Skip, I have developed and implemented several (>dozen) HL7 interfaces to our Lab System using the TCP/IP. I can say without hesitation that it works better than 99% of the 'interface engines' I typically have to interface to. If we have an interface problem, it usually requires someone to manually reset a socket or process on the engine, and I do nothing. On at least half of these, they call me to make any changes needed instead of doing it on the interface engine, since I seem to be able to get it done more quickly and reliably than on the engine. I attribute this directly to Objectscript/Cache, not to any particulary genius on my part.
Mark "Skip Hill" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > I'm hoping for some feedback from the developer community concerning using > ObjectScript and background JOB processes to provide server based TCP/IP socket > communications with other systems. > > I have a requirement to develop a HL7 interface for inbound (to the Cache server > from an external system) messages and outbound (from the Cache server to an > external system). > > On other platforms, it was necessary to resort to C++ and/or assembly level > coding to control the socket level communications on a given port. This process > then interacted with the application environment through files, pipes and > semaphores. It was not pretty, but it worked well. > > I've read about the OPEN/READ/USE commands, and the overview for "Using TCP > Binding to Connect Client/Server Systems in the documentation. It would appear > that Cache is well endowed in this area, and up to the task. What I'm wondering > is > > 1. Is it reasonable to expect that I can develop a reliable, effective and > efficient TCP/IP socket communications driver written in ObjectScript and > running as a job on the Cache server. > > 2. Or does it get complicated and cumbersome, requiring system boots to clear up > problems with failed connections, timeouts, etc. > > 3. What kinds of caveats or warnings might be appropriate to consider. For > instance, maybe stopping/starting/monitoring these jobs is problematic, or for > some reason they create unexpected resource demands, or it's fine with only one > fixed client connecting to a socket, but it gets complicated with numerous > multiple clients, or perhaps the packet mode works great but not the stream > mode. > > 4. Is anyone aware of a "how to do it" sample that I might glean some direction > from. > > Any help will be appreciated. > > Skip Hill
