Re: VOE and Linux efforts.
On Jan 19, 10:57pm, openhealth-list@minoru-development.com wrote: } Subject: Re: VOE and Linux efforts. Good day to everyone, hope your week is starting out well. [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: the VOE sources seems to be largely locked up inside of the Cache database on Windows As I understand it, the VOE sources are standard MUMPS and the server will therefore run as well or better on GT.M/Linux as it will on Cache/Microsoft. I also understand that VOE is 99% the same as the FOIA version of VistA and the version available now from worldvista.org and sourceforge. The sources do indeed seem to be standard MUMPS or VistA origin. I have not doubt they will percolate just fine under Linux after we get done exporting them from Cache. I have a FOIA implementation up and running but our group is looking at the potential for VOE under Linux. It thus seems prudent to actually run under Linux what is being developed for the Cache/Microsoft environment. One of my goals is to actualy define what VOE is. At the present time it appears somewhat unclear. I haven't been able to find a clear description or strategy for tracking how the FOIA code is being modified to produce VOE. One of the comments I've heard is that 'things are being cleaned up and old cruft removed'. The first set of files were indeed 100% equivalent to the FOIA sources. Since one of the files makes reference to handling special processes for 'Desert Shield' veterans there would seem to be minimal cleanup or de-crufting at this point. It would seem to be to the bbenefit the VistA community at large if there was a common Open-Source repository for FOIA and VOE. I will probably generate GIT repositories after this exercise is complete so we at least have a fighting history of tracking revisions and modifications. The best interests of Linux/OSS/Vista will be best served by having some type of native client capability. After a bit of time studying the FOIA XWB* sources and scrutinizing packet traces we were able to develop a preliminary implementation of a Java client architecture which knows how to talk to a Vista RPC server/broker. Medsphere claims to have made a VistA middleware server and a cross-platform CPRS replacement client that connect via HTTP and SOAP. They have promised to release all of it for use and part of it as Open Source some time in the near future. I hope they do. It seems like a step forward. Based on a 50,000 foot view of all the politics which seem to be in this arena I'm not optimistic to see much in the way of Open Source release coming from the commercial entities. Perhaps we will be surprised. but my sense is that something a LOT like CPRS is needed in the intermediate timeframe to make Linux client implementations a reality. Unfortunately, CPRS only covers part of the functionality of VistA. There is no GUI for administrative functions like patient registration and scheduling. These must be done on terminal emulators unless a new interface is developed for them. Indeed, we perceive this as a significant barrier to VOE. My hopes would be for the VistA codebase to become an important rallying point for community development of an OSS solution to health care informatics. Unfortunately it isn't clear to me how or if a development community will emerge. In this arena there would almost seem to be an economic disincentive for commercial organizations to foster an OSS development community. Linux emerged into its own since there were trained systems people who could manage and integrate the technology into the enterprise. The politics of medicine is there are probably a very minimal number of organizations who will deploy a VistA based solution with a 'professional' services organization. Obviously anything which increases the usability of a VistA based solution would be a market advantage for the service provider. It will be interesting to see where this all plays out. My own belief is that it would be easier to build it on Mozilla and M2Web, but perhaps that varies with your skills and interests. You certainly could be right. I need to spend a bit more time looking on the M2Web stuff and understand how it integrates with VistA and what it represents. If this is the optimum technology for a new interface architecture there still needs to be the emergence of a development community willing to work from and coordinate off a standard source base. If that is happening I'm not aware of it. Jim Self Thanks for the comments. Best wishes for the success of your project and a productive week. Greg }-- End of excerpt from openhealth-list@minoru-development.com As always, Dr. G.W. Wettstein, Ph.D. Enjellic Systems Development, LLC. 4206 N. 19th Ave. Specializing in information infra-structure Fargo, ND 58102development. PH: 701-281-1686 FAX: 701-281-3949 EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED
Re: VOE and Linux efforts.
Bhaskar, I followed the link to mgateway but couldn't find anything that said any of their software is Open Source. It appears that you have to register to download and some kind of key is required to unlock it. On Fri, 2006-01-20 at 00:57 -0600, Jim Self wrote: [KSB] ...snip... Meanwhile, I have been thinking that it might not be too difficult to skip the middle ware and serve the HTTP and SOAP and/or JSON from M2Web. [KSB] Jim, although this article (http://h71000.www7.hp.com/openvms/journal/v7/wasd.html) is about a SOAP-RPC interface to GT.M on OpenVMS, parts of it are relevant to UNIX/Linux too. Also, note that M Gateway (http://www.mgateway.com) have open sourced their software, which could probably be made to run on GT.M without too much effort. -- Bhaskar --- Jim Self Systems Architect, Lead Developer VMTH Computer Services, UC Davis (http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/us/jaself)
Re: VOE and Linux efforts.
Jim -- I have not tried to download the software, but was informed about it by one of the people behind MGateway. Possibly he did not appreciate the difference between free software and Free software. Did you try registering to download the software? What are the license terms? Regards -- Bhaskar On Sat, 2006-01-28 at 04:14 -0600, Jim Self wrote: Bhaskar, I followed the link to mgateway but couldn't find anything that said any of their software is Open Source. It appears that you have to register to download and some kind of key is required to unlock it.
Re: VOE and Linux efforts.
On Fri, 2006-01-20 at 00:57 -0600, Jim Self wrote: [KSB] ...snip... Meanwhile, I have been thinking that it might not be too difficult to skip the middle ware and serve the HTTP and SOAP and/or JSON from M2Web. [KSB] Jim, although this article (http://h71000.www7.hp.com/openvms/journal/v7/wasd.html) is about a SOAP-RPC interface to GT.M on OpenVMS, parts of it are relevant to UNIX/Linux too. Also, note that M Gateway (http://www.mgateway.com) have open sourced their software, which could probably be made to run on GT.M without too much effort. -- Bhaskar
Re: VOE and Linux efforts.
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: the VOE sources seems to be largely locked up inside of the Cache database on Windows As I understand it, the VOE sources are standard MUMPS and the server will therefore run as well or better on GT.M/Linux as it will on Cache/Microsoft. I also understand that VOE is 99% the same as the FOIA version of VistA and the version available now from worldvista.org and sourceforge. The best interests of Linux/OSS/Vista will be best served by having some type of native client capability. After a bit of time studying the FOIA XWB* sources and scrutinizing packet traces we were able to develop a preliminary implementation of a Java client architecture which knows how to talk to a Vista RPC server/broker. Medsphere claims to have made a VistA middleware server and a cross-platform CPRS replacement client that connect via HTTP and SOAP. They have promised to release all of it for use and part of it as Open Source some time in the near future. I hope they do. It seems like a step forward. Meanwhile, I have been thinking that it might not be too difficult to skip the middle ware and serve the HTTP and SOAP and/or JSON from M2Web. Before we invest any additional time and effort into this I wanted to get a sense of what the community thought about this approach. People are making noises about a WEB/HTML interface to Vista I am one of them. but my sense is that something a LOT like CPRS is needed in the intermediate timeframe to make Linux client implementations a reality. If you can reverse engineer an Open Source CPRS client, that would be a great start. If you continue your efforts in that direction, please share your findings and progress and problems and results with the folks at worldvista.org. Unfortunately, CPRS only covers part of the functionality of VistA. There is no GUI for administrative functions like patient registration and scheduling. These must be done on terminal emulators unless a new interface is developed for them. My own belief is that it would be easier to build it on Mozilla and M2Web, but perhaps that varies with your skills and interests. --- Jim Self Systems Architect, Lead Developer VMTH Computer Services, UC Davis (http://www.vmth.ucdavis.edu/us/jaself)
VOE and Linux efforts.
Good afternoon to everyone, hope the end of the week is going well for you. I'm working with a group to study the feasibility of deploying Linux based VOE, if and when it arrives, in our region. We are a rural area and this may be an excellent opportunity for assisting regional healthcare as well as demonstrating the feasibility of Linux/VOE. Since the VOE sources seems to be largely locked up inside of the Cache database on Windows we are studying other issues surrounding complete Linux deployments. One of the most obvious and significant problems seem to be with a graphical client for Linux desktops. We have putzed endlessly with Wine/CPRS and quite frankly it isn't and probably will never be a solution for deployment. Its fine for hacking and experimenting but the unreliability would never support production deployments. The best interests of Linux/OSS/Vista will be best served by having some type of native client capability. To this end we have invested a fair amount of time and effort to understanding the 'RPC' broker architecture being used with Vista/CPRS. Its RPC by definition only since it bears no resemblance to the ONC/XDR RPC we all know and enjoy in the UNIX world. After a bit of time studying the FOIA XWB* sources and scrutinizing packet traces we were able to develop a preliminary implementation of a Java client architecture which knows how to talk to a Vista RPC server/broker. Things are very, very crude but we have gotten far enough to believe this approach is feasible, ie, we can issue 'RPC' requests and get replies back from a Linux based FOIA server. Before we invest any additional time and effort into this I wanted to get a sense of what the community thought about this approach. People are making noises about a WEB/HTML interface to Vista but my sense is that something a LOT like CPRS is needed in the intermediate timeframe to make Linux client implementations a reality. I will look forward to any thoughts and suggestions the collective may have. Best wishes for a pleasant and enjoyable weekend from the northern plains. As always, Dr. G.W. Wettstein, Ph.D. Enjellic Systems Development, LLC. 4206 N. 19th Ave. Specializing in information infra-structure Fargo, ND 58102development. PH: 701-281-1686 FAX: 701-281-3949 EMAIL: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- The greatest pleasure in life is doing what other people say you cannot do. -- W. Bagehot
