Automatic Configuration of DICOM Network Applications Experience with Frozen Draft of Supplement 67 DICOM Anniversary Conference & Workshop Baltimore, Sept 2003 Andrew Hewett Siemens Medical Solutions

2 2 Scope – DICOM Configuration Management (Supplement 67) Simplify installation and maintenance of DICOM Network Applications Reduce manual data entry of network parameters Automate collection of network parameters Automate distribution of network parameters Use industry standard IT network protocols DHCP – Obtain Network Parameters DNS – Resolve names to addresses NTP – Maintain accurate synchronized time LDAP – Directory lookup of network devices & capabilities Scope Status Quo Future Vision Profiles Trial Test Cases Experience

3 3 Status Quo – Install a new Workstation Administrator / Technician / User Identify network parameters of new Workstation Manual entry of self network parameters Hostname, IP-Address, Netmask, DNS, Default Gateway, … Unused Unique AE Title(s), Local Port, Supported Services, … Manual entry of remote node network parameters for each device with which communication is desired Hostnames, IP-addresses, AE Titles, Ports Supported Services, Roles, Transfer Syntaxes Device type (e.g. RIS, Archive, Printer, …), … Visit each device in network Manually enter network parameters of new WS Scope Status Quo Future Vision Profiles Trial Test Cases Experience

4 4 Future – Install a new Workstation (Centrally Driven) Administrator Creates name/credentials and registers WS with DHCP/DNS/LDAP Loads predefined WS configuration in LDAP server Device details, hostname, ports, AETs, SOP Classes, etc. Peer (Workflow) Devices, etc. Technician Installs hardware & enters WS name/credentials Workstation Automatically Obtains network parameters & synchronizes to network time Obtains own configuration from LDAP server Technician Refines WS configuration (if necessary) Scope Status Quo Future Vision Profiles Trial Test Cases Experience

5 5 Future – Install a new Workstation (Client Driven) Administrator Creates name/credentials and registers WS with DHCP/DNS/LDAP Technician Installs hardware & enters WS name/credentials Workstation Automatically Obtains network parameters & synchronizes to network time Identifies available unique DICOM AE Title(s) for own use Registers WS own capabilities to LDAP server Searches for interesting remote DICOM devices in LDAP Server RIS, Archive, Network Printers, Workstations Technician Refines WS configuration (if necessary) Scope Status Quo Future Vision Profiles Trial Test Cases Experience

6 6 Future – Send images to a new WS A new WS is installed Other devices can immediately send images to new WS Fully Dynamic Configuration (e.g. on a Modality) Open Patient Browser (view of Local Database) Select Patient and choose Send to WS … Dialog shows filtered list of assigned Workstations Obtained from central config server Select desired WS (if more than 1) Send images to selected WS Using network parameters obtained from central config server (LDAP & DNS) Many variations on this theme are possible Scope Status Quo Future Vision Profiles Trial Test Cases Experience

7 7 Configuration Management Profiles Products can claim conformance to separate Profiles Network Address Management Profile Obtain Network Parameters & Resolve names to addresses Client must support DHCP & DNS Time Synchronization Profile Maintain accurate synchronized time Client must support SNTP or NTP DICOM Application Configuration Management Profile Directory lookup of network devices & capabilities Client must support LDAP protocol & DICOM schema Each Profile defines Actors & Transactions (Required/Optional) Scope Status Quo Future Vision Profiles Trial Test Cases Experience

8 8 Configuration Management Profiles Products can claim conformance to separate Profiles Network Address Management Profile Obtain Network Parameters & Resolve names to addresses Client must support DHCP & DNS Time Synchronization Profile Maintain accurate synchronized time Client must support SNTP or NTP DICOM Application Configuration Management Profile Directory lookup of network devices & capabilities Client must support LDAP protocol & DICOM schema Each Profile defines Actors & Transactions (Required/Optional) Scope Status Quo Future Vision Profiles Trial Test Cases Experience

9 9 Trial Implementation WG6 created a Frozen Draft for Trial Implementation Sup67 is unusual for DICOM Standardization Discover and fix problems before Ballot Frozen Draft status will be reviewed in January 2004 Siemens has developed a demo client implementation Microsoft.NET Environment Uses DirectoryServices class library for LDAP client support Tested against the SunONE and OpenLDAP directory servers Scope Status Quo Future Vision Profiles Trial Test Cases Experience

10 Test Cases Install a new LDAP Server into a legacy network Install a new managed device (pre-loaded LDAP Server configuration) Install a new managed device (file-based data upload) Install a new managed device (protocol-based data upload) Find archives, workstations and printers Change managed device configuration on the server Change managed device configuration (file-based data upload) Change managed device configuration (protocol-based data upload) Scope Status Quo Future Vision Profiles Trial Test Cases Experience

11 Trial Experience Successfully completed all LDAP-related test cases Limitations of LDAP server products & client libraries Multi-valued RDNs Modify RDN Minor revisions to DICOM LDAP schema necessary Clarification of some details necessary Renaming a device Intended use of Peer AE Titles Important to test with multiple LDAP servers Strict vs. lenient syntax checking Scope Status Quo Future Vision Profiles Trial Test Cases Experience