caution: Federal law restricts this device to use by or on the order of either a
licensed practitioner or persons lawfully engaged in the manufacture or
distribution of the product.

!

No modifications may be made to this software without the express written
consent of the VistA Imaging National Project Manager.

!

The Food and Drug Administration classifies this software as a medical device.
Modifications to the computer where this software is installed, such as the
installation of unapproved hardware or software, will adulterate the medical
device. The use of an adulterated medical device violates US Federal Law
(21CFR820).

!

US Federal regulations and VA internal policy prohibit unencrypted transmission
of patient information outside the VA's intranet.

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Introduction	

Routing User Guide

About this Manual
Using this Manual
This document contains material of interest to different types of users.
User

Please read…

All users

The Routing Overview and the Glossary. The Index can
also be used to find information about specific topics in
this document.

Clinical users

The Using VistARad in a Routing System chapter.

Users responsible for
DICOM Gateway
operation and
maintenance

The Using the Routing Gateway chapter. You may also
find useful information in the Troubleshooting Routing
and Defining Routing Rules chapters.

Users responsible for
installing or configuring
a routing system

The Defining Routing Rules and Configuring Routing
chapters.
Installation worksheets are available in Appendix A.

Conventions
This manual uses the following conventions:
ƒ	 Examples are shown in Courier.
ƒ	 Useful or supplementary information is indicated by a  icon
ƒ	 VA File Manager file names are shown in SMALL CAPS. The first time a FileMan file
is referenced in a topic, the file number is indicated in parentheses.
ƒ	 Menu options, buttons and other controls found in a graphical user interface are
indicated by title case. Menu sequences are indicated by vertical bars ( | ).
ƒ	 Cross-references are underlined. If this document is being used online,
cross-references are shown in blue and are active links.
ƒ	 Sidebars shown in margins indicate new or revised content.
Acknowledgements
This document is based on the “Autorouting Tutorial” authored by Ed de Moel.
Special thanks to Brian Belleau, Craig W. Hunter, Cheryl Marland, Arnold Pfenninger,
and Hedy Towan, who provided valuable background information and feedback for
initial drafts of this document.

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Introduction

Revision Table
Date

Rev.

Notes

25 Jun 2002

.9

Draft. Based on 23 Sep 1999 “Autorouting Tutorial.” Updated for
Patch 9, test 2 distribution.

20 Mar 2003

1.0

Final version for p9 release. A. McFarren, E. deMoel

22 Sep 2003

1.1

Minor p22 updates in VistARad chapter. Added info about
routing rules and priority that was not included in original rev.
Minor clarifications and corrections throughout. A. McFarren, J.
Christensen.

30 Jul 2005

1.2

Updates for patches 11 and 51. Change bars in margins indicate
updated content. A. McFarren, E. deMoel

03 Apr 2006

1.3

Updates minor updates for patch 18. Change bars in margins
indicate updated content. A. McFarren, J. Christensen

Related Documents
The following documents contain additional information about routing:
ƒ Patch Descriptions for patches 9, 11, and 51.
ƒ Routing Guidance Document
The following documents contain additional information about components in the routing
system:
ƒ DICOM Gateway User Guide
ƒ DICOM Gateway Installation Guide
ƒ VistARad User Guide
The following documents contain information about the VistA Imaging system in
general:
ƒ VistA Imaging System Installation Guide
ƒ VistA Imaging System Technical Manual
ƒ VistA Imaging System Planning Document & Approved Equipment List
Copies of these documents are available at http://vaww.va.gov.imaging.

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Introduction

Routing User Guide

This page is intentionally blank.

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Routing Overview

This chapter explains how routing functions within the VistA Imaging system. It covers
the following topics:
ƒ	
ƒ	
ƒ	
ƒ	

Routing Explained
How Autorouting Works
How On-Demand Routing Works
How Routing Priority Works

Routing Explained
In VistA Imaging, routing is the combination of methods and software used to identify
and transmit exams produced at one site to a storage location at another site.
Routing takes two forms: autorouting, and on-demand routing.
ƒ	 In autorouting, automatically selected images are transmitted to one or more
destinations. Images are selected based on a predefined set of routing rules.
Autorouting functions are managed using the Routing Gateway.
ƒ	 In on-demand routing, manually selected exams are transmitted to one or more
destinations. Exams are selected using the VistARad diagnostic workstation and are
transmitted by the Routing Gateway.
Destinations of routed images fall into two broad groups. Imaging destinations are
defined to support remote reading using a VistARad workstation. Images sent to these
destinations are in VistA Imaging’s internal file format. DICOM destinations are defined
to support transmission of DICOM images to a Storage SCP (Service Class Provider),
such as a film printer or an external PACS.
A properly implemented routing system can streamline a site’s imaging workflow.
Scenarios where routing can be used include:
ƒ	
ƒ	
ƒ	
ƒ	
ƒ	

Workload sharing between institutions or service providers
Rapid access of exams at remote clinics or other facilities
Remote specialist interpretation or consultation
Off-hours, holiday, or emergency services
Off-site contract radiology services for primary interpretation

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Routing Overview	

Routing User Guide

What is a Routing Gateway?
A Routing Gateway locates routable images, determines where the images are to be
routed to, and sends copies of those images to other locations. Routing is a function of the
DICOM Gateway software. When properly configured, any DICOM Gateway can
function as a Routing Gateway.
Typically, a Routing Gateway runs on a dedicated computer. At sites where only a small
volume of images are produced, a Routing Gateway can coexist on the same computer as
an Image Gateway or a Text Gateway.

Routing Prerequisites
For a site to be authorized to use a routing system:
ƒ	 An executed Site Agreement must be filed with the VistA Imaging HSD&D group.
Note: An updated site agreement must be filed if the routing system is altered (for
example: if site information changes, if a new destination is added, or if routing
volume increases by 50% or more).
ƒ	 A contingency plan must be implemented at all sites in the routing system and filed
with the VistA Imaging HSD&D group. The contingency plan must contain
procedures to be followed should the routing system be unavailable.
General hardware and operational requirements for routing are summarized below. For
detailed information, contact your VistA Imaging Implementation Manager.
Infrastructure Requirements
Routing relies on the following infrastructure:
ƒ	 If remote interpretation is being performed, one or more VistARad diagnostic
workstations for the display of routed exams.
ƒ	 An operational VistA Hospital Information System, an operational Image Gateway,
and an operational Routing Gateway, configured as described in this document.
ƒ	 An operational Local Area Network (LAN).
ƒ	 An operational Wide Area Network (WAN) with sufficient bandwidth to manage the
anticipated volume of routed exams.
ƒ	 Windows-based servers to provide exam storage at each routing destination,
configured as described in this document.

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Routing Overview

Operational Requirements
The medical and IT management at a site implementing the routing system will need to
develop policies establishing:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ

Locations to which the exams may and may not be routed
Reporting / transcription requirements for routed exams
Bandwidth utilization guidelines and priorities
Storage of routed exams at receiving sites
Management of patient confidentiality and privacy issues related to routed exams
Methods for addressing performance issues and/or misuse of the routing system

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Routing User Guide

How Autorouting Works
The following figure illustrates the transfer of automatically routed images to a
VistARad workstation for remote reading. The processes outlined in this figure are
explained in more detail below. (Apart from the destination, the same processes are used
when autorouting images to a DICOM Storage SCP).

Image G/W
processes
images, then
archives images

Images
acquired

Images

Patient
data

Routing G/W
compares
image data
to routing rules (1)

Routing G/W
copies
routable images
to destination (2)

VistA
HIS

Images
reviewed
at destination

VistARad login

Sending Site

Destination Site

Modality
Image links

Image Gateway

1

2

Routing Gateway

VistARad

2

1) Eval. Processor
2) Trans. Processor
Local image copies

Images
Image Archive

Remote Storage
Destination

Identifying Images to be Autorouted
Autorouting begins with an Image Gateway. As it is processing newly acquired images, a
properly configured Image Gateway will add routing-specific entries to the rule
evaluation queue. 1 This queue is continually checked by the evaluation processor (which
resides on the VistA Host and is started from the Routing Gateway).
 If the Image Gateway is not configured to add entries to the rule evaluation queue, the
images being processed by the gateway cannot be autorouted. For more information,
see page 44.
Each image referenced in the rule evaluation queue is checked against a set of
site-specific routing rules. If the rules indicate that the image should be routed, the
evaluation processor creates an entry in the transmission queue. 2 Entries in the rule
evaluation queue are deleted after they are checked.
1
2

4

The rule evaluation queue is a subset of the IMAGE BACKGROUND QUEUE file (#2006.03).
The transmission queue is stored in the SEND QUEUE file (#2006.035).

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Routing Overview

Autorouting Images from Prior Exams
Autorouting offers the option to include images from prior exams. When this option is
used in a routing rule, the Routing software will use the VistARad prefetch logic defined
at acquisition site to create a list of prior exams. Images from the prior exams will be
routed using same priority as the newly acquired image and, when appropriate, will be
purged based on the same retention period as the newly acquired image. For more details
about autorouting priors, see page 22.
Sending Images to Destinations
The transmission of routed images is based on entries in the transmission queue. Each
entry in the transmission queue identifies the image to be routed and the destination of
the image.
The transmission queue is continually checked by the Routing Gateway transmission
processor. For each entry in the queue, the transmission processor locates the image, and
identifies the destination.
For Imaging destinations, the transmission processor is responsible for copying the image
to the destination. For DICOM destinations, the transmission processor passes the image
and destination information to the ‘Transmit DICOM Images to a DICOM SCP’ function
of the DICOM Gateway, and waits for the function to report the status of the transfer
back to the routing software.
After the image is copied, the appropriate entry in the transmission queue is updated with
the status of the image transfer. Transmission queue entries are retained for tracking and
troubleshooting purposes. Entries can be deleted as described on page 57.
Remote Reading with VistARad

A properly-configured VistARad workstation can be used to display and interpret exams
routed from another site. Radiologists performing remote reading can use VistARad to
log into the site that sent the routed exams, and then use the contents of the RC (Remote
Cache) exam list column to determine which exams have been routed to them. For
additional information about working with routed exams, refer to page 59.
Exporting DICOM Images

In general terms, any DICOM Storage SCP (Service Class Provider) can serve as a
DICOM destination. Apart from transmission logs, images routed to a DICOM
destination are not tracked by the Imaging system. Retention, management, and deletion
of routed images is the responsibility of the destination.
Deletion of Routed Images
For Imaging destinations, the amount of time routed images are retained is based on the
value of the RETENTION PERIOD field in the NETWORK LOCATION File (#2005.2). When
connecting to a destination for the first time on a given day, the transmission processor

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Routing Overview

Routing User Guide

determines if images at the destination are older than the number of days specified in
1
RETENTION PERIOD. Images older than the specified number of days are deleted from
the destination’s storage location.
For DICOM destinations, routed images are retained until they are deleted locally. The
routing software will not delete images sent to DICOM destinations.
 Routed images are copies. The original image files are retained at the site where they
were acquired.

1

The age of a routed image is based on the transmission queue entry for that image, not on the
date of the image file itself. Changes made to the date of the image file (such as those made by
some anti-virus packages) will not affect when the image is deleted.

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Routing User Guide

Routing Overview

How On-Demand Routing Works
On-demand routing uses the same infrastructure as autorouting. However, in on-demand
routing, exams to be routed are manually selected by a VistARad user, rather than being
identified automatically by a Routing Gateway. With the proper security keys,
on-demand routing is available to any VistARad user in the routing system.
The following figure illustrates the transfer of images between a local and remote
VistARad workstation using on-demand routing. 1 On-demand routing can also be used to
transfer images to a DICOM destination such as a film printer or an external PACS.

Exams available
in VistARad
exam lists

VistARad used to
queue exams for
on-demand routing

VistARad login

VistA
HIS

Routing G/W
copies images
to destination

Images
reviewed
at destination

Remote VistARad login

Sending Site

Destination Site

Route
Request

VistARad (sending site)

VistARad (destination site)

Routing Gateway
(Trans. Processor)

Images

Local image copies

Image Archive

Remote Storage
Destination

Selecting Images for On-Demand Routing
VistARad’s Route Request dialog is used to select the exams to be routed on-demand and
to indicate where exams are to be sent. When a user accepts the settings in the Route
Request dialog, the exams are checked by VistARad to see if they can be routed (images
present, available in short-term storage, etc.). Then entries for each image in the selected
exams are added to the transmission queue.
Once an exam has been added to the transmission queue, on-demand routing functions in
the same way as autorouting.

1

This figure illustrates on-demand routing being initiated from the site with a local Routing
Gateway. On-demand routing can also be initiated from a destination site, as long as the
destination site is logged into the location (division) where the exams to be routed were acquired.

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How Routing Priority Works
The following factors are used to determine the priority of a routed exam:
ƒ Assigned priority
ƒ Clinical urgency (autorouting only)
ƒ Time in transmission queue
Priority and Autorouting
For automatically routed exams, the routing software uses the priority assigned in a
routing rule and the clinical urgency of the exam to calculate a numeric value. Images
with the highest priority value are transmitted first.
Factor

Values

Notes

Assigned priority

Low:
+250
Medium: +500
High:
+750

Priority is set in routing rules as described
on page 9.
If not explicitly set, a default value of
Medium is used.

Clinical urgency

Routine:
Urgent:
STAT:

Values are based on the clinical urgency
defined for the exam in the VistA system.

+0
+10
+20

Priority and On-demand Routing
When an exam is routed on-demand, VistARad’s Route Request dialog can be used to
assign a priority of Low, Medium or High. (The clinical urgency of the exam is not
used). The Route Request dialog is described on page 61.
If a user selects an exam to be routed on-demand that is already in the transmission
queue, the higher priority of the two instances will be used.
Other Priority Factors
If two or more entries in the transmission queue have the same priority value, entries are
processed on a First In, First Out (FIFO) basis.
Because the transmission processor works on an image-by-image basis, it is possible for
the images in a lower-priority exam to be interrupted ‘mid-stream’ by the images in a
higher-priority exam. If this happens, transmission of all lower priority images will
resume after transmission of all higher-priority images is complete.

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Defining Routing Rules 

This chapter explains how to define the rules used for autorouting. This chapter covers
the following topics:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ

Routing Rules Explained
Rule Destinations
Rule Conditions
Routing Rule Priority
Routing Rule Tips

 Routing rules can be defined before the configuration of the routing system is
complete, but cannot be tested until the setup of the routing system is finished.

Routing Rules Explained
The Routing Gateway uses routing rules to determine which images are to be
automatically routed and where the images are to be sent. Routing rules need to be
established as a part of configuring the routing software, and will need to be adjusted if
there is a change of staff availability or workflow.
The definition of routing rules involves: 

1

Determining the needs of the staff at the sending and receiving sites. 


2

Determining what resources will be used at the receiving site. 


3

Translating the resulting information into a rule that can be executed by the routing

software. 

 A rules definition worksheet is located in Appendix A.


How Routing Rules Work
Routing rules are defined in a text file and are implemented when the text file is imported
into a local table on the Routing Gateway.
A basic routing rule looks like:
send(“destination”)

when [condition A

condition B...] 


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Routing User Guide

Each routing rule must contain at least one destination and one condition. When the
conditions in a rule are met, the image is sent to the specified destination.
ƒ	 The destination specified in a rule must match an entry in either the NETWORK
LOCATION File (#2005.2) or the DICOM TRANSMIT DESTINATION File (#2006.587).
Routing rule destinations are described in detail on page 12.
ƒ	 A condition is a comparison between a general image property and the specific value
associated with a particular image. Conditions are described in detail on page 14.
Sample Routing Rules
The following pages contain examples of routing rules as they would be entered into the
Route.dic file. For more information about the Route.dic file, see page 44.
A Simple Routing Rule

A common routing scenario is the transmission of images from a particular modality for
remote interpretation.
Send CR images to Kansas City
send("KANSASCITY")
when MODALITY = "CR"

Rules using Multiple Conditions

If a rule contains more than one condition, all of the conditions must be met for an image
to be routed.
Send CR images produced in Wichita to Kansas City
send("KANSASCITY")
when MODALITY = "CR"
SOURCE
= "WICHITA"

Tip: When defining multiple conditions for a rule, list the most restrictive condition first.
Listing the most restrictive condition first will minimize the amount of time needed by
the routing software to process the rule.

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Defining Routing Rules

Rules using Wildcards

Wildcards can be used when you want a condition to be valid for more than one value. In
the example below, all images, regardless of modality, will be routed.
Send all images to Kansas City
send("KANSASCITY")
when MODALITY="*"

Wildcards are described in detail on page 20.
Rules using the “does not match” Operator

A condition can use different types of operators. The previous examples used “=” as an
operator, indicating that the specified image property must match a particular value for a
condition to be met.
The following example uses “!=” as an operator, indicating the image property in
question can be any value except the listed value.
Send non-CR images to Kansas City
send("KANSASCITY")
when MODALITY != "CR"

Operators are described in detail on page 20.
Rules using Date/Time Conditions

A rule using date/time conditions can be used to route images based on date, time of day,
or “type” of day (such as weekday, holiday, and so on).
A rule to send all CR images to a destination on certain days would look like:
Send CR images to Kansas City on Mon/Wed/Fri
send("KANSASCITY")
when MODALITY="CR"
NOW={MON 00:01AM to 11:59PM;
WED 00:01AM to 11:59PM;
FRI 00:01AM to 11:59PM}

The NOW condition is described, along with other date/time conditions, on page 21.

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Defining Routing Rules

Routing User Guide

Rule Destinations
The first parameter in a routing rule contains either the send command or the balance
command, and contains one or more destination names.
The send and balance commands are described in detail below. Destination names are
described on pages 26 and 37.
The SEND Command
Typically, the send command is used to specify a single destination, as in the example
below:
send("KANSASCITY")
when MODALITY="CR"
NOW={MON 00:01AM to 11:59PM;
WED 00:01AM to 11:59PM;
FRI 00:01AM to 11:59PM}

To send similar exams to multiple destinations, multiple rules would be used, as shown
below:
send("KANSASCITY")
when MODALITY="CR"
send("BACKUP")
when MODALITY="CR"

The BALANCE Command
Use the balance command when you want to divide a pool of exams between multiple
destinations. When using the balance command, you must specify what percentage of
exams should be sent to each destination.
In the sample rule below, 25% of the exams are sent to KANSASCITY, and 35% of the
exams are sent to KANSASCITY2. The remaining exams are not routed at all (as indicated
by the =40% portion of the command).
balance("KANSASCITY"=25%,"KANSASCITY2"=35%,=40%)
when MODALITY="CR"

 The total value of the percentages specified in the command must equal 100%.

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Routing User Guide	

Defining Routing Rules

How Load Balancing Works

When a rule incorporates the balance command, the routing software uses two things to
determine which destination receives a given exam: the percentages specified in the rule
and internal counters set by the routing software.
When a rule including a balance command is first applied, the routing software begins
distributing exams the same way a deck of cards is dealt: the first destination receives one
exam, the second destination receives the next exam, and so on. Exams are evenly
distributed until the destination with the lowest value specified in the balance command
has received its allotted percentage of exams. Then that destination is skipped until the
counter resets. Since load balancing is based on percentages, the counter is reset each
time 100 exams have been sent.
For example, if a rule specifies…
balance("DEST1"=10%,"DEST2"=40%,"DEST3"=50%)
when MODALITY="CR"

ƒ	 The first 30 CR exams will be distributed evenly, with each destination receiving 10
exams. Once DEST1 has received 10% of the exams, the routing software will skip
DEST1 until the counter resets.
ƒ	 The next 60 CR exams are split evenly between DEST2 and DEST3. After this point,
DEST2 and DEST3 each have a total of 40 exams. DEST2 now has its allotment of 40
exams, and will be skipped until the counter resets.
ƒ	 The remaining 10 CR exams are sent to DEST3, giving that destination a total of 50
exams.
ƒ	 Once 100 CR exams have been sent, the routing software resets its counters to zero,
and starts distributing exams to all three destinations again.
Note that a destination receiving a comparatively smaller percentage of exams will
become idle more often than destinations that receive a greater percentage of exams.
Resetting the Load Balancing Counter

When routing rules are imported, the counters used for load balancing are all reset to
zero. You can take advantage of this trait if you need to fine-tune or troubleshoot
situations where load balancing is used. Note that it is not necessary to change routing
rules to achieve this; you only need to re-import them.

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Rule Conditions
In routing rules, a condition is a comparison between a particular property of an image
and a user-supplied value. The results of the comparison determine if the rule will be
applied to an image or not.
A routing rule can contain multiple conditions. A single when statement precedes all
conditions in a rule.
send("KANSASCITY")
when MODALITY = "CR"
SOURCE
= "WICHITA"

The parts of a condition are:
property operator value

A property is one of the known attributes of an image. Properties that can be used in a
condition are listed the following section.
An operator is a code for a type of comparison. Operators are described on page 20.
A value is a text or date string supplied by the user. A value specifies what is being tested
in the condition. Values are described on page 21.
Properties
The properties listed in this section can be used in routing rule conditions.
 Property names are not case-sensitive. However, properties are typically rendered
in uppercase.
Frequently Used Properties

MODALITY

Abbreviation for the type of modality. Possible values are listed below. Retired
values are indicated by (ret.).
AS: Angioscopy
AU: Audio
BI: Biomagnetic Imaging
CD: Color Flow Doppler
CF: Cinefluorography
CP: Colposcopy
CR: Computed Radiography
CS: Cystoscopy
CT: Computed Tomography

14

MA: Magnetic Resonance Angiography
MG: Mammography
MR: Magnetic Resonance
MS: Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
NM: Nuclear Medicine
OP: Ophthalmic Photography
OT: Other
PR: Presentation State
PT: Positron Emission Tomography (PET)

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(continued)
DD: Duplex Doppler
DF: Digital Fluoroscopy (ret)
DG: Diaphanography
DM: Digital Microscopy
DS: Digital Subtraction Angiography (ret)
DX: Digital Radiography
EC: Echocardiography
ECG: Electrocardiography
EPS: Cardiac Electrophysiology
ES: Endoscopy
FA: Fluorescein Angiography
FS: Fundoscopy
GM: General Microscopy
HC: Hard Copy
HD: Hemodynamic Waveform
IO: Intra-oral Radiography
IVUS: Intravascular Ultrasound
LP: Laparoscopy
LS: Laser Surface Scan

PX: Panoramic X-Ray
RF: Radio Fluoroscopy
RG: Radiographic Imaging (conventional)
RTDOSE: Radiotherapy Dose
RTIMAXGE: Radiotherapy Image
RTPLAN: Radiotherapy Plan
RTRECORD: RT Treatment Record
RTSTRUCT: Radiotherapy Structure Set
SM: Slide Microscopy
SMR: Stereometric Relationship
SR: SR Document
ST: Single-Photon Emission Computed

Tomography (SPECT)
TG: Thermography
US: Ultrasound
VF: Videofluorography
VL: Visible Light (VA extension)
XA: X-Ray Angiography
XC: External-camera Photography

NOW

Date and time that the rule is being processed. For more information, see page 21.
SOURCE

Name of the site that originally acquired the image. The value for this field is
determined as follows:
If the ACQUISITION SITE field (#2005, .05) has a non-empty value, the value of
this field is used, otherwise;
If the end-user credentials have a non-empty value for the current division (i.e. the
location code for the DICOM Gateway from which the evaluation processor was
started), the number of this division will be used, otherwise;
As a last resort, the KERNEL SITE PARAMETER field for the number of the
institution will be used.

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Other Properties

ABSTRACT_REF

The network storage location of the image abstract.
ACQUISITION_DEVICE

The name of the device that generated the image as defined in the ACQUISITION
DEVICE File (#2006.04).
BIG_JUKEBOX_PATH

Full file path on jukebox for .BIG images. This field indicates whether this file is
located on the jukebox.
BIG_MAGNETIC_PATH

Full file path for .BIG images. This field indicates on which magnetic server this file
resides.
CLASS

The class of the image, as stored in the CLASS INDEX field (#2005, 41). Typical values
are CLIN, ADMIN, CLIN/ADMIN, and ADMIN/CLIN.
CLINIC

If an image is associated with a patient encounter (visit), the value of this parameter is
the name of the clinic where the appointment occurred.
DESCRIPTIVE_CATEGORY

This is mainly for Document Imaging; it further describes the type of document
image.
EXAM_TIME

The date/time of the procedure or the examination. For more information, see page 21.
EXAM_TIME can be used to compare the exam date/time of the “image at hand” to the

provided value.
EXAM_TIME_FIRST can be used to compare the exam date/time of the earliest (oldest)

image in the exam to the provided value.
EXAM_TIME_LAST can be used to compare the exam date/time of the latest (newest)
image in the exam to the provided value.
EXPORT_REQUEST_STATUS

The value of this field, if defined, indicates if MailMan will send or has sent the image
to another site. Possible values are:
1 = EXPORT REQUESTED

0 = EXPORTED 


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FILE_REF

The unique image filename of the image, as stored on the magnetic server (and/or
jukebox).
IMAGE_SAVED

The date and time the image was captured (as opposed to the date and time of the
procedure or exam). For more information, see page 21.
IMAGE_SAVED can be used to compare the save date/time of the “image at hand” to

the provided value.
IMAGE_SAVED_FIRST can be used to compare the save date/time of the earliest

(oldest) image in the exam to the provided value.
IMAGE_SAVED_LAST can be used to compare the save date/time of the latest (newest)

image in the exam to the provided value.
IQ

A flag that indicates whether or not an image has questionable integrity, as specified
in the IQ field (#2005, 13). This field is either empty or equal to YES. Note that
images with questionable integrity will be transmitted, but may not be displayed by
the software on the receiving system. (On VistARad workstations, a warning is
displayed if a user opens an image with questionable integrity, and only a user with
the proper security key can actually display the image.)
LAST_ACCESS

The date and time the image was last viewed or accessed. For more information, see
page 21.
LAST_ACCESS can be used to compare the last access date of the “image at hand” to

the provided value.
LAST_ACCESS_FIRST can be used to compare the last access date of the earliest

(oldest) image in the exam to the provided value.
LAST_ACCESS_LAST can be used to compare the last access date of the latest


(newest) image in the exam to the provided value. 

MAGNETIC_REF

The path for the network location of the stored image.
MICROSCOPIC_OBJECTIVE

Free text description of the Microscopic Objective selected by the pathologist. It
identifies the power of the microscope objective used when capturing an image of a
slide.
OBJECT_NAME

The natural language name for the image, usually consisting of the patient name,
social security number, and image description.

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OBJECT_TYPE

The object type (such as still image, black & white image, x-ray) as described in the
OBJECT TYPE File (#2005.02).
PACKAGE

An abbreviation for the name of the package that the image is attached to, as defined
in the PACKAGE INDEX field (#2005, 40). Possible values are: RAD, LAB, MED,
NOTE, CP, SUR, PHOTOID, NONE, or CONS.
PACS_PROCEDURE

The name in the radiology reports file that identifies the procedure.
PACS_UID

The unique 26-character image identifier of the PACS image.
PARENT_DATA

The name of the file that contains the “Parent Data.” See also
PARENT_DATA_FILE_IMAGE_POINTER, PARENT_GLOBAL_ROOT_D0 and
PARENT_GLOBAL_ROOT_D1.
PARENT_DATA_FILE_IMAGE_POINTER

In the file identified by “Parent Data,” a multiple valued field may exist that identifies
groups of images. When there is such a “multiple,” the value of this parameter is the
entry number in this multiple that points back to the parent image of the current
image.
PARENT_GLOBAL_ROOT_D0

The internal entry number in the file identified by PARENT_DATA.
PARENT_GLOBAL_ROOT_D1

The value of this parameter is defined only for laboratory images to record the third
subscript of ^LR(D0,"SP",D1) as a backward pointer for use in report display and
image deletion.
PATH_ACCESSION_NUMBER

The Anatomic Pathology accession number - the identifying number for the slide.
PATIENT

The name of the patient.
PROCEDURE

An abbreviation for the procedure as stored in the PROCEDURE field (#2005, 6).
This field is set automatically by Imaging. Typical values are COL for colonoscopy,
SUR for surgery, SP for surgical pathology, or XRAY for radiology.
PROCEDURE_OR_EVENT

The name of the procedure or event for which the image was created, as stored in the
PROC/EVENT INDEX field (#2005, 43).

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PROCEDURE_TIME

The date/time of the procedure or the examination. For more information, see page 21.
PROCEDURE_TIME can be used to compare the procedure date/time of the “image at

hand” to the provided value.
PROCEDURE_TIME_FIRST can be used to compare the procedure date/time of the
earliest (oldest) image in the exam to the provided value.
PROCEDURE_TIME_LAST can be used to compare the procedure date/time of the latest

(newest) image in the exam to the provided value.
RADIOLOGY_REPORT

The name of the Radiology Report associated with the image.
SAVED_BY

The name of the person who logged in to capture the image.
SHORT_DESCRIPTION

A one-line description of the image or object record.
SPECIALTY

The specialty (or sub-specialty) for which the image was acquired, as stored in the
SPEC/SUBSPEC INDEX field (#2005, 44).
SPECIMEN

The specimen number of the slide given in the LAB DATA File (#63).
SPECIMEN_DESCRIPTION

The description given to the specimen in the LAB DATA File (#63).
STAIN

Free text description of the Histological Stain.
SUMMARY

A flag that indicates whether or not the image functions as a summary for a group.
The value of this property is either empty, or equal to 0 (NO) or 1 (YES).
TRACKING_ID

An identifier for the package that performed the Import (value looks like package
name, semi-colon, ID-code).
TYPE

The type of image, as stored in the TYPE INDEX field (#2005, 42). Typical types are
IMAGE, DIAGRAM, CONSENT, etc...
URGENCY

A code that indicates the clinical urgency of the exam for which the image was
produced. Possible values are: ROUTINE, URGENT and STAT. The value for this
field is determined by the Radiology Package.

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WORM_REF

The network location of the jukebox platter where the image is stored (provided there
is a jukebox in the Imaging system).
Operators
The following operators can be used in routing rule conditions:
Operator

Image property must…

=

Match value in rule.

!=

Not match value in rule.

<

Be less than a numeric value in rule. For date/time values, this
operator can be used for “earlier than.”

>

Be greater than a numeric value in rule. For date/time values, this
operator can be used for “later than.”

<=

Be less than or equal to a numeric or date/time value in rule.

>=

Be greater than or equal to a numeric or date/time value in rule.

Values
Values are the user-supplied part of a routing rule condition. Most values are text strings.
Values are typically enclosed in quotation marks ("). If a value contains both upper and
lowercase characters, or if it contains punctuation marks or spaces, quotation marks are
required.
Two types of wildcard characters can be used in routing rules: the asterisk (*) and the
question mark (?). The question mark allows one single character in a value to be “any
character.” The asterisk allows one or more characters to be “any character.”
The following examples demonstrate how wildcards can be used in text-based values:
PATIENT=“*CRAY*”

To meet this condition, the patient name for an image must contain the characters
CRAY. Any characters may precede or trail these characters. Names like CRAY,
MCCRAY, and CRAYNE will meet this condition, but CREY will not.
PATIENT=“SMIT?”

To meet this condition, the patient name for an image must start with the characters
SMIT, after which exactly one character may follow. Names like SMITH and SMITT
will meet this condition, but SMITHSON will not.
PATIENT=“PETERS?N”

To meet this condition, the patient name for an image must start with the characters
PETERS, then contain one arbitrary character, then end with N. Names like
PETERSON and PETERSEN will match this comparison, but PETERSSEN will not.

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Values for Date/Time Properties
When condition based on date and time is used, the supplied value must adhere to
VA-FileMan conventions. Values for date/time conditions are presented as a range
enclosed in braces { }.
The most frequently used date/time property is NOW. NOW can be used to select the times
that a staff member will be present by specifying certain workdays and times of day. 1
Send CR images to Kansas on Mon/Wed/Fri
send("KANSAS")
when MODALITY="CR"
NOW={MON 08:00AM to 17:00PM;
WED 08:00AM to 15:30PM;
FRI 08:00AM to 17:00PM}

Date/time properties can also be used to specify holidays. In this context, holidays are
those days that are marked as such in the sending site’s HOLIDAY File (#40.5). A rule to
send images on holidays only could be specified as:
Send CR images to Kansas on Holidays
send("KANSAS")
when MODALITY="CR"
NOW={HOL 00:01AM to 23:59PM}

Date/time ranges use a 24-hour clock. While the use of AM or PM indicators is not
required they can be useful when the hours specified are 0:00 AM (midnight) and
12:00 PM (noon). Date/time ranges can be used to express date values from any century
as well as time values for any second in the day.
When the routing software compares a date/time property in an image entry to a specified
value, the date/time value is broken into components:
Day of week
Day of month
Month
Year

Hour
Minute
Second

Which of these components will be used in the actual comparison will depend on the
specified value.
1

The actual value of NOW is the moment when the rule is evaluated.

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Routing Rule Priority
Automatically routed exams are assigned a default priority of ‘Medium.’ This priority
can be changed by adding a priority statement after the conditions for the rule.
Prioritize images based on destination
send("KANSAS")
when MODALITY="CT"
priority HIGH
send("BACKUP")
when MODALITY="CT"
priority LOW

In addition to the priority that is derived from routing rules, the routing software takes the
clinical urgency of an exam into account. For more information, see page 8.

Routing Images from Prior Exams
Images from prior exams can be automatically routed by adding a priorstudy
statement after the conditions for the rule.
Do or Do Not include Prior Studies
send("KANSAS")
when MODALITY="CT"
priorstudy YES
send("BACKUP")
when MODALITY="CT"
priorstudy NO

When priorstudy is set to YES, images from prior exams will be included based on
routing-specific settings in the MAG RAD PRIOR EXAMS LOGIC File (#2006.65).
(Settings in this file are described in detail on page 40).
When priorstudy is set to NO, or if the priorstudy statement is absent, images from
prior exams will not be included.

!

22

Using priorstudy in a routing rule can significantly increase network traffic. If
a rule of this sort is implemented, be sure to monitor the network to ensure no
problems arise.

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Routing Rule Tips
The following tips may be useful while creating or editing routing rules:
ƒ	 When defining multiple conditions for a rule, list the most restrictive condition first.
This will reduce the amount of time needed to process the rule.
ƒ	 The number symbol # can be used for comments, or to disable a rule. When disabling
a rule, precede each line in the rule with #.
ƒ	 Spaces and line breaks can be used as needed for legibility.
ƒ	 Route.dic must end with a line-feed. To ensure proper termination of the last
meaningful line, add a comment-line after the last routing rule, such as:
# last update on 1 April 2003

# end of file 


When rules are imported as described on page 44, the routing software will check the
syntax used and will report on any problems detected.

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Configuring Routing 

This chapter assumes that routing software has been installed, and that an initial set
of routing rules have been defined.
This chapter explains how to configure a routing system. The following table lists the
configuration tasks described in this chapter.
See
Page…

Configuration Task

Performed By

Set up Imaging destinations

All sites involved

26

Set up DICOM destinations

All sites involved

37

Review/edit route priors logic

Sending site

40

Image Gateway configuration

Sending site

42

Routing Gateway configuration

Sending site

43

Import routing rules

Sending site

44

VistARad site parameter setup

Sending site

47

VistARad workstation setup

Receiving site

48

Alter configuration in response to
changes in routing system

All sites involved

50

A configuration checklist is also available in Appendix A.

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Defining Imaging Destinations
The following sections explain how to define an Imaging (non-DICOM) destination for
routing. In general terms, defining an Imaging destination breaks down into the
following steps:
1	

Establish naming conventions that are agreed on by the sending and receiving sites.

2	

Define storage folders for routed images at the receiving site and verify that the
sending site can access those folders.

3	

Create routing-specific entries in the NETWORK LOCATION File (#2005.2) at the
sending site.

A destination definition worksheet is located on page 71.
Note: Imaging destinations are

defined to support remote reading using VistARad. For
information about defining a DICOM destination, see page 37.

Naming Conventions for Imaging Destinations
Before an Imaging destination is established, the sending and receiving sites should
decide how to identify themselves to routing users.
The values that identify an Imaging destination are stored in the NETWORK LOCATION
File (#2005.2) at the site where the Routing Gateway is installed. The values defined for
the following should be related in some way.

26

Field

Description

Notes

Network
Location
(.01)

The “official”
destination name.

Used by routing rules and the Routing
Gateway at the sending site. Referenced
in VistARad CacheLocationID at
appropriate receiving site.
Cannot match any other name in the
NETWORK LOCATION File or in the DICOM
TRANSMIT DESTINATION File (#2006.587).
30 max, no spaces or punctuation.
The value used should contain the
nationally assigned 3-character site code
and should indicate that the entry in
question is used for routing.

Physical
Reference (1)

The computer and
share name at the
receiving site.

The name used should be meaningful to
both the sending and receiving sites.
Cannot exceed 63 characters in length

Site (25)

Destination as
reported to
VistARad users.

Used in the RC column of VistARad’s
exam lists.
The value used should contain the
nationally assigned 3-character site code.

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When an Imaging destination is established, all the above values should be related in
some way. The following example illustrates destination names for a fictional routing
system.
In this system, the sending site uses autorouting to meet two sets of needs. MRI images
are routed to an off-site specialist for interpretation. Urgent exams acquired in the
evening are routed to an affiliated hospital for after-hours interpretation.
Jonesville

Offsite location (MRI Interp.)

Routing Gateway

Remote Storage
Destination
\\JONESVILLE_MRI_RC

VistARad

Maryvale (off-hours coverage)

Image Archive

VistA
HIS
(Network location file
entries for destinations)

NETWORK LOCATION File

Remote Storage
Destination
\\MRV\JONESVILLE_RC

VistARad

Entries at “Jonesville”

Name field for Destination 1: OFFSITE_MRI_READ
Phys. Ref. field for Destination 1: \\JONESVILLE_MRI_RC
Site field for Destination 1: JVL_MRI
Name field for Destination 2: MARYVALE_RC
Phys. Ref. field for Destination 1: \\MRV_RC1\JONESVILLE_RC
Site field for Destination 2: MRV
Storage Location Names for offsite MRI specialist
Folder name: Exams_from_Jonesville
Computer and share name: \\JONESVILLE__MRI_RC
VistARad CacheLocationID: JVL_MRI_RC
Storage Location Names at for after-hours coverage at Maryvale
Folder name: Exams_from_Jonesville
Computer and share name: \\MRV_RC1\JONESVILLE_RC
VistARad CacheLocationID: MARYVALE_RC

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Storage Folders for Imaging Destinations
This section explains how to create and verify a folder for an Imaging destination on a
Windows-based server. The folder will be used as the storage location for routed images
at a receiving site.
The resulting folder will be referenced in the NETWORK LOCATION File (#2005.2).
Folder Prerequisites

Before creating the folder:
ƒ	 A username and password, to be used by the routing software to copy images to the
folder, will need to be established by the receiving site. The username/password must
be provided to the sending site.
Note: Unannounced password changes are a major cause of routing problems. To
avoid future problems, the sending and receiving sites need to establish a
procedure by which username/password changes can be implemented without
adversely affecting routing.
ƒ	 The sending site and the receiving site must establish naming conventions to use for
the various elements that describe an Imaging destination. For more information, refer
to the previous section.
ƒ	 The sending site should work with the receiving site to estimate the amount of storage
space needed based on the anticipated volume of transmitted images and the planned
retention period.
Folder Creation

When the folder to be used as an Imaging destination is established by the receiving site,
the receiving site will need to choose a logical folder name and share name. The share
name will ultimately be referenced in the sending site’s NETWORK LOCATION File.
Creating & sharing a folder to be used in an Imaging destination
1 	 Log in as an Administrator to the computer where you will be creating the folder, and
start Windows Explorer (choose Start | Run, then type Explorer).
2	

Select the drive (or folder) that you want to create the new folder in.

3	

Click File | New | Folder. After the new folder appears in the right side of the Explorer
window, type the name of the new folder and press Enter.

4	

Right click the new folder, then click Sharing.

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5	

Configuring Routing

In the Sharing tab, click the option that allows for sharing the folder, then enter the
share name you want used for the folder. 1
 The share name cannot contain punctuation marks or spaces, and the combined
string identifying the computer and the shared folder cannot be more than 63
characters long.
 The share name you enter must match the PHYSICAL REFERENCE field value
(#2005.2,1) defined at the site that will be sending images to this folder.
 It is recommended that you make the folder a hidden share by adding a dollar sign
($) to the end of the share name. A hidden share will be accessible by the routing
software, but will not be visible to users browsing your network.

6	

After typing the share name, click Permissions.

7	

In the Permissions dialog, click Add, then select the user group / user name that the
routing software will use to access this folder.
 The username and password for the user you choose will need to be included in the
NETWORK LOCATION File entry that references this folder.
 Use the domain name as well as the username. Example: VHAIS\VHAKANIU (note
the absence of leading backslashes).

8	

After adding the “routing user,” set the access type for the routing user to Full.

9	

In the list of users allowed to access the folder, click the “Everyone” user group, then
click Remove.

10

When you are finished, click OK to apply your changes and to close the Properties
dialog.

Folder Verification

After the receiving site has created the folder, the sending site will need to verify that the
folder can be remotely accessed and that files can be copied to and deleted from the
folder.
 To complete the following steps, you will need the username and password that the
routing software will use to access the folder.
Testing folders from the sending site (Explorer)
1 	 On the computer you will be using to test the folder, log in as an Administrator.

1

Under Windows NT, the option name is ‘Share As’. Under Windows 2000, it is ‘Sharing’.
Under Windows XP and 2003, it is ‘Sharing and Security’.

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2	

Start Windows Explorer (choose Start | Run, then type Explorer), then click Tools |
Map Network drive.

3	

In the Map Network Drive dialog, enter the drive letter, path, and username (including
domain name) that the routing software will be using. Then click OK.
 If desired, you can map a drive to the folder to make troubleshooting easier.
However, be aware that the transmission processor will map certain drives as it
sends exams to Imaging destinations. For more information, see page 66.

4	

When prompted, enter the password that will be used by the routing software, then
click OK.
 If you cannot map the folder, use the next set of steps below (Testing folders from
the sending site (Command Line)) to provide more detailed information about the
problem you are encountering.

5	

Select the folder you just mapped to, copy a test file into the folder, and then delete
the file. If the file is successfully copied and deleted, the routing software should be
able to use the folder.

6	

Disconnect the mapped drive.

Testing folders from the sending site (Command Line)
1 	 Log in as an Administrator to the computer you will be using to test the folder on.
2	

Open a command prompt window (choose Start | Run, then enter CMD).

3	

Enter the following command to map the folder to a local drive. Parameters shown in
bold will need to be replaced with valid values established by the receiving site
> net use x: \\VHAxxxxxx\sharename\ password /u:username

4	

After mapping the drive, copy a test file to the folder, and then delete the file. If the
file is successfully copied and deleted, the routing software should be able to use the
folder.
> copy any.file x:\

> delete x:\\any.file 


5	

When you are satisfied that the above parameters can be used to successfully access
the folder, delete the test file, then terminate the test connection.
> net use x: /delete

 Be sure to terminate the test connection. Letting a connection linger may prevent
the routing software from establishing its own connection to the folder.

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Imaging Destination Definition
Imaging Destination Definition using FileMan

The following steps explain how to create an Imaging destination using FileMan. For
information about values for specific fields, refer to page 32. A destination definition
worksheet is also located on page 71.
Editing the Network Location File at the sending site
1 	 Log into the VistA Hospital Information System.
2	

Use FileMan to select the NETWORK LOCATION File (#2005.2) for editing.
Select OPTION: E ENTER OR EDIT FILE ENTRIES
INPUT TO WHAT FILE: 2005.2 NETWORK LOCATION (7 entries)
EDIT WHICH FIELD: ALL// 

3

When you are prompted to select a network location, enter the name that you want
used for the destination.
Select NETWORK LOCATION: TESTDEST
Are you adding 'TESTDEST' as a new NETWORK LOCATION (the 11TH)? No// YES

 The name must be entered in upper case, cannot contain punctuation or spaces, and
cannot match the name of a DICOM destination.
4	

At the next prompt, enter the computer name and share name of the storage location
you want used for this destination. This name references a folder defined as described
on page 28.
PHYSICAL REFERENCE: \\VHAxxxxxx\images$\

5	

At each new prompt, enter the desired values for each field. Be sure to enter Y at the
ROUTER prompt.
 Typical values for a routing destination are shown below. For more detailed
information about a particular field, enter "?" at the prompt, or refer to the next
section.
… 

STORAGE TYPE: MAG
MAGNETIC

TOTAL SPACE: 

SPACE USED: 

FREE SPACE: 


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OPERATIONAL STATUS: 1 On-Line 

HASH SUBDIRECTORY: 

ABSTRACT: N
No 

FULL: Y
Yes 

BIG: Y
Yes 

TEXT: Y
Yes 

DICOM: N
No

COMPRESSION: 

USER NAME: 

PASSWORD: 

MAINTAINCONNECTION: 

MAX # RETRY ON CONNECT: 3 

MAX # RETRY ON TRANSMIT: 5

SYNTAX: U UNC

SUBDIRECTORY: 

Select USER


RETENTION PERIOD: 5 

LAST PURGE DATE: 

SITE: 

ROUTER: Y YES

TIME OFFLINE: 

MUSE SITE #: 

MUSE VERSION #:  


Imaging Destination Definition using the Background Processor

The Background Processor software can also be used to define an Imaging destination in
the NETWORK LOCATION File (#2005.2). (In the Background Processor, choose Edit |
Network Location Manager). A destination definition worksheet is also located on
page 71.
Imaging Destination Values

Fields used in the NETWORK LOCATION File are described below. These fields are listed
in the order that they are defined in the file, and their descriptions assume that a routing
destination is being defined.
NETWORK LOCATION

The value of this field will serve as the destination name for the location where image
files will be sent. The routing software will accept uppercase alphanumeric characters
and dashes ( – ), but will not accept values that use lowercase characters or other
punctuation marks.
ƒ	 The value for this field is used in the routing rules file (described on page 44).
ƒ	 The value for this field can be different from the actual directory name or “share”
name used for physical network location being referenced.

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PHYSICAL REFERENCE

The value of this field identifies the physical network location where routed images
will be stored. This value must contain the computer name and the share name of the
directory where routed images will be stored.
\\ISWIMG01\IMAGE1$\ 

\\TeleRad\Wichita$\ 


This value must be entered using UNC (Universal Naming Convention) standards.
This field is limited to 63 characters in length, must end in a backslash ( \ ), and the
part of the name that identifies the computer cannot contain punctuation.
TOTAL SPACE
SPACE USED
FREE SPACE

These fields are not used for routing. The Background Processor uses these fields and
will set values as needed.
OPERATIONAL STATUS

The value for this field can be 0 (off-line) or 1 (on-line). The routing software will set
this value appropriately as it is operating. When no connection can be established, the
routing software will set this field to 0 (off-line). Once this field is set to 0, the routing
software will not attempt to reach the storage location referenced in this entry for 15
minutes. After 15 minutes have passed, the routing software will reset this field to 1
and then try to connect again.
STORAGE TYPE

The value of this field describes the media type for the storage location identified
above. For routing destinations, the value will be MAGNETIC.
HASH SUBDIRECTORY

The value of this field determines if routed image files are stored in one single
directory (value is No or empty), or in a hierarchy of directories (value is Yes). This
value should be set based on the needs of your site.
ABSTRACT

The value of this field indicates whether or not “abstract” files should be transmitted
to this destination. Abstract files (also known as thumbnail or icon files) are used by
Clinical Display workstations.
FULL

The value of this field indicates whether or not “full” files should be transmitted to
this destination. Full files contain the complete image, potentially at a reduced
resolution. For routing, this field should be set to Yes.

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BIG

The value of this field indicates whether or not “big” files should be transmitted to this
destination. Big files contain the complete image, always at the original resolution.
For routing, this field should be set to Yes.
TEXT

The value of this field indicates whether or not text files should be transmitted to this
destination. Text files contain the header information from the original DICOM file.
For routing, this field should be set to Yes.
DICOM

Do not use.
COMPRESSION

The value of this field is a code that indicates which type of compression will be used
for routed images. When the value of this field is equal to “J2K”, JPEG 2000
compression will be applied before the file is transmitted. When the value of this field
is empty or equal to “None”, no compression will take place. All images that are sent
to the destination will be treated in the same fashion, that is: either compressed or
uncompressed.
Note: If compressed images are to be sent to a VistARad workstation, the
MAG_Decompressor software will need to be installed on the workstation. See
Appendix B for more information.
Note: A toolkit license is needed for each system that is sending or receiving
compressed images. For more information, contact VistA Imaging Customer
Support.
If some images need to be sent compressed and some not compressed, set up two
destinations that are almost the same, one with a name like "WhereEver", with this
field set to , and one with a name like "WhereEver_Compressed", with this
field set to the appropriate type of compression.
All other fields in the two records could have the same value, most specifically the
field named "Physical Location".
Then, the following routing rules could be set up:
Send("WhereEver")

when MODALITY="MR" 


and
Send("WhereEver_Compressed")

when MODALITY="MR" 


This will allow both compressed and uncompressed images to be sent to the same
destination.

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USER NAME

The value of this field is the username that the routing software will use to log into the
shared folder defined in the PHYSICAL REFERENCE field. This username must
include permission to read, write, and delete on the physical storage space for this
destination.
PASSWORD

The value of this field is the password that is used with the username above to log into
the destination. The password is case-sensitive and is stored in an encrypted format.
MAINTAINCONNECTION

This field is not used for routing, and should be left blank.
MAX # RETRY ON CONNECT

Indicates the maximum number of successive attempts that will be made by the
routing software to connect to this destination. A typical value is three attempts.
If a successful connection cannot be made, the destination will be marked “off-line.”
After 15 minutes, the destination will be marked “on-line,” and the routing software
will begin trying to connect to this destination again.
MAX # RETRY ON TRANSMIT

Indicates the maximum number of successive attempts the routing software will make
to transmit a file to this destination. A typical value is five attempts.
When it is not possible to make a successful copy of an image within the number of
attempts, the entry for the image in the transmission queue will be marked as failed
(There is a Routing Gateway menu option to re-transmit failed queue entries.)
SYNTAX

The value of this field is a code that indicates the format for the name of the physical
location. Currently, only UNC (Universal Naming Convention) is accepted.
SUBDIRECTORY

Typically, this field is left blank. The value of this field determines if a subdirectory
(under the directory specified in PHYSICAL REFERENCE) should be used to store files
for this destination. If hashing is turned off, all transmitted files will be stored in the
subdirectory specified in this field; if hashing is turned on, all transmitted files will be
stored in subdirectories of this subdirectory.
Select USER

 The values that may be entered for this (multiple-valued) field are
e-mail addresses that will be used by a future version of the routing software to notify
people about significant events related to routing activities.

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RETENTION PERIOD

The value of this field determines the number of days routed image files are stored at
this destination. A typical value is five days.
Whenever a transmission processor connects to a destination, it checks whether or not
it has executed a purge for that destination on that day. If the connection in question is
the first of the day and no purge has been executed yet, a purge will be initiated.
During a purge, any image files older than the number of days specified by
RETENTION PERIOD are deleted (note that files are always retained at the sending
site).
LAST PURGE DATE

The value of this field is set by the transmission processor when it executes a purge.
SITE

The value of this field is a code used by VistARad to identify the source of routed
exams. The value of this field can be any text string. In the VistARad software, the
value for this field will be shown in the RC (Remote Cache) exam list column.
ROUTER

The value of this field indicates whether or not the shared folder defined in the
PHYSICAL REFERENCE field is being used as a routing destination. For routing, the
value of this field must be Yes.
TIME OFFLINE

The value of this field will be filled in by the transmission processor if it marks a
destination as off-line. For more information, see MAX # RETRY ON CONNECT.
MUSE SITE #

This field is not used for routing. For MUSE EKG network locations, this field
contains the MUSE site number assigned by a GE Marquette field engineer during
MUSE server installation.
MUSE VERSION #

This field is not used for routing. For MUSE EKG network locations, this field
contains the MUSE software version number.

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Defining DICOM Destinations
In general terms, defining a DICOM destination breaks down into the following steps:
1	

Determine the names that will be used to identify the destination and gather
information about the receiving application.

2	

Edit the SCU_List.dic file, a dictionary file used by the DICOM Gateway(s).

3	

Use the DICOM Gateway to load the contents of SCU_List.dic into the MUMPS
databases on the DICOM Gateway and on the VistA Host.

The three following sections explain in detail how each general step is performed. A
destination definition worksheet is located on page 73.
Note: A DICOM destination must be a DICOM Storage SCP (Service Class Provider).
For information about defining Imaging (VistARad) destinations, see page 26.
Naming Conventions for DICOM Destinations
The first step in defining a DICOM destination is determining what to name the
destination and how to identify the sender of DICOM images.
ƒ	 When selecting a destination name (entered as the Application in SCU_List.dic), be
sure that the name is 31 characters or less in length (case insensitive, punctuation is
allowed), and that the name does not match any name defined for an Imaging
destination.
ƒ	 The sender of DICOM images (Calling AE in SCU_List.dic) is the ‘Transmit DICOM
Images to a DICOM SCP’ function of the DICOM Gateway. The name used to
identify this function needs to be agreed on by the sender and receiver of the DICOM
transmission.
The remaining information needed to define a DICOM destination is determined by the
system that will be receiving the routed images. This information is described in detail
on page 39.
DICOM Destination Definitions in SCU_List.dic
This section explains how to update SCU_List.dic specifically for the purposes of
routing, and how to load the contents of SCU_List.dic into the DICOM and VistA system
databases. The steps below assume that a single instance of SCU_List.dic is used by all
DICOM Gateways at a site.
Adding DICOM Destinations to SCU_List.dic
1 	 Stop all active DICOM processes by waiting until they reach an idle state, and then
terminating them.

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2	

On the DICOM Gateway, use a text editor to open
x:\DICOM\Dict\SCU_List.dic, where x is the name of the drive used by the
DICOM Gateway to store dictionary files.

3	

Add the information for each DICOM destination as shown below (comment lines are
preceded by #). Specific fields are defined in the next section.
# User Application List
# Format:
# line 1:App Name|Called AE|Calling AE|Destination IP Address|Socket
# line 2:|Presentation Context Name|Transfer Syntax Name
# line 3:||Transfer Syntax Name (if there are more than one)
#
MERGE EFILM|VistA_Storage|VistA_Send_Image|111.222.33.44|4006
|Modality Worklist Information Model - FIND|Implicit VR Little Endian
|Verification SOP Class|Implicit VR Little Endian

4	

Save the file into the directory noted in Step 1.
 When using programs such as Microsoft Word, make sure that the file is saved in
“text only” mode.
 Confirm that the file extension is not changed by the text editor. The file will only
be imported if it is named SCU_List.dic and if it is stored in the proper
directory.

5	

Open a terminal window and log into the DICOM Gateway software.

6	

Enter 4 to select “System Maintenance” from the DICOM Gateway Menu
[MAGDMENU].

7	

Enter 2 to select “Gateway Configuration and DICOM Master Files”.

8	

Enter 5 to select “Update SCU_List.dic”

9	

When you are prompted to update the file, enter Y.
Ready to read dictionary file “:\DICOM\Dict\SCU_List.dic”?


10

y// y

The file will be updated. If the operation is successful, you will be prompted to return
to the menu.
 If you encounter any errors, record the information and then press Enter. You will
need to correct the offending information and repeat the ten steps above.

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Field Definitions
Fields defined in SCU_List.dic and used in the DICOM TRANSMIT DESTINATION File
(#2006.587) are described below. These fields are listed in the order that they are defined
in SCU_List.dic.
Application

The name that will be used to identify the receiving application and to identify the
destination in a routing rule. The value for this field may be up to 31 characters in
length, is case-insensitive, and punctuation can be used.
Called AE

The Application Entity Title of the application that is being called. The value of this
field is dictated by the system that will be receiving the DICOM transmission.
Calling AE

The Application Entity Title of the application that initiates the call (i.e., the Transmit
DICOM Images to a DICOM SCP function of the DICOM Gateway). The value for
this field may be up to 16 characters in length, is case-insensitive, and punctuation can
be used.
Destination IP

The TCP/IP address of the machine that will be receiving the DICOM transmission.
The IP address can be numeric (123.46.57.89), symbolic (xxx.yyy.med.va.gov), or a
name stored in the local “hosts” file.
Socket

The TCP/IP port number on which the system that will be receiving the DICOM
transmission expects to be called.
Presentation Context

The name of a presentation context expected by the system that will be receiving the
DICOM transmission. Refer to the current DICOM standard for a complete list of
possible values.
Transfer Syntax

The name of a transfer syntax expected by the system that will be receiving the
DICOM transmission. There are four possible transfer syntaxes
Implicit VR Little Endian 

Implicit VR Big Endian

Explicit VR Little Endian 

Explicit VR Big Endian


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Defining “Route Priors” Logic
Verifying that Prefetch is Enabled
The capability to route priors assumes that ‘prefetch’ is enabled. Prefetch is generally
enabled at sites using VistARad.
You can verify that prefetch is enabled by checking the following settings.
ƒ	 In the Protocol File (#101), use FileMan to verify that MAGJ PREFETCH/SEND
ORM is defined as a Subscriber to the RA REG protocol.
ƒ	 In the APPLICATION PARAMETER File (#771), verify that MAGJ CLIENT is set
to “Active.”
Note: The PREFETCH ACTIVE? setting in the VistARad Site Parameters File
(#2006.69) does not affect the automatic routing of priors.
For more information, refer to chapter 3 in the Imaging System Installation Guide.
How Prior Exam Routing Works
The logic for automatically routing prior exams is triggered when a prior study
statement is used in a routing rule. The baseline logic for routing priors is:
For each exam being automatically routed, also route up to one matching prior exam
up to 1800 days (about five years) old.
This logic is stored in the MAG RAD PRIOR EXAMS LOGIC File (#2006.65). In a
nutshell, this file is used for three things:
1	

It is used to identify, based on procedure name/CPT code, what qualifies as a ‘prior
exam’.

2	

It is used to determine the maximum number and age of exams to automatically route
as priors.

3	

It is used to determine the maximum number and age of exams to retrieve from the
jukebox for VistARad prefetch.

Note: Numbers 1 and 3 above are pre-existing functions. Number 2 is a new function
introduced in Patch 51.
Altering “Route Priors” Logic
To alter the logic used for automatic routing of prior exams, you will first need to identify
the procedure name/CPT code of the current exams in question. Then you will need to
edit the MAG RAD PRIOR EXAMS LOGIC File (#2006.65) as described below.

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Note: Altering the settings used to identify a prior will affect both VistARad’s prefetch
function as well as the auto-route priors capability. However, the settings that determine
the number and age of priors to be auto-routed can be set independently from the similar
settings used for prefetch.
To change “route priors” logic
1 	 Log into the VistA Hospital Information System.
2	

Use FileMan to select the MAG RAD PRIOR EXAMS LOGIC File (#2006.65) for editing.
Select OPTION: E ENTER OR EDIT FILE ENTRIES 

INPUT TO WHAT FILE: 2006.65 MAG RAD PRIOR EXAMS LOGIC (288 entries) 


3

Select the following fields for editing.
EDIT WHICH FIELD: ALL// .01  CURRENT CASE CPT GROUP
THEN EDIT FIELD: 1  PRIOR CASE MATCHING CPT GROUP (multiple)
EDIT WHICH PRIOR CASE MATCHING CPT GROUP SUB-FIELD: ALL// .01 
MATCHING CPT GROUP
THEN EDIT PRIOR CASE MATCHING CPT GROUP SUB-FIELD: 1  AUTO-DISPLAY?
THEN EDIT PRIOR CASE MATCHING CPT GROUP SUB-FIELD: 2  DAYS
LIMIT/AUTO-DISPLAY
THEN EDIT PRIOR CASE MATCHING CPT GROUP SUB-FIELD: 3  VERSION
LIMIT/AUTO-DISPLAY
THEN EDIT PRIOR CASE MATCHING CPT GROUP SUB-FIELD: 
THEN EDIT FIELD: 
STORE THESE FIELDS IN TEMPLATE: 

4	

At the following prompt, enter the CPT code or description for the types current
exams you want to alter the route priors logic for. (Enter ? to see a list of CPT codes
and descriptions).
Select MAG RAD PRIOR EXAMS LOGIC CURRENT CASE CPT GROUP:

5	

At the ‘Select MATCHING CPT GROUP’ prompt, enter a CPT code that has been
previously entered as being a match for the current exam, or enter a new CPT code to
match to the current exam.
Note: Altering the settings for this prompt will affect both VistARad’s prefetch
function as well as the auto-route priors capability.

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Set the following three prompts as desired for autorouting priors. Details follow.
AUTO-DISPLAY: YES//

VERSION LIMIT/AUTO-DISPLAY: 1//

DAYS LIMIT/AUTO-DISPLAY: 1800// 


AUTO-DISPLAY?
The value of this field should be set to “YES” for entries that should cause
autorouting of prior studies
DAYS LIMIT/AUTO-DISPLAY
The value of this field should be set to an integer number. Studies that precede the
current image by more than this number of days will not be candidates for autorouted transmission. Only studies that are less than the number of specified days
will be included.
VERSION LIMIT/AUTO-DISPLAY
The value of this field should be set to an integer number. This number indicates
the maximum number of prior studies that will be auto-routed for the current
image.
Note: The names of fields will be changed in a future patch.
7	

Select additional fields to edit, or exit FileMan.

DICOM Gateway Configuration
A site that is the source of auto-routed images will need to set the configuration file for
all Image and Routing Gateways as described in the following sections.
Â	 No configuration changes are needed for Text Gateways in a routing system.
Image Gateway Configuration
Image Gateways at a site using autorouting will need to have their configuration file set
as described below.
 The following steps cover only routing-related configuration parameters. For
information about other configuration parameters, refer to the DICOM Gateway
Installation Guide.
To configure Image Gateways
1 	 Open a terminal window and log into the DICOM Gateway software.
2	

42

Enter 4 to select “System Maintenance” from the DICOM Gateway Menu
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3

Enter 2 to select “Gateway Configuration and DICOM Master Files.”

4

Enter 1 to select “Update Gateway Configuration files.”

5

Set the prompts indicated in bold below to Yes.
… 

Will this computer be a DICOM Image Gateway? YES// YES 

Will this computer be a DICOM Text Gateway? NO// NO
Will this computer be a Routing Gateway? NO// NO

Â

Will this computer be part of a system where autorouting is active? NO// Yes
Send text to a commercial PACS, Mitra Broker, et cetera? NO// NO 

… 


6

Press  to cycle though the rest of the prompts and to exit the program.

Routing Gateway Configuration
The workstation serving as a Routing Gateway will need to have its configuration file set
as described below. Completing these steps will make the Routing Gateway menu option
and its submenus available in the main DICOM Gateway Menu [MAGDMENU].
 The following steps cover only routing-related configuration parameters. For
information about other configuration parameters, refer to the DICOM Gateway
Installation Guide.
To configure the Routing Gateway
1 Open a terminal window and log into the DICOM Gateway software.
2

Enter 4 to select “System Maintenance” from the DICOM Gateway Menu.

3

Enter 2 to select “Gateway Configuration and DICOM Master Files.”

4

Enter 1 to select “Update Gateway Configuration files.”

5

Set the prompts indicated in bold below to Yes.
… 

Will this computer be a DICOM Image Gateway? YES// NO 

Will this computer be a DICOM Text Gateway? NO// NO

Â
Â

Will this computer be a Routing Gateway? NO// Yes
Will this computer be part of a system where autorouting is active? NO// Yes
Send text to a commercial PACS, Mitra Broker, et cetera? NO// NO 

… 


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Press  to cycle though the rest of the prompts and to exit the program.

Importing Routing Rules (Route.dic)
This section covers the following topics:
ƒ	
ƒ	
ƒ	
ƒ	

Creating and Importing a Routing Rules File
Verifying Imported Rules
Re-Importing Routing Rules
Routing Rules & Multiple Routing Gateways

This section assumes that you have prepared your routing rules as described in the
previous chapter.
Creating and Importing a Routing Rules File
Routing rules are initially defined in the \DICOM\Dict\Route.dic file, which is stored
on the Routing Gateway. This file can be created and modified using any text editing
program.
Routing rules take effect after Route.dic has been imported into a local MUMPS table
used by the Routing Gateway.
To create and import routing rules
1 	 On the Routing Gateway, use a text editor to open x:\DICOM\Dict\Route.dic,
where x is the name of the drive used by the Routing Gateway to store dictionary
files.
 The first time routing rules are defined; this file will need to be created. If you are
modifying an existing file, it is recommended that you create a backup copy of the
file.
2	

Enter your rules.
 Route.dic must end with a line-feed. To ensure proper termination of the last
meaningful line, add a comment-line after the last routing rule, such as:
# last update on 1 April 2003

# end of file 


3	

Save the file into the directory noted in Step 1.
 When using programs such as Microsoft Word, make sure that the file is saved in
“text only” mode.
 Confirm that the file extension is not changed by the text editor. The file will only
be imported if it is named Route.dic and if it is stored in the proper directory.

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4

Open a terminal window and log into the Routing Gateway software. 


5

Enter 3 to select “Routing Gateway” from the DICOM Gateway Menu [MAGDMENU]. 


6

Enter 5 to select “Import Routing Rules.” 


7

When you are prompted to build the Routing Table, enter Y. 

Ready to build the Routing Table?

8

y// y 

The file will be imported. If the import is successful, the following will be displayed.
You will be prompted to return to the menu.
nnn rules stored in the database
Press  to continue:

 If you encounter any errors, record the information and then press Enter. You will
need to correct the offending rules and repeat these steps.
Verifying Imported Rules
When new routing rules are imported it is important to double-check that the new set of
rules corresponds to the intent of the end-user.
To verify imported rules
Open a terminal window and log into the Routing Gateway software. 

1

Enter 3 to select “Routing Gateway” from the DICOM Gateway Menu [MAGDMENU]. 


2

Enter 10 to select “Display Routing Rules”. 


3

The current set of Routing Rules will be displayed:


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Routing rules:
SEND(IMAGPROVIDER1)
If: MODALITY=CT
SEND(IMAGPROVIDER2)
If: MODALITY=CR
SEND(BAL2)
If: MODALITY=XA
Priority: HIGH
Press  to continue...

4	

After the rules are displayed and double-checked, press Enter to return to the menu.

Re-Importing Routing Rules
To be change routing rules, Route.dic will need to be modified, and then re-imported.
When routing rules are re-imported:
ƒ	 The existing routing table will be replaced. Retaining the original set of rules in a
backup file allows you to restore the routing table, if necessary.
ƒ	 If you are using load balancing, importing routing rules will cause internal counters
that control load balancing to be reset. For more information, see page 13.
ƒ	 If multiple Routing Gateways are present, the steps for importing the modified rules
file must be performed for all Routing Gateways, so that Gateways will all use the
same set of rules.
Routing Rules & Multiple Routing Gateways
If multiple evaluation processors need to be active (as could be the case at a consolidated
site) each Routing Gateway can use its own local set of rules.
However, it is usually better for all Routing Gateways to use a single set of rules stored in
a shared directory. Using the same set of rules will make maintenance easier (changes to
rules need to be made in only one Route.dic file, rather than several), and allows each
gateway in the pool to function as a backup for any other gateway.

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VistARad Configuration—Sending Sites
For sites that will be sending autorouted images:
ƒ	 The MAG VISTARAD SITE PARAMETERS File (#2006.69) needs to be edited.
ƒ	 A site’s SITE CODE (IMAGING SITE PARAMETERS File (#2006.1)) must be set to a
non-null value that will identify the sending site.
To set routing-related VistARad site parameters
1 Open a terminal window and log into the VistA Hospital Information System.
2

Access the VistARad System Options menu [MAGJ MAIN] and run the “E/E
VistARad Site Parameters” option [MAGJ VISTARAD SITE PARAMETERS].

3

Set the routing-related fields (shown in bold below) to YES.
Select MAG VISTARAD SITE PARAMETERS VISTARAD SITE NAME: DEMO 

VISTARAD SITE NAME: DEMO//

ENABLE STATUS UPDATE?: YES//

RECENT EXAMS DAYS LIMIT: 9999//

UNREAD EXAMS DAYS LIMIT: 9999//

PREFETCH ACTIVE?: YES//

LIST ONLY EXAMS HAVING IMAGES?: NO//

ENABLE SERIES DISPLAY?: YES//

BACKGROUND COMPILE EXAM LISTS?: NO//

UNREAD BKGND COMPILE INTERVAL: 2//

RECENT BKGND COMPILE INTERVAL: 30//

REMOTE LIST ONLY REMOTE CACHE?: NO// YES  1
SITE SENDS TO REMOTE CACHE: NO// YES
 2
PATIENT LIST LIMIT # YEARS: 10//
PATIENT LIST LIMIT # EXAMS: 15//
UNREAD LIST PRIORITY SEQ: S,U,P,R//

 These steps assume that other fields in MAG VISTARAD SITE PARAMETERS are
already set as desired. For information about other site parameters, refer to chapter
3 in the VistA Imaging Installation Guide.
4	

Use FileMan to check the value of your site’s SITE CODE field (#2006.1,.09). The
value entered must not match any of the CacheLocationID values defined at

1

REMOTE LIST ONLY REMOTE CACHE? This field is retained for backward compatibility. For
sites using the patch 32 VistARad client, this field, when set to YES, will show only the exams
that have been routed to their site. For sites using the patch 18 client, this setting is a filter that
can be set as desired by each user. For more information, refer to the VistARad Quick Start
Guide.

2

SITE SENDS TO REMOTE CACHE? Setting this field to YES turns on extra processing that
is needed to manage routed exams properly. One of the results of setting this field to YES is the
addition of the RC column to VistARad’s exam lists. The RC column is described on page 59.

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receiving sites (see the next section for details). It is recommended that the SITE
CODE be set to your standard 3-digit site code.
Select OPTION: E ENTER OR EDIT FILE ENTRIES 

INPUT TO WHAT FILE: 2006.1 IMAGING SITE PARAMETERS (1 entry)

EDIT WHICH FIELD: ALL// .09 SITE CODE 

THEN EDIT FIELD:  

Select IMAGING SITE PARAMETERS NAME: `1 TEST SITE 

SITE CODE: TST


VistARad Configuration—Receiving Sites
VistARad workstations at receiving sites will need to be configured to check the
appropriate local storage location for the presence of routed exams. This is done by
setting the CacheLocationID in the MAGJ.INI file for each VistARad workstation.
Setting the CacheLocationID affects VistARad in the following ways:
ƒ	 When a user logs into VistARad, the locally-defined CacheLocationID is compared
to the SITE CODE (IMAGING SITE PARAMETERS File (#2006.1)) of the site being
logged into. If the two values are different, the VistARad software assumes that it will
be used to display routed images.
ƒ	 When a routed exam is selected for display, VistARad will check the local storage
location for routed images. The storage location checked is specified in the applicable
NETWORK LOCATION File (#2005.2) entry at the sending site.
The following steps must be performed for each VistARad workstation that will be used
to display routed images.
To set the CacheLocationID in MAGJ.INI
1 	 Log into the VistARad workstation as an administrator.
2	

Use Explorer or the Start | Run menu option to open
C:\Programs\Vista\Imaging|MAG_VistaRad\MAGJ.INI.

3	

Locate the CacheLocationID line under [Workstation Settings], near the beginning
of the file.

4	

For CacheLocationID, enter the destination name that contains local copies of
routed images.
 The value you enter must match a routing destination name as defined in the 

sending site’s NETWORK LOCATION File. 


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Configuring Routing

 Partial matching can be used to allow VistARad to access images from multiple
destinations. For more information, see the next section.
…
[Workstation Settings]
WorkStation TimeOut minutes=0
ID=UNKnown
Location=UNKnown
VistaRad test mode=FALSE
CacheLocationID=DEMO
…

5

Save and close the file.

Making Multiple Destinations Accessible to VistARad
A VistARad workstation can be used to display images from multiple (local)
destinations. This is possible because partial matching is used when the
CacheLocationID is compared to the names of routing destinations defined in the
NETWORK LOCATION File (#2005.2).
For example, if a site is sending images to the destinations shown below, a VistARad
workstation with its CacheLocationID set to Telerad would be able to access both
destinations.
TeleradMain 

TeleradBackup 


Note that the partial matching used is based on leading characters. Continuing the above
example, a destination named NewTelerad would not be treated as a match for
workstations using Telerad as their CacheLocationID.

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Routing User Guide

Changes Affecting Routing System Configuration
The following table lists situations that will require a change in routing configuration, and
outlines the changes that will need to be made.
Routing System Change

Related Configuration Change

Alteration of location, permissions,
etc., of a Imaging destination
folder

Update NETWORK LOCATION File (#2005.2) entry for the
applicable destination

New destination, or name change
of existing destination

ƒ
ƒ
ƒ

ƒ
New Image Gateway / imaging
modality

ƒ
ƒ

Configure Image Gateway
Review and update routing rules if needed

Change of radiology staff at
sending or receiving site

ƒ
ƒ

Review and update routing rules if needed
Review NETWORK LOCATION File entry for
destination and adjust if needed.
Determine if new staff members need on-demand
routing privileges

ƒ
Addition of new VistARad
workstation

50

Update NETWORK LOCATION File entry for the
applicable destination
Update routing rules
Stop and restart transmission processor (if one
processor serves all destinations), or start a new
instance of the transmission processor for the new
destination
Update VistARad workstation MAGJ.INI at
receiving site

Update VistARad workstation MAGJ.INI

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Using the Routing Gateway 

This chapter explains how to use the Routing Gateway. This chapter covers the following
topics:
ƒ	
ƒ	
ƒ	
ƒ	

Activating Routing
Maintaining Routing
Disabling Routing
Routing Gateway Menu Options

This chapter assumes that the Routing Gateway has been properly installed and
configured.

!

US Federal regulations and VA internal policy prohibit unencrypted transmission
of patient information outside the VA's intranet.

!

Routing can have a significant impact on network traffic. It is the responsibility of
sites using routing to properly manage network demands related to routing. Before
activating the routing software, notify your network administrator that there will
be an increase (often a significant one) in network traffic to routing destinations.

Activating Routing
The steps below explain how to start the Routing Gateway’s evaluation processor and
transmission processor.
 Before performing the following steps, verify that Image Gateways in the routing
system are processing images. If images are not being processed, no new entries will
be added to the rule evaluation queue.
Starting the Evaluation Processor
1 	 Verify that the MSM server is running on the Routing Gateway. If it is not,
double-click the MSM Console icon to start the MSM server.

2

Open a terminal window and log into the DICOM Gateway software.

3

Enter 3 to select “Routing Gateway” from the DICOM Gateway Menu [MAGDMENU].

4

Enter 3 to select “Start Evaluation Processor” from the Routing Gateway Menu.

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5	

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Position and size the terminal window for subsequent monitoring. (Note that no new
information will be shown in the terminal window until the evaluation processor
encounters entries in the rule evaluation queue.)

Starting the Transmission Processor
1 Open a new terminal window and log into the DICOM Gateway software. 

2

Enter 3 to select “Routing Gateway” from the DICOM Gateway Menu [MAGDMENU]. 


3

Enter 1 to select “Start the Transmission Processor.” 


4

A list of destinations will be displayed. To select all possible destinations, enter an

asterisk (*). To enter a partial list, follow the instructions at the prompt.
Possible
125:
152:
164:
166:
167:
168:

destinations are:
KANSAS at \\TELERAD3\wichita
ST LOUIS CR at \\vhastlvistarad
IMAGPROVIDER1 at C:\REMOTE\IMAG1\
LEAVENWORTH, KS at C:\REMOTE\LVW\
IMAGPROVIDER2 HOME at C:\REMOTE\IMAG2\
ST. LOUIS, MO at C:\REMOTE\STL\

Select destinations by:
==> Enter their number(s), separated by commas
==> Enter an asterisk (*) to select all possible destinations
Prefixing an entry with a dash deselects the listed
destinations
Enter a period when the selection is complete.
---> *

5

The destinations you selected will be displayed. Enter a period when you are finished.

6

Position and size the terminal window for subsequent monitoring.
 As the transmission processor sends exams to Imaging destinations, it will map
and un-map certain drives. For more information, see page 66.

7

52

To start additional transmission processors, repeat steps 1 – 6 in a new terminal
window.

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Using the Routing Gateway

Maintaining Routing
This section provides a summary of maintenance tasks for a routing system and explains
how to access Routing Gateway log files.
Periodic Maintenance
The following tasks should be performed periodically to control the size of the
transmission queue and to detect potential routing problems.
Task

Interval

Menu Seq.

Check terminal windows for evaluation
and transmission processors

2-3 times daily

N/A

Review log files for error messages

Daily

4, 1, 2

Re-queue all failed entries in the
transmission queue

As needed
based on
routing volume

3, 8

Purge completed and expired entries in
the transmission queue

Monthly

3, 7

Remove obsolete entries from
transmission queue

Monthly

3, 9

Monitor available free space in Imaging
destinations (this can be done using the
Background Processor’s Network
Location Manager)

As Needed

N/A

Confirm access to routing destinations

As Needed

N/A

Using Routing Log Files
A log file is created for each evaluation and transmission processor session. These log
files can be used to review routing processes and to ensure that no errors have occurred.
 A DICOM Gateway retains the 20 most recently generated log files. Additional files
will be retained if they are still open. Older log files are deleted.
Displaying log files
1 Open a terminal window and log into the Routing Gateway.
2

Enter 4 at the prompt to select “System Maintenance” from the DICOM Gateway
Menu [MAGDMENU].

3

Enter 1 to select “System Operation.”

4

Enter 2 to select “Display DICOM Message Log.” The most recent log files will be
displayed.

5

Enter the number of the log file you wish to display.

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Disabling Routing
Short-Term Routing Shutdown
If routing needs to be disabled for a short period of time, the easiest thing to do is to stop
the transmission processor(s). When this is done, images will still be evaluated and
queued, but they will not be transmitted until the transmission processor is restarted.
Before restarting the transmission processor, use option 9: Remove Obsolete Entries from
Transmission Queue to remove any entries that may have been created while the routing
system was disabled. For more information, see page 57.
Long-Term Routing Shutdown
If routing needs to be disabled for an extended period of time, perform the following:
ƒ	 Stop the evaluation processor
ƒ	 Stop all transmission processors
ƒ	 Alter the configuration files for all Image Gateways to indicate that they are NOT part
of a routing system (see page 37 for more information).
All images processed when routing is disabled as described above cannot be
autorouted, even after routing has been restarted. Such images will need to be
routed on-demand using VistARad.

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Using the Routing Gateway

Routing Gateway Menu Options
This section describes the menu options associated with the Routing Gateway. Routing
Gateway menu options are accessed by entering 3: Routing Gateway from the DICOM
Gateway main menu.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Start the Transmission Processor
Stop the Transmission Processor
Start the Evaluation Processor
Stop the Evaluation Processor
Import Routing Rules
Purge all completed entries in the Transmission Queue
Purge completed and expired entries in Transmission Queue
Re-Queue all Failed Entries in the Transmission Queue
Remove Obsolete Entries from Transmission Queue
Display Routing Rules

1 Start the Transmission Processor
Use this option to start the transmission processor. Once started, the transmission
processor will begin processing entries in the transmission queue.
 As the transmission processor sends exams to Imaging destinations, it will map
and un-map certain drives. For more information, see page 66.
If a single transmission processor cannot manage a site’s routing workload, additional
transmission processors, each sending images to a subset of destinations, can be started
using this option. For detailed steps, see page 51.
2 Stop the Transmission Processor
Use this option to stop all running instances of the transmission processor. When this
option is executed, a flag is set that the transmission processor will recognize as “stop
processing.” The transmission processor checks this flag after transmitting each image
file.
 Stopping the transmission processor can result in an incomplete exam being sent to
a destination. If this occurs, the remainder of the exam will be transmitted when
the transmission processor is re-started, provided that the applicable entries in the
transmission queue are still present.

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3 Start the Evaluation Processor
When this option is executed, the evaluation processor will begin examining
routing-specific entries in the rule evaluation queue. This file is populated by Image
Gateways (provided that Image Gateways are configured as part of a routing system).
The evaluation processor uses the rule evaluation queue and site-specific routing rules to
determine which images are to be routed and where they are to be routed. Entries for
images to be autorouted are added to the transmission queue.
Typically, a single instance of the evaluation processor can manage all images produced
at the sending site. For consolidated sites, an instance of the evaluation processor should
be started for each location. (In this situation, a “location” equates to an entry in the
IMAGING SITE PARAMETERS File (#2006.1).)
4 Stop the Evaluation Processor
Use this option to stop the evaluation processor. When this option is executed, a flag is
set that the evaluation processor will recognize as “stop evaluating.” The evaluation
processor checks this flag after analyzing each image file against the routing rules.
5 Import Routing Rules
When this option is executed, the rules in \DICOM\Dict\Route.dic will be loaded into
the Routing Gateway’s local MUMPS environment. For detailed steps about importing
routing rules, see page 44.
6 Purge all completed entries in the Transmission Queue
Use this option to reduce the size of the transmission queue in test installations.
Executing this option will remove entries for files that have been transmitted
successfully.
 This option is intended for use at test sites. If this option is used, routed images
will be “orphaned” at a destination—rather than being deleted automatically (after
the defined retention period); the images will remain until deleted manually.
To purge completed entries without orphaning routed images, use the option described in
the next section.

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Using the Routing Gateway

7 	Purge completed and expired entries in the Transmission Queue
Use this option to control the size of the transmission queue. Executing this option will
remove entries if both of the following conditions are met:
ƒ	 The status of the entry indicates that an image file has been transmitted successfully.
ƒ	 The entry is older than the RETENTION PERIOD (number of days) for the applicable
destination.
This option should be run once a month as part of a Routing Gateway’s periodic
maintenance cycle.
8	 Re-Queue all failed entries in the Transmission Queue
Use this option to try to re-send routed images that could not be sent within the number
of attempts specified for that destination.
This option should be run periodically as part of a Routing Gateway’s maintenance cycle.
Sites that route a large number of exams, or that route high priority exams, should run
this option daily. Sites that route a lower volume of exams may only need to run this
option once a week.
9 	Remove obsolete entries from Transmission Queue
Use this option when there is a large backlog of outdated entries in the transmission
queue. When this option is executed, you will be prompted to enter a cutoff date (the date
can be entered using FileMan conventions). After the date is entered, all unprocessed
queue entries older than the specified date will be removed.
This option should be run once a month as part of a Routing Gateway’s periodic
maintenance cycle.
10 Display Current Set of Routing Rules
Use this option to display the current set of routing rules. This option is especially useful
immediately after using option 5 to import a new set of rules.

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Using VistARad in a Routing System 

This chapter explains how to use the VistARad diagnostic workstation software at sites
that are part of a routing system. This chapter covers the following topics:
ƒ	 Displaying Routed Exams
ƒ	 VistARad & On-Demand Routing

Displaying Routed Exams
In VistA Imaging, the VistARad diagnostic workstation is used to display routed exams.
A routed exam is available for display when the RC (Remote Cache) column in a
VistARad exam list contains the destination name established for your site.

Values in the RC column are based on the SITE field in the sending site’s NETWORK
LOCATION File (#2005.2).
ƒ	 When VistARad is used at a site that is the source of routed exams, the RC column
can be used to determine which exams have been routed, and where they have been
routed to.
ƒ	 When VistARad is used at a site that is the destination of routed exams, users will
need to log into the sending site’s VistA system. After logging in, VistARad will
automatically filter exam lists to include only routed exams (this filter can be removed
if desired; see the next page for details).
Detailed steps for displaying routed exams are on the next page.

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To display a routed exam
1 	 Log into the site or division that the routed exam was sent from.
2	

Use an exam list to locate the routed exam you want to open. By default, exam lists
are filtered to show only exams that have been routed from the site or division you are
performing remote reading for.

 You can view all exams (routed and non-routed) by clearing the checkbox in the
Remote Read Filter area near the top of the Manager window.
3	

Double-click the exam, or select the exam and click Open.
 If a non-routed exam (an exam without a value in the RC column) is selected for
display, there will be a delay while the images are retrieved.
 A routed exam can be locked and marked as interpreted in the same manner as any
other exam. For more information, refer to VistARad User Guide.
 You can use ReadList to successively display all routed exams in an exam list. For
more information, refer to VistARad User Guide.
 Local copies of routed exams are stored for a certain period of time (typically
several days) and then deleted automatically by a process initiated from the
sending site. The “original” exam remains available at the sending site after routed
copies are deleted.

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VistARad & On-Demand Routing
This section describes on-demand routing prerequisites and explains how to use
VistARad’s on-demand routing capability.

!

US Federal regulations and VA internal policy prohibit unencrypted transmission
of patient information outside the VA's intranet.

!

Like autorouting, on-demand routing can have a significant impact on network
traffic. It is the responsibility of sites using routing to properly manage network
demands related to routing.

On-Demand Routing Requirements
For on-demand routing to function:
ƒ	 A VistARad user must be logged into an Imaging system that includes a Routing
Gateway.
ƒ	 At the site being logged into, the VistA Imaging host, the Routing Gateway, and
storage folders must be set up as described in this manual. The Routing Gateway’s
transmission processor must be running.
ƒ	 To route images to other non-DICOM destinations within the VistA system (such as
VistARad at a remote site) a VistARad user must have the MAGJ DEMAND ROUTE
security key assigned to their account. To route images to a DICOM Storage SCP
destination, the MAGJ DEMAND ROUTE DICOM key must be assigned to their
account.
Using On-Demand Routing
On-demand routing lets you use VistARad to manually select exams and transmit them to
existing routing destinations. On-demand routing is intended for situations where you
need to route exams that do not satisfy existing routing rules, or where autorouting is not
used.
 If you are frequently using on-demand routing for the same sorts of exams, contact
your Imaging Coordinator and request that a change or addition be made to the rules
used for autorouting.
Any exam that appears in a VistARad exam list can be routed on-demand. Newly
acquired exams should not be routed until they have been case edited by a technologist
using the Radiology package. Such exams have a status of “examined” in VistARad’s
exam lists.

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To use on-demand routing
1 	 Log into VistARad. The VistARad workstation used for on-demand routing must be
logged into a VistA system that includes a Routing Gateway.
 If you have access to more than one division, log into the division where the exams
to be routed originate from.
2	

Use the exam lists in the VistARad Manager to select the exams you want to send.

3	

Click the Route Exams button, located in the upper right corner of the exam list.
 If the Route Exams button is not present, your user account does not have any of
the security keys for on-demand routing assigned.

4	

When the Route Request dialog opens, make sure all the exams you selected are
shown.
 If a selected exam is not “online” (not available in short-term storage), a message
will appear at the bottom of the Route Request window indicating that exam has
been requested from the jukebox (long-term storage). Once the exam is available
in short-term storage, you can select it for on-demand routing.

5	

For each exam, click the ‘Route To’ field to select where you want to send the exam.
 In the ‘Route To’ field, the first destinations listed are Imaging destinations, such
as remote VistARad workstations. If there are any DICOM destinations (such as
film printers) defined, they will appear at the bottom of the ‘Route To’ field and
will be preceded by “dcm”.
 Use the Default Route To box near the bottom of the Route Request window to
choose a single destination for all listed exams.

6	

For each exam, use the Priority field to select the priority used to send the exam.
 Use the Default Priority box near the bottom of the dialog to choose a single
priority for all listed exams.

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Using VistARad in a Routing System

 The priority assigned to exams for on-demand routing is not related to the exam
priority indicated in VistARad’s exam lists.
7	

Confirm that the settings in the Route Request dialog are correct.
 You can choose not to route a listed exam by selecting the Route To box for that
exam and choosing the [Do Not Route] option.
 You can click Cancel to close the Route Request dialog without routing any

exams. 


8	

Click OK to route the exams. When the exam is received by the receiving site, the RC
column entry for that exam will show the name of the receiving site.

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Troubleshooting Routing 

This chapter covers the following topics:
ƒ Basic Troubleshooting
ƒ Getting Help
ƒ Additional Routing Considerations

Basic Troubleshooting
If images are not arriving as expected at a routing destination, perform the following
steps:
If…

Then…

This is the first time that routing
software is being used

Verify that all configuration steps described in this document
have been completed. Configuration checklists are available
in Appendix A.

Exams are not being routed or
are being routed incorrectly

1
2

3

4

Check the Image Gateways and verify that they are
processing images.
Attempt to re-send images by running the “Re-Queue all
failed entries in the Transmission Queue” option (Routing
Gateway menu shortcut: 3, 8).
Review the routing log files to determine if the images
were transmitted successfully (if you have just used the
re-queue failed entries option, wait 15-20 minutes before
opening the log files).
Review the contents of the routing rules file (Route.dic).

The routing software cannot
connect to the destination

Verify that the network connection being used is available
and set up properly. If the destination is an Imaging
destination, refer to the steps for testing folders on page 29.

The log files indicate an invalid
username or password.

Contact the receiving site and verify that the correct user
name and password is being used by the routing software.

Getting Help
If additional assistance is needed, contact your Imaging Coordinator or local support
staff.
If the problem cannot be resolved locally, open a help desk ticket, or contact the National
Help Desk between 8:00AM and 6:00PM Eastern time, Monday through Friday, at
1-888-596-4357.
Urgent after-hours service requests can be directed to the Expertise Center at
1-800-299-7282.

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Additional Routing Considerations
Transmission Processors and Drive Mapping
For each Imaging destination that it sends exams to, the transmission processor will map
a drive using the following progression of drive letters: Q – Z, then G – P. If a drive
letter (Q, for example) is not available, it will move to the next letter (R, for example) and
so on. When all entries for a particular destination have been processed, the applicable
drive is unmapped. This logic is not used for DICOM destinations.
Factors Affecting Routing Speed
Given a T1 connection and a light to moderate amount of network traffic, the first images
in a routed exam will typically begin arriving at a destination within minutes. However,
any of the following can impact the delivery of routed exams:
ƒ	 A backlog of images at the Image Gateway, which is responsible for adding entries to
the rule evaluation queue.
ƒ	 A backlog of entries in the transmission queue. If numerous large exams are flagged
for routing in a brief period of time, there will be a delay while all the images in the
exam are transmitted. In situations where multiple destinations are being used,
additional transmission processors may be used to alleviate delays. For more
information, see page 51.
ƒ	 Problems connecting to destinations. For Imaging destinations, the routing software
will attempt to re-connect or retransmit the number of times specified for each
destination in the NETWORK LOCATION File (#2005.2). For DICOM destinations, retry
attempts are part of the DICOM transmission protocol. Failed connection or
transmission attempts are logged by the Routing Gateway.
ƒ	 The routing priority of a particular exam. For more information, see page 67.
Routed Images vs. Routed Exams
The Routing Gateway evaluates and transmits data on an image-by-image basis. If the
transmission processor is disabled when an exam is partially transmitted, the exam is
usually treated as “unrouted” until the transmission processor is re-started, and the
transmission of the exam is completed.
In some situations, such as the presence of multiple Image Gateways or the use of
on-demand routing, images from one exam will “interrupt” the transmission of images of
an exam that is partially routed. This can occur because entries are added to the rule
evaluation and transmission queues for each image, rather than for each exam. Usually,
this behavior is invisible to the end user.
If a partially routed exam is opened from VistARad, the VistARad software will first
attempt to retrieve images from the local storage location identified in the MAGJ.INI file

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Troubleshooting Routing

for that workstation. Images not found in local storage will be retrieved from their
originating site.
How the RC Column is Populated
The RC (Remote Cache) column in VistARad's exam lists is populated with a
destination-specific indicator when a routed exam is received by a destination. The same
indicator is removed from the RC column when the routing software deletes the local
copy of the exam.
The addition or removal of the indicator is dependent on a specific "representative image"
in the routed exam. A "representative image" is the last image processed by an Image
Gateway for a given exam. Typically, the representative image is also the last image in an
exam's clinical sequence.
Image Gateways process images in the order that they are received from a modality.
Some modalities may send images to Image Gateways in an order other than the expected
clinical sequence. If this occurs, and if such an exam is routed, the RC column may be
populated before transmission of all the exam's images has completed. A user opening
such an exam may experience a delay while part of the exam is retrieved from the
sending site.
Preventing Transmission of Duplicate Exams
For Imaging destinations, the transmission processor will check the destination to see if
the image to be routed is already present. If a duplicate of the image is found, the
transmission processor removes the redundant entry from the transmission queue, and
moves on to the next entry in the queue.
For DICOM destinations, image management and duplicate checking is the responsibility
of the destination system.

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Appendix A 

This appendix contains worksheets that can be used while setting up a routing system.
They can also be used for record-keeping purposes. The following worksheets are
provided:
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ
ƒ

Imaging Destination Worksheet
DICOM Destination Worksheet
Routing Rule Definition Worksheet
Routing Setup Checklist

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Routing User Guide

Appendix A

Imaging Destination Worksheet
Use this worksheet to record information about a specific Imaging destination. A sample Network
Location File definition is provided on the next page.
Destination name

1

Site served by destination
General purpose of this destination
Alternate/backup destination
Storage folder name
Destination computer/share name

2

Username/password for destination
Associated user group (if any)

2

File types transmitted to destination (circle those that apply)
Retention period? (in days)

1

2

3

3

Abstract / Full / Text / Big

3

Specified in the .01 field in the NETWORK LOCATION file. Referenced in routing rules
(Route.dic), and in the CacheLocationID parameter for VistARad workstations at receiving
sites.
Specified by receiving sites when creating a storage folder. Referenced sending site’s NETWORK
LOCATION file.
Specified in sending site’s NETWORK LOCATION file.

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Appendix A

NETWORK LOCATION

Routing User Guide

File Sample

For detailed information about specific fields, see page 32.

Select NETWORK LOCATION: TESTDEST
Are you adding 'TESTDEST' as a new NETWORK LOCATION (the 11TH)?
No// Y
PHYSICAL REFERENCE: \\VHAxxxxxx\images$\

STORAGE TYPE: MAG
MAGNETIC

TOTAL SPACE: 

SPACE USED: 

FREE SPACE: 

OPERATIONAL STATUS: 1 On-Line 

HASH SUBDIRECTORY: 

ABSTRACT: N
No 

FULL: Y
Yes 

BIG: Y
Yes 

TEXT: Y
Yes 

DICOM: N
No

COMPRESSION: 

USER NAME: 

PASSWORD: 

MAINTAINCONNECTION:  

MAX # RETRY ON CONNECT: 3 

MAX # RETRY ON TRANSMIT: 5

SYNTAX: U UNC

SUBDIRECTORY: 

Select USER


RETENTION PERIOD: 5 

LAST PURGE DATE: 

SITE: 

ROUTER: Y YES

TIME OFFLINE: 

MUSE SITE #: 

MUSE VERSION #: 


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Routing User Guide

Appendix A

DICOM Destination Worksheet
Use this worksheet to record information about a specific DICOM destination.
Destination name

1

Site served by destination
General purpose of this destination
Alternate/backup destination
Calling AE Title
Called AE Title
IP address/hostname
Socket/port
Presentation Context / Transfer Syntax (list all used)

DICOM Destination Sample
For detailed information about specific fields, see page 39.
# User Application List
# Format:
# line 1:App Name|Called AE|Calling AE|Destination IP Address|Socket
# line 2:|Presentation Context Name|Transfer Syntax Name
# line 3:||Transfer Syntax Name (if there are more than one)
#
MERGE EFILM|VistA_Storage|VistA_Send_Image|111.222.33.44|4006
|Modality Worklist Information Model - FIND|Implicit VR Little Endian
|Verification SOP Class|Implicit VR Little Endian

1

Specified as the Application in the SCU_List.dic file, and referenced in routing rules
(Route.dic).

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Routing User Guide

Routing Rule Definition Worksheet
Rule Request (to be completed by Radiology staff or supervisor)
Identify the purpose of the rule (circle one):
a Routine workload sharing
b Rapid access for clinic / facility
c After-hours or holiday coverage
d Second opinions / consults
e Transfer of images to a non-local specialist / support for a new modality or imaging type
f

Other

List each destination that this rule will serve:
a

d

b

e

c

Will prior exams be included with this rule? (circle one):

Yes

No

Will prior exams be included with this rule? (circle one):

Yes

No

Will all exams for this rule be sent to all listed destinations (circle one):

Yes

No

If the answer to the above is NO, specify the % of exams each destination should receive (total
must = 100%):

74

a

%

d

%

b

%

e

%

c

%

local (not routed)

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Appendix A

List conditions that will trigger the execution of the rule (fill any all that apply):
a

Exam modality of:

b

Off hours/holiday coverage (specify hours/days)

c

Other

Rule Impact/Review (to be completed by Imaging Coordinator)
Estimated amount of storage needed at each destination for this rule:
Bandwidth available between sending and receiving sites:
Total number of exams expected to be transmitted per month:
Rule adheres to routing policies established by sending site (circle one):

Yes No

Rule adheres to routing policies established by receiving site (circle one):

Yes No

Rule Implementation (to be completed by staff responsible for Routing G/W)
Rule as entered into the Route.dic file: (sample rules listed below)

Route.dic imported to Routing Gateway (circle one):

Yes No

Rule tested and found to be functional (circle one):

Yes No
Date

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Appendix A

Routing User Guide

Sample Rules
The following sample rules use the fictional destinations listed below:
Imaging destinations (entered in the Network Location File (#2005.2))
Archive


Contractor1


Contractor2


Contractor3


ContractingReader

LocalJukeBox


LogBook



DICOM destinations (entered in the DICOM Transmit Destination File (#2005.587)
via SCU_List.dic):
E-FilmApplication
LaserShare

Example #1:
# auto-route all images from a specific modality to a
# contractor who reads this type of images, using standard
# copy for transmission
Send("ContractingReader")

When MODALITY="CT" 


Example #2:
# auto-route all images to an archive, using standard copy
# for transmission
Send("Archive")

When MODALITY="*" 


Example #3:
# auto-route all images from a remote site back to local
# storage at that site, using standard copy for
# transmission
Send("LocalJukeBox")

When MODALITY="*" 

SOURCE="StElseWhere" 


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Appendix A

Example #4:
# auto-route all important studies to an internal
# workstation, using standard copy for transmission
Send("LogBook")

When MODALITY="*" 

URGENCY="STAT" 


Example #5:
#
#
#
#
#

auto-route all images from a specific modality to three
contractors, balancing the load, so that each contract
receives a pre-determined fraction of the studies and
leaving a pre-determined fraction for interpretation by
local staff, using standard copy for transmission

Balance("Contractor1"=20%, "Contractor2"=40%,

"Contractor3"=20%, =20%)

When MODALITY="XA" 


Example #6:
#
#
#
#

auto-route all images from a specific modality to a
contractor who reads this type of images, using standard
copy for transmission and giving these transmissions a
high priority

Send("ContractingReader")

When MODALITY="XA" 

Priority High 


Example #7:
# auto-route all images from a specific modality to a
# printer, using the DICOM protocol for transmission and
# giving these transmissions a low priority
Send("LaserShare")

When MODALITY="CT" 

Priority Low 


Example #8:
# auto-route all images from a specific modality to a DICOM
# repository, using the DICOM protocol for transmission and
# including images from prior studies
Send("E-FilmApplication")

When MODALITY="CT" 

PriorStudy Yes 


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Routing User Guide

Routing Setup Checklist
Imaging Destination Setup
a Username and password available for each destination?
b Folders created and shared for each destination?
c Ability to access and write to each storage folder verified?
d Network location entry defined for each destination?
e VistARad site parameters set up at sending site?
f CacheLocationID set on workstations at receiving sites?

DICOM Destination Setup
a Destination information added to SCU_List.dic?
b SCU_List.dic updated on DICOM Gateway?
Destination application accessible?

DICOM Gateway Setup
a Image Gateways configured properly?
b Routing Gateway configured properly?

Routing Rule Setup
a Rules defined in Route.dic?
b Route.dic imported successfully?

Routing Activation
a Image Gateways processing images?
b Routing Gateway evaluation processor activated?
c Routing Gateway transmission processor(s) activated?
d Images routed successfully?
e Images at receiving site purged at end of retention period (Imaging dest. only)

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Appendix B: Using MAG_Decompressor 

This section explains how to install and configure the Automatic Decompression Service
(MAG_Decompressor).
MAG_Decompressor can be installed on a VistARad workstation or on any other system
that is receiving compressed images via automatic or on-demand routing. Note that
MAG_Decompressor should NOT be installed on a DICOM Gateway.
Once it is configured, MAG_Decompressor runs in the background and will de-compress
routed images as they are received by the destination system.
This service does not need to be installed on systems that only receive uncompressed
routed images.

Licensing
A toolkit license is needed for each system that is sending or receiving compressed
images. For more information, contact VistA Imaging Customer Support.

MAG_Decompressor Setup
Distribution
The decompression software is distributed as a part of Patch 51. The installation file,
MAG_Decompressor_Setup.exe, is available on the Imaging FTP site under
Software\Released Software\ Mag3_0p51\MAG_Decompressor.
Installation
1 Log in as an administrator on to the system that will be receiving compressed images
via automatic or on-demand routing.
2	

3	

Install the MAG_Decompressor_Setup.exe file as follows:
a	

Locate the distribution directory for MAG_Decompressor_Setup.exe and 

double-click the file. 


b	

As the InstallShield script is executed, click on Next, OK and Finish as 

appropriate. The software will be installed into its own folder under 

C:\Program Files\VistA Imaging.


Set up system variables for the decompression service as follows:
a	

Open the Windows Control Panel (click Start | Settings), then double-click on
System.

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Appendix B: Using MAG_Decompressor 	

Routing User Guide

b	

In the System Properties dialog, click the Advanced tab, then click Environment
Variables.

c	

In the System Variables list at the bottom of the dialog, locate the following

variables and adjust the values if needed. 

DECOMP_LOG_FSPEC: the path and file name of the decompression service log

file. The administrative user must have write-permission for this file. The format 

of this name must follow the usual pattern: \\.

(neither  nor  may contain a period). 

DECOMP_LOG_FILE_MBYTES: the maximum size permitted for the decompression 


service log-file (default is 1MB); when this limit is reached, the old log-file is 

renamed and a new one is created. The last 10 files are retained. 

DECOMP_WATCH_DIR: the root-directory of the directory tree that will be

monitored by the decompression service (default is c:\). This value should be 

changed to reflect the folder that is receiving compressed images. 

The format of this name must follow the usual pattern: \[\]

DECOMP_DELAY_MS: the number of milliseconds that the service will wait after 


detecting a compressed file before beginning the decompression process (default is 

50ms). 

d	

4	

Click OK on the various dialogs until all dialog windows for setting up System
parameters are closed. (Keep the Control Panel open; it will be needed for a later
step).

Activate the MAG_Decompressor program as follows:
a	

Open a command line window (click Start | Run, then enter ‘cmd’).

b	

Enter the following command to switch to the MAG_Decompressor installation
folder:
cd \Program Files\VistA\Imaging\MAG_Decompressor 

c	

Enter dir at the prompt and verify that the files shown below are present.
Directory of C:\Program Files\Vista\Imaging\MAG_Decompressor
05/02/2005
05/02/2005
04/13/2005
05/02/2005

09:37a

. 

09:37a

.. 

07:16a
856,064 awj2k.dll

08:39a
53,248 MAG_Decompressor.exe

2 File(s)
909,312 bytes
2 Dir(s) 58,401,358,848 bytes free

C:\ . . .>

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Appendix B: Using MAG_Decompressor

Note: If the DLL file is not present, contact the Imaging Group for information
about acquiring a toolkit license. The decompression software will not work
without the DLL file.
d	

Enter the following command to activate the program (The command will

complete without any warning or error messages). 

Mag_Decompressor –install 

e	
5	

Close the command window.

Activate the decompression service as follows:
a

In the Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools.

b

Double-click Services. (On some versions of the Windows operating system, this
icon is labeled Component Services.)

c

In the window that opens, locate the entry for the “MAG J2K Decompressor
Service”.

d

Right-click on the entry and select Start. Wait until the status display shows that
the service is started.

e

Right-click again on the entry and select Properties.

f

In the Properties window, select Automatic as the startup type, then click OK.

g

Verify that the status display shows that the service is “Automatic”.

h

Close all remaining Control Panel windows.

Your system is now ready to start decompressing files that were routed in compressed 

form. 

Note: when parameters need to be modified, the steps listed above can be used to 

establish new values for the parameters. However, it will be necessary to reboot the 

computer before the new values of the parameters will become effective. 


MAG_Decompressor Logging
The decompression software will run automatically when needed. If problems are
encountered review, the log files generated by the MAG_Decompressor software.
Log files are stored in the location specified in the DECOMP_LOG_FSPEC system
variable. The ten most recently generated log files are retained.
Sample log entry:
2005-04-19 16:59:01 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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2005-04-19 16:59:01 S T A R T E D Directory-Watch/Decompression Service over

C:\test_img_cache\

2005-04-19 17:01:10 C:\test_img_cache\MAG_EyeClot.J2K Status -> SUCCESS (0)

2005-04-19 17:01:11 C:\test_img_cache\MAG_Skull.J2K Status -> SUCCESS (0) 

2005-04-19 17:01:19 C:\test_img_cache\MAG_Spine.J2K Status -> SUCCESS (0) 

2005-04-20 13:32:59 C:\test_img_cache\MAG_Spine.J2K Status -> OutFile Already Exists, InFile

Removed

….. 

….. 

2005-04-21 13:34:32 S T O P P E D Directory-Watch/Decompression Service over

C:\test_img_cache\ (status=ok) 


Selected log file error codes:
1..999 Aware JPEG2000 library errors
1000... Application errors:
2006:
3000:
3001:
3003:
3004:

82

EIFILEREMOVE-- input file remove error (access violation)
EOFILEEXISTS-- output file already exists
EOFILEOPEN-- error while opening the output file
EOFILEWRITE-- problem attempting to write the data to the output file
EOFILERENAME-- error while renaming output file from .tmp to .

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Glossary

This manual uses the following terms:
autorouting The automatic transmission of selected images to one or more destinations.
Autorouting functions are managed using the Routing Gateway.
destination An intended recipient of routed images. Destinations can be Imaging
destinations, such as VistARad workstations, or DICOM destinations, such as a film
printer or external PACS (or any other DICOM Storage Service Class Provider).
DICOM TRANSMIT DESTINATION File

(#2006.587) The FileMan file where information
about DICOM destinations is stored. This file should not be edited directly; to update the
contents of this file, use the DICOM Gateway to update the SCU_List.dic file.
evaluation processor The process responsible for handling entries in the rule evaluation
queue. This process is started or stopped from the Routing Gateway, and executes from
the VistA Host.

IMAGE BACKGROUND QUEUE File (#2006.03) The FileMan file where rule evaluation
queue entries are stored. The IMAGE BACKGROUND QUEUE File contains entries used by
various processes to move, copy, or delete images. The IMAGE BACKGROUND QUEUE File

is populated by Image Gateways, and is used by both the Background Processor and the
evaluation processor.
locks Used on a VistARad workstation prevent more than one radiologist from
interpreting the same exam. If a radiologist opens a locked exam, they will be notified
that the exam is locked, and while they can display the exam, they will be unable to
update its status.
NETWORK LOCATION File (#2005.2)
defined. The NETWORK LOCATION File

The FileMan file where routing destinations are
contains entries for all physical storage devices in

the Imaging system.
on-demand routing The transmission of manually selected exams to one or more
destinations. Images are selected using the VistARad diagnostic workstation and are
transmitted by the Routing Gateway.
receiving site The recipient of routed images. The receiving site provides either a
storage folder (for Imaging destinations) or a DICOM Storage SCP (for DICOM
destinations) for images to be routed to.
Route.dic The DICOM Gateway dictionary file used to store routing rules.

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Glossary

Routing User Guide

routing In the VistA system, the process responsible for sending images across a WAN
to one or more remote locations. Routing can be performed automatically (autorouting),
or on-demand.
Routing Gateway A computer running the DICOM Gateway software that is
configured to manage the routing of images in the VistA system. A Routing Gateway is
typically run on a dedicated computer. Also, the set of menu options in the DICOM
Gateway software specific to routing.
routing rules The information used by the Routing Gateway to select images for
autorouting. Routing rules are defined in a text file and are imported into a MUMPS table
used by the Routing Gateway.
routing system All of the software and hardware components related (but not
necessarily limited to) routing. Parts of the routing system include the Routing Gateway,
Image Gateways, and VistARad workstations.
rule evaluation queue The queue used to determine if newly acquired images will be
autorouted or not. This queue is populated by Image Gateways. Entries in this queue are
compared to routing rules by the evaluation processor. Entries that meet the criteria in
routing rules are added to the transmission queue.
SCU_List.dic A dictionary file used by the DICOM Gateway that contains information
about each DICOM Storage SCP that can receive DICOM images from VistA Imaging.
DICOM Storage SCPs in this file can receive DICOM images sent automatically as a
function of routing, or sent manually using a menu option on the DICOM Gateway.
SEND QUEUE

(#2006.035) The FileMan file where transmission queue entries are stored.

sending site The site where routed images are produced. The Routing Gateway resides
at and is maintained by the sending site.
storage folder The physical storage location provided by an Imaging destination. A
storage folder must be referenced in a destination entry in the NETWORK LOCATION File.
transmission background processor The original name of the transmission processor
in test versions of the routing software. There is no relationship between the transmission
background processor and the Background Processor.
transmission processor The Routing Gateway process responsible for processing
entries in the transmission queue, and for purging obsolete routed image files from
routing destinations.
transmission queue The queue used by the transmission processor to send routable
images to their destinations. Each entry in this queue represents a single image file.
Entries are added to this queue by the evaluation processor (for autorouting) or by
VistARad (for on-demand routing). Processed entries can be purged from this queue
using a Routing Gateway menu option.

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Glossary

VistARad In VistA Imaging, the software used to display diagnostic-quality radiologic
exams. VistARad is the primary tool used to display routed exams and to route exams
on-demand.

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Index 


A-C
after-hours coverage 11, 21 

autorouting

defining rules for 9–23 

described 1, 4–6, 83 

prior exams 5, 22, 40

z see also routing

Background Processor 32

balance command 12 

cache, remote see RC column; storage folders

CacheLocationID 48 

comments in routing rules 23

completed trans. queue entries, purging 57

compression 34, 79 

conditions, routing rule 

defining 14–22 

described 14

examples of 10–11 

configuration 

destination 26–39 

general information 78 

Image Gateway 42 

Routing Gateway 43 

routing rules 9–23 

VistARad 47–49 

configuration files

MAGJ.INI 48

Route.dic 44–46, 56, 83 

SCU_List.dic 37–39, 84 

coverage, after-hours 11, 21 

customer support 65 


D
date/time conditions 11, 21

deleting routed exams 5, 36, 60

destinations

described 1, 83

DICOM 37–39 

Imaging 26–36 

routing rules and 9, 12–13 

VistARad and 48–49 

DICOM destinations

configuring 37–39 

described 1, 5

in SCU_List.dic 37

naming conventions 37 


April 2006

DICOM destinations (cont.) 

on-demand routing to 61 

worksheet 73

DICOM Gateway 2, see also Image Gateway;
Routing Gateway
DICOM SCPs, routing to 5, 37 

DICOM TRANSMIT DESTINATION File (#2006.587)

39, 83 

displaying routed exams 5, 59 

displaying routing rules 57 

drives, transmission processor and 66


E
evaluation processor

described 4, 83

log files for 53

multiple instances 46

starting 51, 56 

stopping 54, 56

exam lists

filtering at receiving site 47

RC column in 36, 59, 67 

using for on-demand routing 62

exam locks 60, 83 

exams, routed 

compression 34, 79 

deleting 5, 36, 60 

DICOM SCPs and 5

displaying 5, 59 

dividing between destinations 12

prior 5, 22, 40 

priority of 8, 22 

representative images in 67

expired trans. queue entries, purging 57

exporting exams to DICOM SCPs 5


F
failed trans. queue entries, re-queuing 57 

filtering exam lists 47

folders, storage

described 84

for Imaging destinations 28–30

VistARad and 48–49 

formatting routing rules 23


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Index

Routing User Guide

H-I

O-P

help desk 65

hidden shares, creating 29 

historical exams, routing 5, 22, 40 

holidays, routing rules and 11, 21

IMAGE BACKGROUND QUEUE File (#2006.03) 4, 83 

Image Gateways 4, 42, 67 

images, representative 67

Imaging destinations

compression 34, 79 

configuring 26–36 

described 1, 5

in NETWORK LOCATION File 31–36

naming conventions 26 

on-demand routing to 61 

passwords for 28, 29

storage folders for 28–30 

user names for 28, 29 

worksheet 71

importing routing rules 44–46, 56 


obsolete trans. queue entries, purging 57

on-demand routing

described 1, 7, 83 

requirements for 61

using 61 

z see also routing

operators, routing rule 11, 20 

passwords 28, 29

patient information, transmission of v 

prior exams, routing 5, 22, 40 

priority, routing 8, 22 

procedures: see exams

purging the transmission queue 56, 57


J-L
JPEG 2000 34, 79 

keys, security 61

lists see exam lists

load balancing 12

locks, exam 60, 83 

log files 53


M-N
MAG RAD PRIOR EXAMS LOGIC File 40

MAG VISTARAD SITE PARAMETERS File 47


MAG_Decompressor 79 

MAGJ DEMAND ROUTE DICOM key 61 

MAGJ DEMAND ROUTE key 61 

MAGJ.INI 48

maintaining routing 53

manual routing see on-demand routing

mapped drives, transmission processor and 66

modality, routing rules and 14

MSM server 51 

multiple conditions in routing rules 10, 23

multiple evaluation processors 46

naming conventions 

DICOM destinations 37

Imaging destinations 26

NETWORK LOCATION FILE (#2005.2)

described 83

field descriptions 32–39

Imaging destinations in 31

sample values for 31, 72


88

R
RC (Remote Cache) column 36, 59, 67 

receiving sites

configuration tasks for 25

described 83

displaying routed exams at 60 

exam list filtering for 47

VistARad configuration for 48 

z see also destinations

related exams, routing 5, 22, 40

Remedy Help Desk 65

Remote Cache (RC) column 36, 59, 67 

remote storage see storage folders

representative images 67

retention period 5, 36, 60 

Route Request dialog 7, 61 

Route.dic 44–46, 56, 83 

routed exams 

compression 34, 79 

deleting 5, 36, 60 

displaying 5, 59 

dividing between destinations 12

priority of 8, 22 

routing

activating 51 

configuration 25–49, 50, 78 

described 1–7, 66–67, 84 

destinations 26–39 

disabling 54

Image Gateway config. options 42 

log files 53

maintaining 53

menu options for 55–57 

on-demand 61–63 

Routing Gateway config. options 43 

rules 9–23, 44–46 

terms of use v

troubleshooting 65


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Routing User Guide

routing (cont.)
VistARad configuration 47–49
Routing Gateway 55 

configuring 43 

described 2, 84

importing rules for 44–46 

log files 53

menu options for 55–57 

using 51–54 

rule evaluation queue 4, 51, 84

rules, routing

comments in 23 

conditions in 14–22 

date/time in 21

described 9, 84

destinations in 12

displaying 45, 57 

examples of 10–11 

formatting 23 

importing 44–46, 56 

load balancing with 12

multiple sets of 46

operators 20 

priority 8, 22 

wildcards 20 

worksheet 74


S
SCU_List.dic 37–39, 84 

security keys 61

send command (routing rules) 12 

SEND QUEUE File (#2006.035) 4, 84 

z see also transmission queue
sending sites 

configuration tasks for 25

described 84

displaying routed exams at 60 

VistARad configuration for 47 

shutdown, routing 54 

speed, routing, factors affecting 66 


April 2006

Index

storage folders

defining 28–30 

described 84

VistARad and 48–49 

studies see exams
support 65


T
time of day, routing rules and 11, 21

transmission processor 

described 5, 84

drives mapped by 66

log files for 53

starting 52, 55 

stopping 54, 55

transmission queue 

populating 5, 55 

population of 7

purging 56, 57 

re-queuing failed entries in 57

size of 53, 56

troubleshooting routing 65


U-Z
unprocessed trans. queue entries, purging 57

user names 28, 29 

values in rule conditions 20

verifying routing rules 45

VistARad 

configuring for routing 47–49 

described 85

displaying routed exams with 5, 59 

on-demand routing and 7, 61–63 

using for multiple destinations 49

weekend/weekdays, routing rules and 11, 21

wildcards 11, 20 

worklists see exam lists

worksheets 

configuration 78

destination 71, 73 

routing rule 74 


VistA Imaging V. 3.0, Patch 18


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Creator Tool                    : Acrobat PDFMaker 7.0.7 for Word
Modify Date                     : 2006:03:30 12:38:30-05:00
Create Date                     : 2006:03:30 12:33:01-05:00
Metadata Date                   : 2006:03:30 12:38:30-05:00
Format                          : application/pdf
Title                           : Routing User Guide
Creator                         : Routing User Guide
Description                     : Patch 18
Document ID                     : uuid:3c612fb3-3c75-4e19-8112-3fdaa765a8f9
Instance ID                     : uuid:75e6d3cb-332a-43b5-bdbc-4b76c40610d5
Date 0020completed              : D:20060430
Version 002 C0020 Patch         : V. 3.0, Patch 18
Has XFA                         : No
Page Count                      : 97
Page Layout                     : OneColumn
Subject                         : Patch 18
Author                          : Routing User Guide
Date Completed                  : D:20060430
Version Patch                   : V. 3.0, Patch 18
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