About This Manual 
Who Should Read This Manual Organization Of This Manual Obtaining This Manual Navigating The Manual Alerts and Notices Type Conventions Learning Center Iguana Overview What is Iguana? Relationship Between Iguana and Chameleon What is an Interface? How Does Iguana Work? What is a Channel? Channel Source Components Channel Destination Components Common Channel Scenarios Iguana Configuration Files Null, Empty and Invalid Values Why Choose Iguana Over Chameleon? Training Videos Tutorials and Sample Scenarios Working With a Database HL7 to Database Step 1 - Data Acquisition Step 2 - Setting Up the VMD File Viewing the Sample Message with the Message Browser Importing the Segments Creating the Message Definition Setting Up the Segment Grammar Defining a Table Setting Up the Table Grammar VMD File After Steps 1 and 2 Step 3 - Setting Up the Channel Setting Up the Channel in Iguana 4.0 Or Later Creating a Channel Filling Out the Channel Details Configuring the LLP Listener Source Component Configuring the To Database Destination Component Adding the Channel and Exporting the Tables Testing the Configuration Setting Up the Channel in Older Versions of Iguana Step 4 - Using Python To Go Beyond Mapping Examining the Sample Message with the Message Browser Importing the Segments and Creating a New Message Definition Setting Up the Message Grammar Creating Python Code to Set the Discharged Flag Testing the Python Code in Chameleon VMD File After Step 4 Step 5 - Adding Another Table Designing the Merge Table Creating the Message Definition Setting Up the Segment and Table Grammars Setting Up the Table Mappings Re-Parsing the Sample Message VMD File After Step 5 Making Changes in Iguana to Accommodate the PatientMerge Message Step 6 - One to Many Relationships Database to HL7 Step 1 - Setting Up the VMD File Creating a New Message Definition Importing the Required Segments From the Library Setting Up the Segment Grammar Setting Up the Message Identity Setting Up the Table Grammar Selecting a Grammar Root and Mapping the Data VMD File After Step 1 Step 2 - Setting up the Channel Setting up the Channel in Iguana 4.0 Or Later Adding a Channel Filling Out the Channel Details Configuring the From Database Source Component Configuring the LLP Client Destination Component Adding the Channel and Exporting the Tables Setting up the Channel in Older Versions of Iguana Step 3 - Generating Messages Step 4 - Using Python to go Beyond Mapping Setting the Message Control ID Creating a Unique ID for MSH.10 Setting the HL7 Version Testing the Changes VMD File After Step 4 Step 5 - Table Groups and Repetition Modifying the Existing VMD File Importing the Required Segments From the Library Creating a New Message Definition and Identity Setting Up the Segment Grammar Creating the Tables Setting Up the Table Grammar Mapping the Data to the Outbound HL7 Segments VMD File After Step 5 Exporting the New Tables Using Iguana Exporting the New Tables Using Iguana 4.0 Or Later Exporting the New Tables Using Older Versions of Iguana Examining the Database Schema Populating the Database Tables Generating the Message Routing and Processing Messages Simple Routing Routing Messages From One Channel To Many Channels Routing Messages Using Iguana 4.0 Or Later Setting Up Channel 1 - LLP Listener to Channel Setting Up Channel 2 - Channel to LLP Client Setting Up Channel 3 - Channel to File Testing Your Configuration Routing Messages Using Older Versions of Iguana Step 1 - Setting Up the Channels Setting Up Channel 1 - LLP Listener to Message Filter Filling Out the Channel Details Configuring the Destination: To Message Filter Configuring the Source: LLP Listener Setting up Channel 2 - Message Filter to LLP Client Configuring the Destination: LLP Client Configuring the Source: Message Filter Setting Up Channel 3 - Message Filter to File Configuring the Destination: To File Configuring the Source: Message Filter Step 2 - Testing Your Configuration Routing Messages From Many Channels To One Channel Ignoring Messages Step 1 - Data Acquisition Step 2 - Setting Up the VMD File Importing the Segments Creating the Patient Message Definition Creating the Default Message Definition VMD File After Step 2 Step 3 - Creating and Testing the Channels Creating and Testing the Channels Using Iguana 4.0 Or Later Setting Up Channel 1 - LLP Listener to Channel Setting Up Channel 2 - Channel to LLP Client Setting Up Channel 3 - Channel to File Testing Your Configuration Creating and Testing the Channels Using Older Versions of Iguana Setting Up the Channels Setting Up Channel 1 - LLP Listener to Message Filter Filling Out the Channel Details Configuring the Destination: To Message Filter Configuring the Source: LLP Listener Setting up Channel 2 - Message Filter to LLP Client Configuring the Destination: LLP Client Configuring the Source: Message Filter Setting Up Channel 3 - Message Filter to File Configuring the Destination: To File Configuring the Source: Message Filter Testing Your Configuration Data Validation Example Problem - Making Sure IDs Match Solution One: Using Python Solution Two: Using A Database Trigger Example Problem - Making Sure The Admit Date is Valid Supporting Two Different Systems with One VMD File and One Instance of Iguana Splitting One Message Into Many Messages Step 1 - Data Acquisition Step 2 - Setting Up the VMD File Step 3 - Creating the Python Script Step 4 - Creating Channels in Iguana 4.0 Or Later Ignoring Duplicate Messages Step 1 - Data Acquisition Step 2 - Setting Up the VMD File Step 3 - Creating the Python Script Step 4 - Creating the Channel Generating NACK Messages in Iguana 4.0 and Later Creating the Customized ACK/NACK VMD File Creating the reject_message Python Module Creating the Global Inbound Script Creating the Segment Outbound Script Cleaning Up the Segment Delimiters Updating the LLP Channel Component Testing the Solution Creating the Filtering VMD File Creating the Filtering Python Script Defining the Filter Component Testing the Solution Again Using Segment Identities To Handle Multiple Message Versions Transforming Messages HL7 Transformation Step 1 - Data Acquisition Step 2 - Setting Up the VMD File Starting a New Project Importing Segments From the Library Creating a New Message Definition Re-Parsing the Message Creating the Transformation Script Creating the Segment Scripts Creating the Global Inbound Script Testing Your Transformation Step 3 - Setting Up the Channels Setting Up the Channels Using Iguana 4.0 Or Later Setting Up Channel 1 - LLP Listener to Channel Setting Up Channel 2 - Channel to LLP Client Setting Up Channel 3 - Channel to File Setting Up the Channels Using Older Versions of Iguana Setting Up Channel 1 - LLP Listener to Message Filter Filling Out the Channel Details Configuring the Destination: To Message Filter Configuring the Source: LLP Listener Setting up Channel 2 - Message Filter to LLP Client Configuring the Destination: LLP Client Configuring the Source: Message Filter Setting Up Channel 3 - Message Filter to File Configuring the Destination: To File Configuring the Source: Message Filter Step 4 - Testing Your Configuration Testing Your Configuration Using Iguana 4.0 Or Later Configuring the HL7 Listener Turning on the Channels Configuring the HL7 Simulator Checking the Dashboard and Logs Confirming that Messages are Being Received by the LLP Client Confirming that Messages are Being Written to the File Cleaning Up Testing Your Configuration Using Older Versions of Iguana HL7 - XML Tutorial Step 1 - Acquiring Sample Data Step 2 - Setting Up the VMD File Starting a New Project Viewing the Sample Message Importing Segments Using the Message Browser Creating the Message Definition Setting Up the Segment Grammar Choosing the XML Translation Scheme Step 3 - Testing the XML Translation in Chameleon Step 4 - Creating the HL7 to XML Channel Creating the HL7 to XML Channel Using Iguana 4.0 Or Later Setting Up the Channel Filling Out the Channel Details Configuring the Source: LLP Listener Configuring the Filter Configuring the Destination: To File Adding the Channel Starting the Channel Configuring the HL7 Simulator Checking that the Message Was Sent Successfully Checking the XML Output File Creating the HL7 to XML Channel Using Older Versions of Iguana Step 5 - Creating the XML to HL7 Channel Creating the XML to HL7 Channel Using Iguana 4.0 Or Later Setting Up the Channel Filling Out the Channel Details Configuring the Source: From File Configuring the Filter Configuring the Destination: LLP Client Adding the Channel Configuring the HL7 Listener Starting the Channel Checking that the Message Was Sent Successfully Checking the HL7 Listener Creating the XML to HL7 Channel Using Older Versions of Iguana Working With Plugins and Web Services Setting Up a Plugin Setting Up a Plugin Using C++ Setting Up a Source Plugin Using Microsoft Visual Studio C++ 2008 Creating the Iguana Channel Testing the Plugin From Microsoft Visual Studio C++ 2008 Running the Plugin From the Channel Setting Up a Destination Plugin Using Microsoft Visual Studio C++ 2008 Setting Up a Plugin Using C# Setting Up a Source Plugin in C# or VB.NET Using Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Creating the Iguana Channel Testing the Plugin From Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Running the Plugin From the Channel Setting Up a Destination Plugin in C# or VB.NET Using Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Setting Up a Plugin Using VB.NET Setting Up a Plugin Using Delphi Setting Up a Source Plugin Using Borland Delphi 4 Creating the Iguana Channel Testing the Plugin From Borland Delphi 4 Running the Plugin From the Channel Setting Up a Destination Plugin Using Borland Delphi 4 Setting Up a Plugin Using Java Calling Web Services from Iguana Email Notification Rule Examples Detecting Service Errors When User Starts a Channel When User Stops a Channel Detecting Inactivity When Multiple Message Types Are Sent Through a Single Channel Creating the Python Module Creating the VMD File Modifying the Channel Creating the Email Notification Rules Testing the Solution Handling VIP Admissions Detecting When an Idle Channel Restarts Creating the Python Module Creating the VMD File Modifying the Channel Creating the Email Notification Rule Testing the Solution Detecting Duplicate Messages Sending a Notification When the Server Is Restarted Working With Other Message Formats Processing Non-HL7 Messages Using Iguana and Chameleon Analyzing Your Incoming Message Creating the VMD File and Segments Writing the Global Inbound Script Creating the Message Definition Defining the Table Creating the Message Grammar Defining the Iguana Channel Testing the Solution Handling More Complicated Message Streams Generating HL7 Version 3 Messages Creating a VMD File To Extract Information in XML Building the Message Definition Creating the Tables Creating the Segment and Table Grammars Defining the Mappings Creating the Default Message Definition Creating a VMD File To Generate HL7 Version 3 Messages Loading the Python Module Into Iguana Creating the Iguana Channels Testing the Channels Generating HL7 Version 3 CDA Documents Creating a VMD File To Extract Information in XML Creating a VMD File To Generate HL7 Version 3 CDA Documents Creating the Iguana Channels Testing the Channels Generating ORU^R01 Messages From Arbitrary Text Restricting Channel Access Determining Your System Requirements Calculating the Highest Load Creating a Channel Creating a Channel Using Iguana 4.0 Or Later Adding a Channel Filling Out the Channel Details Configuring the LLP Listener Component Configuring the To Database Component Exporting the Database Tables Creating a Channel Using an Older Version of Iguana Using the HL7 Simulator to Simulate the Demand Monitoring the Disk, CPU and Network Usage The iNTERFACEWARE Blog Iguana Best Practices Guide Designing HL7 Interfaces in Iguana Five Steps to Building HL7 Interfaces in Iguana Acquire Real Data Analyze the Data Design the Segment and Table Grammar Get Smart About Standards How Much Information is Necessary? Extracting a Small Data Subset Ignoring Messages Treating Discrete HL7 Messages as One Logical Message Using Minimal Segment Grammars with Filtering Extracting Almost Everything Setting Up the Channels Regression Testing Interface Types ADT Feeds Handling Merge Messages Dealing with Lab Reports Generating Repeating Fields from a Table Column Dealing with Multiple Vendors Tips For "Software as a Service" and Application Service Providers Locating Channels Using the Channel Search Feature Using vmd_tool To Locate VMD File Problems Using Iguana With Version Control Keeping Track Of Ports In Use Using an HTTPS Channel as an Alternative to a VPN Connection Backing Up and Restoring Iguana Using Configuration Management and Version Control With Iguana Creating a Centralized Directory Structure Using Relative Paths for VMD File Definitions Creating a Test Version of an Iguana Server Developing a Disaster Recovery Strategy Providing High Availability Separating Data from the Application Separating Configuration Files From Log Data Defining Multiple Servers Using Environment Variables and A Single Configuration File Using DeltaCopy to Create an Iguana Failover Setup Setting Up The Backup Machine Setting Up The Primary Machine Starting the Connection Between the Primary and the Backup Creating the Synchronization Schedule Switching From the Primary Machine To the Backup Machine Restoring the Primary Machine Business Processes for Software Vendor Customers Learning Python Working With Values and Variables Basic Values: Numbers and Strings Variables Displaying Values Comments Multi-Line Statements Arithmetic Operations Conditional Statements and Loops The if Statement Comparison Operators The elif Statement The else Statement The while Statement The for Statement The break and continue Statements Boolean Operators Values of Conditional Expressions Lists Dictionaries Functions and Global Variables Working With Strings String Indexing and Slices String Functions String Capitalization Editing a String Splitting a String String Searching String Comparison Getting Time Information Escape Sequences and Raw Strings Pattern Matching in Strings File Reading and Writing Error Detection Modules Additional Resources Chameleon Overview What is Chameleon? Message Definition Files (VMDs) What is an Interface? How do Custom Applications Work? Relationship Between Objects Inside Chameleon Message Definitions Segment Definitions Table Definitions Composite Definitions Date Time Formats Configurations Installing and Using Iguana Getting Started System Requirements 5300-10 Technology Level Fix Pack Required To Run Iguana on AIX Unix, Linux and Mac OS X Users Must Update OpenSSL 64-Bit Platform Support Issues Which Operating System Should I Use? Downloading Iguana Installing Iguana Installing Iguana on Windows Installing Iguana On Windows Using The Automatic Installer Installing Iguana Manually Installing an Additional Iguana Server on Windows Downloading and Configuring the Iguana Server Testing Your Configuration Registering Your New Server Installing the New Service Installing Additional Iguana Services From an Existing Installation on Windows Installing Iguana 4.0 Or Later On Windows From The Command Prompt Installing a Version of Iguana Older Than 4.0 on Windows Uninstalling Iguana on Windows Rolling Back To Iguana 3.3.2 on Windows Installing Iguana on Unix, Linux or Mac OS X Registering and Licensing Iguana Registering and Licensing Iguana Version 4.0 Or Later Registering and Licensing an Older Version of Iguana Obtaining a Trial License If Iguana is Disabled After Upgrading Upgrading Iguana Important Issues When Upgrading to Version 4.5 Importance of Upgrading Iguana iNTERFACEWARE's Version Release Policy iNTERFACEWARE's Sunset Policy for Older Releases Why Should You Upgrade? Checking the Maintenance Expiry Date Upgrading Iguana in Windows Upgrading Iguana in Windows Manually Copying Your Backup Files into the iNTERFACEWARE Directory Upgrading From Version 3.3 Or Earlier Upgrading Iguana in Unix, Linux or Mac OS X Converting Email Notification When Upgrading From Iguana 3.3 Converting Multiple LLP Clients That Use The Same Port When Upgrading From Iguana 3.3 Viewing the Iguana Change Log Deploying Iguana on Windows Starting and Stopping the Iguana Service Installing/Uninstalling the Iguana Service From a Command Prompt Getting the Iguana Service to Work with a Mapped Network Drive Deploying Iguana on Unix, Linux and Mac OS X Iguana Binary Distribution Running Iguana as an Executable Running Iguana as a Daemon Open File Limits on Unix, Linux and Mac OS X Iguana Memory Usage and Stack Size on Unix, Linux and Mac OS X Database Deployment Issues Using Iguana With PostgreSQL via ODBC Using Iguana With MySQL Using Iguana With OCI Oracle Using Oracle Instant Client The OCI Shared Object OCI TNS Names Shutting Down Iguana Starting Iguana in Safe Mode Configuring Iguana Changing the Plugin Communication Server Port Accessing the Web Interface Logging into the User Interface Setting the Color Depth Changing the Default Web Server Port Specifying the Configuration File Directory Moving Iguana from One System to Another Debugging Iguana From The Command Line What's New in Iguana? What's New in Iguana 4.5.4? What's New in Iguana 4.5.3? What's New in Iguana 4.5? New Channel Features New Dashboard Features New Logging Features New Role and User Management Features Other New Features What's New in Iguana 4.1? New "From File" and "To File" Component Features Other New Channel Features New Logging Features New Dashboard Features New Email Notification Features New Plugin Features New Log Access API New Secure Transport Features Other New Features What's New in Iguana 4.0.12? What's New in Iguana 4.0.10? What's New in Iguana 4.0? Key Features in Iguana 4.0 Installation and Configuration Performance Improvements Logging Routing and Filtering User Interface Channels Email Notification Plugins Important Changes in Iguana 4.0 Changes to Iguana Configuration Files Changes to Tabs Database No Longer Needed For Most Channels Changes to Channel Configuration Changes to Email Notification Changes to the Installation Directory Structure Changes to Dashboard Information Exporting Source and Destination Components Are Decoupled In Iguana 4.0 The LLP Listener Source Component and the To Database Destination Component The From Database Source Component and the LLP Client Destination Component Changes to the Unix Version of Iguana What's New in Iguana 3.3? Using Iguana Logging In to Iguana Creating a Channel Selecting the Channel Components Viewing Help Information Configuring the Channel Details Configuring the Source Component LLP Listener Port Management Tips Connecting to the LLP Listener Viewing the LLP Listener Certificate File IPv6 Address Support in Iguana From Database From File Downloading Files From an FTP Server File Permission Problems in From File and To File Channel Components From Plugin From HTTPS From Channel Configuring the Filter Configuring the Destination Component To Database LLP Client Configuring the LLP Client Connection Information Configuring the LLP Client ACKnowledgment Settings Configuring the LLP Client Connection Settings Configuring the LLP Client SSL Settings Viewing the LLP Client Certificate File Preventing Channels From Stopping Because of LLP Client Connection Errors Not Receiving the Same Number of ACKs That are Sent Out To File Using Format Specifiers in File Names Uploading Files to an FTP Server Improving Iguana Performance When Using the 'To File' Destination Component To Plugin To HTTPS To Channel Adding the Channel Exporting the Database Tables Exporting the Legacy Log Database Tables Iguana Performance and SSL Encryption Enabling Iguana 4.0 Directory Browsing in Firefox 3.x Updating Channel Information from the Dashboard Viewing Channel Information Displaying Dashboard Tooltips Displaying Detailed Channel Information Starting and Stopping a Channel Starting and Stopping Multiple Channels Clearing and Marking Multiple Channel Errors Editing a Channel Removing a Channel Searching for Channels in the Dashboard Measuring Channel Traffic Sorting the Channel Display Clearing Channel Queues From The Dashboard Viewing and Editing Server Information Viewing Service Errors Viewing the Listening Ports Displaying the Outbound LLP Ports Displaying Channel Properties Displaying the Channel Routes Displaying Version Information Resolving Plugin Communication Port Conflicts Resetting User Passwords in Iguana 4.0 and Later Changing the System Clock Affects Message Queueing and Logging in Iguana 4.0 Or Later Working With the Logs Viewing the Logs Types of Log Messages Viewing Log Message Details Selecting the Log Message View Mode Viewing a Log Message In Multiple View Modes Or On Remote Computers Viewing Segments of a Logged Message Viewing Table Data Generated From a Message Viewing the Generated SQL Statements Viewing Log Messages From Deleted Channels Viewing Related Log Messages Viewing Network Messages Viewing User Actions Viewing Archived Logs Changing the Logging Level Searching the Logs Deleting Messages and Marking Errors Accessing the Logs From Other Applications Using the Log Query API Reprocessing and Resubmitting Log Messages Understanding the Message Queue Understanding Unqueued Messages Resubmitting Logged Messages Selecting The Source Channels Of A 'From Channel' Source Component To Display Displaying The Last Message Processed By A Channel Viewing The Queued Messages Repositioning A Channel To Process A Specified Message Configuration and Performance Considerations Viewing Log Statistics Changing the Log Directory Limiting Access to the Log Directory Log Age and Logging Performance Synchronous Writes and Logging Performance Verifying Log File Integrity Using iguana_log_verify Log File Changes When Upgrading to Version 4.5 Changing the Iguana Program Settings Web Server Configuration Setting the Server Name Specifying the Allowable Login Failures Specifying the Session Timeout Using HTTPS Database Settings Email Notification Configuring the Email Server Settings How To Send Email Through a Server That Requires Authentication How To Authorize Sending Email Notification Messages Using SMS Validating Email Notification Disabling Email Notification Enabling Email Notification Defining Email Notification Rules Creating a Standard Rule Specifying Match Criteria In Standard Rule Text Queries Creating a Channel Inactivity Rule Editing an Email Notification Rule Removing an Email Notification Rule Logging an Email Notification Email Notification Best Practices Troubleshooting Your SMTP Server Getting Email Notification to Work with Your Mail Server Logging Plugin Settings Change Password Roles & Users Creating a User Creating a Role Adding a User To a Role Removing a User From a Role Editing User Information Editing a Role Deleting a User Disabling or Enabling a User Deleting a Role Upgrading From User Groups to Version 4.5 Roles License Entitlement HTTPS Channel Settings Environment Variables Environment Variables Defined By Iguana Editing an Environment Variable Adding an Environment Variable Deleting an Environment Variable Environment Variables Screen Shortcut Keys Channel Groups Working With Plugins Using a Source Plugin Using a Destination Plugin Writing a Plugin Writing a Plugin in C++ Using the IGC Libraries and API in C++ Using Chameleon to Generate a C++ Source Plugin Using Chameleon to Generate a C++ Destination Plugin Writing a Plugin in VB.NET or C# Using the IGC Libraries and API in VB.NET and C# Using Chameleon to Generate a VB.NET Source Plugin Using Chameleon to Generate a C# Source Plugin Using Chameleon to Generate a VB.NET Destination Plugin Using Chameleon to Generate a C# Destination Plugin Writing a Plugin in Java Using the IGC Libraries and API in Java Using Chameleon to Generate a Java Source Plugin Using Chameleon to Generate a Java Destination Plugin Writing a Plugin in Delphi Using the IGC Libraries and API in Delphi Using Chameleon to Generate a Delphi Source Plugin Using Chameleon to Generate a Delphi Destination Plugin Using the Legacy VB.NET/C# Plugin Interface Using the Legacy VB.NET/C# Plugin Interface to Send Messages Defining the MessageProcessor Object Accessing the Iguana Communication Libraries Sample VB.NET Plugin Sample C# Plugin Using the Legacy VB.NET/C# Plugin Interface to Receive Messages Defining the MessageProcessor Object Accessing the Iguana Communication Libraries Sample VB.NET Plugin Sample C# Plugin The Iguana Communication Libraries Creating a Channel For a Plugin Testing a Plugin Testing Your Plugin Channel Monitoring Plugin Output Problems With Plugins When Installing Iguana 4.0 Or Later Manually in an Iguana 3.3.2 Environment 32-bit Version of IGC.dll Required For 32-bit Plugins Resolving Iguana Communication Library (IGC.dll) Errors The Iguana HTTPS Protocol Specifying Keywords and Regular Expressions When Searching Using the Iguana File Browser Working With a Database Using an OCI Oracle Data Source Using an ODBC Oracle Data Source Setting Up an Oracle Database Instant Client Setting Up an ODBC Data Source for Oracle Setting Up an ODBC Data Source For MS SQL Server Setting Up an ODBC Data Source For MS Access Using a Database in a 64-bit Windows Environment Setting a Primary Key When Using Filemaker Pro Using Windows NT Authentication With ODBC Using MySQL in a 64-bit Mac OS X Environment Tuning Tips Database Troubleshooting Making the MySQL Database Option Visible in Windows Making the MySQL Database Option Visible in Linux Silently Rejecting a Message without Generating an Error Problems Inserting Data into a Database Getting Unsupported Databases to Work with Iguana Oracle Character Set Conversion Issues ODBC Connection Issues Using 64-Bit Windows Error Messages On Shutdown When Using Iguana With MySQL 5.0.45 Oracle Startup Problems When Using SELinux Using the 32-Bit or 64-Bit Oracle Client Library Using Windows Vista With Oracle Version 10 or 11 Using Logging to Track SQL Performance Migrating ODBC DSN Registry Settings From One Machine To Another Oracle Issues With Older Versions of Iguana Disk Space Problems When Using Iguana With an ODBC Driver Starting Iguana When The MySQL DLL Is Missing A Function What To Do If You Are Generating Empty Messages Monitoring Iguana Viewing the Dashboard Information Viewing the Dashboard Information in Iguana 4.0 Or Later Interpreting the Dashboard Information Viewing Dashboard Information from a Python Script Viewing the Channel Status Summaries in Older Versions of Iguana Logging In Using a URL Starting and Stopping Channels Using a Web URL Get Status Errors Using a DOS Batch Command File to Get Iguana Stats Using a DOS Batch Command File to Start/Stop Channels Creating a Schedule For Starting and Stopping Channels on Windows Creating a Schedule For Starting and Stopping Channels on Unix, Linux or Mac OS X Using Generic Monitoring Software to Monitor Iguana Using the Tools and Utility Applications client_exe HL7 Listener Introduction How Do I Get a Stream of HL7 Data? The HL7 Listener Utility How Does the HL7 Listener Work? HL7 Simulator Input File Format Using the HL7 Simulator GUI Application Using the hl7simulator Command Line Application Command Line Tools Testing System Integrity With The generator Utility Using the Active Producer To Request Messages Using the Passive Client To Send Messages Using Older Versions of Iguana Starting Iguana Starting and Stopping the Iguana Service Installing/Uninstalling the Iguana Service From a Command Prompt Changing the Default Port of the Iguana Service Accessing the Web Interface Logging into the User Interface Changing Iguana's Default Web Server Port Changing the Auto-Refresh Rate Dashboard Configuring Channels Adding a Channel Configuring the Channel Level Details Configuring the Source Components From Database Updating the Source Database Tables Ordering For Multiple Outbound Messages Separate SELECT Queries on All Status Tables LLP Listener From File From Client Executable Configuring the From Client Executable Component Adding Custom Fields Adding the Custom Information to the Client Executable Custom Logging Example From Message Filter From XML File Configuring the Destination Components Configuring Iguana to Use a Remote MySQL Database Exporting Tables What Types of Log Tables are Exported? How is Each Log Table Used in Iguana? Setting Up a Queuing Configuration Using a Message Filter Setting Up the Channels Setting Up Channel 1 - LLP Listener to Message Filter Adding the Channel and Selecting the Channel Components Filling Out the Mandatory Channel Settings (Optional) Configuring the Channel Details Configuring the Source and Destination Components Exporting the Tables Setting Up Channel 2 - Message Filter to Database Testing the Configuration Turning on the Channels Configuring the HL7 Simulator Checking the Logs Checking the Routing Tab Verifying Data is Being Extracted Viewing the Messages in the Queue Changing the Status of Messages Routing Inbound Channel Table Outbound Sub-Channel Table Viewing the Channel Configuration Viewing the Channel Statistics Viewing the Inbound Channel Status Table Changing the Status of Messages Logs Log Overview Log Summary Exporting Logs to a Text File Searching Logs Exporting Search Results to a Text File Deleting All Logs Deleting Individual Logs Log Details Resubmitting Messages Resubmitting a Batch of Messages Using the HL7 Simulator Configuring the Web Server Settings Viewing the Web Server Settings Viewing the Current Certificate File Settings Changing the Session Timeout Configuring the Web Server to Use HTTPS Configuring the Email Server Settings Configuring the Log/Status Purge Settings User Administration Writing a Client Executable Using a Client Executable to Send Messages Creating the Channel Configuring the Channel Details Configuring the LLP Client Component Configuring the From Client Executable Component Adding the Channel Creating the Client Executable Defining the MessageProcessor Object Accessing the Client Executable Communication Libraries Sample VB.NET Client Executable Sample C#.NET Client Executable Testing the Client Executable Using a Client Executable to Receive Messages Creating the Channel Configuring the Channel Details Configuring the To Client Executable Component Configuring the LLP Listener Component Adding the Channel Creating the Client Executable Defining the MessageProcessor Object Accessing the Client Executable Communication Libraries Sample VB.NET Client Executable Sample C#.NET Client Executable Testing the Client Executable The Client Executable Communication Libraries Resetting User Passwords in Iguana 3.3 and Lower Character Limit For Oracle Table Names Installing and Using Chameleon Getting Started Downloading Chameleon Installing Chameleon Installing Chameleon on Windows Installing Chameleon on Unix Installing Chameleon on Mac OS X via Parallels Installing an Additional Copy of Chameleon on Windows Registering Chameleon on Windows Registering Chameleon on Unix/Linux Getting a Permanent Chameleon License Transferring a License to Another Computer Using Chameleon With Windows Vista Upgrading Chameleon Importance of Upgrading Chameleon iNTERFACEWARE's Version Release Policy iNTERFACEWARE's Sunset Policy for Older Releases Chameleon Installation Support Policy Why Should You Upgrade? Upgrading to Chameleon 4.0 and Later in Windows Upgrading to Chameleon 4.0 and Later in Unix Old Directory Structure (Prior to 4.0) vs. New Directory Structure (After 4.0) Chameleon Unix Environment Performing the Upgrade Running Two Versions of Chameleon on the Same Machine Viewing the Chameleon Change Log What's New in Chameleon? What's New in Chameleon 5.4? What's New in Chameleon 5.3? What's New in Chameleon 5.2? What's New in Chameleon 5.1.12? What's New in Chameleon 5.1.10? What's New in Chameleon 5.1? What's New in Chameleon 5.0? What's New in Chameleon 4.5? Chameleon Interface Overview of the Chameleon Interface Main Menu Toolbar Configuration Drop-Down Menu Workspace Tab Control Working Area Context Menus Learning the Basics Starting Chameleon Creating and Opening Projects Creating a New Project Opening an Existing Project Opening an Example Project Using the HL7 Project Wizard Viewing the News Feed Context-Sensitive Help Quick Start Guide For Creating Message Definitions Overview of the Message Definition Workflow 1 - Use the Message Browser 2 - Import Unrecognized Segments 3 - Use the Create Message Wizard 4 - Add Segments to the Segment Grammar 5 - Create, Then Add Tables to the Table Grammar 6 - Set Grammar Roots 7 - Map Data From the Segments Advanced - Add More Complex Matching Rules Using Message Definitions Creating a New Custom Message Definition Using the Create Message Definition Wizard Renaming a Message Definition Importing Message Definitions From the Library Deleting a Message Definition From the Workspace Using Message Identities Manually Defining the Message Identity Defining the Matching Order of Message Definitions Specifying Default Messages Using Regular Expression Metacharacters Filtering Messages Using the Message Identity Working with Segments and Segment Grammars Importing Segments From the Segment Library Automatically Importing Unrecognized Segments Importing Segments From an Existing VMD File Creating Custom Z-Segments Renaming a Segment Viewing the Segment Definition Viewing the Segment Grammar of a Message Adding a Segment to a Message's Segment Grammar Deleting a Segment From the Workspace Defining the Segment Identity Creating a Segment Group Editing the Optional/Repeating Properties of Segments Ignoring Segments Not in Grammar Disregarding Segment Order Avoiding Segment Grammar Errors Removing a Segment From the Segment Grammar Extracting Data From Repeating Segments Working with Tables and Table Grammars Creating a Table Renaming a Table Viewing the Table Grammar of a Message Adding a Table to the Table Grammar Importing Tables From the Table Library Viewing the Table Definition Deleting a Table From the Workspace Defining Tables on the Fly Importing Existing Tables and Messages into a New VMD File Mapping Data Selecting a Grammar Root Grammar Root Selection Guide Editing the Mappings Understanding the Error/Warning Message Display Error Messages Warning Messages Toggling Warning Messages On/Off Fixing Error or Warning Messages Verifying Errors or Warnings Have Been Resolved Mapping Repeating Fields Methods For Mapping Repeating Fields Method 1 - Result After Parsing Method 2 - Result After Parsing Method 3 - Result After Parsing Mapping Repeating Fields Using Table Groups Setting the Number of Repeats For a Field Creating a Sub-Table Adding a Table Group to the Table Grammar Adding the Sub-Table to the Table Group Setting the Grammar Root of the Table and Table Group Mapping the Sub-Table Testing Your Mappings Final VMD Mapping a Finite Number of Repeating Fields Mapping One Table Column to Multiple Segment Fields Mapping a Table Automatically Using a Segment's Fields and Sub-Fields Using the Message Browser to Test Parsed Messages Creating a Table Adding the New Table to the Table Grammar Selecting the Grammar Root Importing Segment Fields and Sub-Fields into the PID Table Testing the Configuration Final VMD File Mapping Multiple Fields of an Incoming HL7 Message to a Single Table Column Parsing the Sample Message Creating the Python Code Modifying the Table Grammar Adding the ResultInformation Table to the Table Grammar Re-Parsing the Sample Message Completed VMD File Understanding Mapsets Adding/Deleting a Mapset Mapset Data Model Working with Composites Viewing the Composite Definition Creating a New Composite Understanding Sub-Field Delimiters Setting the Maximum Length of a Field Performing Field Length Checks Understanding Date Time Formats Understanding the Benefits of Using Multiple Configurations Creating a New Configuration Renaming or Deleting a Configuration Selecting a Configuration at Runtime Setting the Configuration in the Application Code Using the Index Number Setting the Configuration in the Application Code Using the Name Tutorial: Using Multiple Configurations Using Wizards Using the Stubcode Generation Wizard Updating Stubcode Avoiding Stubcode Errors Because of Repeating Tables in Table Grammar Creating Stubcode in a 64-bit Windows Environment Using the Documentation Wizard Using the HL7 Project Wizard Using the Database Table Importing Wizard Configuring VMDs Using the Options Window Using Python Scripting Using Python Scripts in Chameleon Using Python When Parsing Messages Global Inbound Script Segment Inbound Scripts Table Inbound Scripts Global Inbound Parse-complete Script Global Inbound Post Process Script Using Python When Generating Messages Global Outbound Preprocess Script Table Outbound Scripts Segment Outbound Scripts Global Outbound Post Process Script Order of Python Script Execution Accessing the Top-Level Python Module Chameleon Python API Value Variable Meanings of the Value Variable Creating Constant Values Storing and Re-emitting Parameters Variable Types Python None Object Using Python Variables with the 5.0 Parser Engine (Versions 5.0 and Later) Field Object Field Object Methods/Properties Field Object Usage Examples Concatenating Fields Concatenating Arbitrary Set of Sub-Components into One Field Concatenating Repeating Fields Setting Sub-Components Dealing with Systems that Require Trailing Delimiters Changing Subfields Field Object Behavior in Parser Versions Environment Variable Environment Variable Functions Iterating Over Message Segments Working With the Default Database Working With Any Database Converting a Date from String to Double Converting a Date from Double to String Table and Row Objects Database Object Database Result Set Object Database Result Set Row Object Segment Iterator Object Table Variable Delimiter Functions GUID Generator GUID Module GUID Structure Generating a GUID Testing the GUID Generator GUID Examples Generating a GUID for Multiple Fields Using the GUID Generator with SQL Server 2000 Character Stripping Functions Calendar and Age Calculation Functions Timestamp Functions Unicode Character Functions Iguana Channel Functions Python Scripting Examples String Manipulation Screening 0x0A (Linefeed) Characters Adding Underscores to a SSN Extracting a Single Character Converting Code Sets Using Conditional Statements Converting Code Sets Using a Dictionary Removing Unwanted Whitespace Prepending a String Before a Value Converting From RTF Format Using an Array To Build a Long String Value Date and Time Manipulation Timestamp Generation Generating Timestamps that Include Milliseconds Manipulating a Date in a String Stripping Times From Date/Times when the Time is 00:00 Validating a Date and Time Message Manipulation Filtering Messages Extracting Information From a Message Changing the Order of Data in a Message Concatenating a Lab Report Treating Repeat and Separator Characters as Raw Text Sorting Segments in Alphabetical Order Using HL7 Messages To Send PDFs and Other Binary Files Adding Empty Fields to a Generated Segment Removing Trailing Vertical Bar Characters Split long report into fields of limited length Defining Useful Utility Functions Getting and Setting Database Information Adding a Counter to a Python Script Using Python to Convert Text to PDF Format Retrieving a Table and Adding or Deleting Rows Debugging Python Viewing a Summary of Python Scripts Global Python Overview Viewing the Inbound Python Overview Viewing the Outbound Python Overview Printing Python Scripts Supported Python Libraries HL7 <-> HL7 Transformation Scripted Transformation Advantages Over Graphical Transformation Transformation Algorithm Example: Data Scrubbing Example: Transforming Lab Message and Patient Update Messages Testing the Transformations Examining the Lab Message Transformation Script Examining the Patient Update Transformation Script Examining the Global Inbound Script Useful Tools For Comparing Transformed Messages Graphical Transformation Message Transformation Using the Message Browser to View Messages Importing Unrecognized Segments Creating the Incoming Message Definition Adding Segments to the Message's Segment Grammar Renaming the Default Configuration Format Creating the Outgoing Configuration Format Repeating the Steps For the Outgoing Configuration Viewing the Current Message Transformation Transforming the Segments Defining the Mappings for the MSH Segment Defining the Dynamic Mappings Creating Intermediate Tables For Both Formats Mapping the Created Tables Editing the EVN Segment Mapping the PID Segment Fixing the Output Problem Creating a New Date Format Mapping the PV1 Segment Mapping the OBR Segment Checking Your Results in the Transformation Window Complete List of Sample Files Used in This Section Transform Message API XML <-> HL7 Translation Examining the XML Options XML Translation Schemes Expanded XML Format Full Tree Validation Examining the Full Tree Validation Algorithm Full Tree Validation XML Output Validating Data for XML -> HL7 Translation Full Tree Validation Errors Table - Short and Long Tags Standard Version 2 Using the XML Translation Window Escaping Data for XML -> HL7 Translation Invoking the XML Translation Scheme Generating Schemas and DTDs Using Python Scripts in XML <-> HL7 Translation Troubleshooting Learning the Advanced Features Validation Setting Validation Options Message Parsing Errors Message Parsing Error Description Error Code 0x80002001: Unknown Message Error Code 0x80002002: Unknown Segment Error Code 0x80002005: No Segment Identifier Error Code 0x80002006: Validation Rule Failed Error Code 0x80002007: Unexpected Segment Error Code 0x80002008: Expected Segment Missing Error Code 0x80002009: Maximum Segment Repeat Exceeded Error Code 0x80002010: Maximum Segment Group Repeat Exceeded Strict Grammar Checking For Segment Grammars Validation Rules Parameters For All Validation Rules Adding a Validation Rule to a Field ValidationRuleClassID 0: Required Field Validation Rule ValidationRuleClassID 1: Regular Expression Validation Rule ValidationRuleClassID 2: Regular Expression Pair Validation Rule ValidationRuleClassID 3: Python Validation Rule Python chmexception Object validation_field Object Methods on the typedFieldObject segment Object Methods on the typedSegmentObject ValidationRuleClassID 4: Situational Grammar Python Validation Rule message_grammar_iterator Object message_grammar Object Exception Class Character Sets Handling Character Sets in Windows Handling Character Sets in Unix Running Chameleon on a Non-English Version of Windows? Chameleon Scripting API Dynamic Interfaces Running Chameleon on a Dual-Processor Machine Chameleon and its Use of Python Can Chameleon Slow Down My System? Guidelines For Running Chameleon on a Dual-Processor Machine Advantages and Disadvantages of Running Chameleon on a Dual-Processor Machine Processing HL7 Messages Auto ACKnowledgments Overview of Acknowledgment Messages Creating a VMD File to Send Acknowledgment Messages How are Auto ACKnowledgments Possible? Default Message Definition ACK Message Definition Setting Up the Python Scripts Invoking the Auto ACKnowledgment Logic in Chameleon Non-Standard ACKs Processing Whole Messages Using a VMD Acknowledgment File in Iguana ACKs with Non-Standard Delimiter Characters Verifying Any ACK Message in Chameleon Using the Message Browser How Does the Message Browser Work? Using the Message Browser Examining the Message Browser's Features Using the Auto Parse Option Using the Segment View Tab Using the Table View Tab Using the Show Warnings Option Opening an HL7 Message Directly Within the Message Browser Color Legend Guide Selecting a Parser Engine Importing Unrecognized Segments Using the Create Message Definition Wizard Known Limitations with the Message Browser Deploying Chameleon Applications Installing Chameleon Silently (Versions 3.3.173 and later) Registering Chameleon as Part of the Installation Process Registering Automatically Through a Registration API License Object Methods If the Registration Fails Using the registerHost() Method License Object Usage Example For C++ License Object Usage Example For Java License Object Usage Example For Microsoft Visual C# .NET 2003 License Object Usage Example For Delphi 4 License Object Usage Example For Visual Basic 6.0 Using Other Development Environments Is it Possible to Run Two Versions of Chameleon on a Single Machine? Uninstalling Chameleon Silently (Versions 3.3.173 and later) Deploying Chameleon on Unix Generating Stubcode from the Command Line Visual Basic OCX Registration Deployment Troubleshooting Tutorials and Exercises HL7 to Application Tutorial Overview Step 1 - Data Acquisition Step 2 - Mapping Data From HL7 Using the Message Browser Examining the Parsed Message Importing the Segments Examining the Re-Parsed Message Using the Create Message Definition Wizard Setting Up the Segment Grammar Setting Up the Table Grammar Setting Up the Grammar Root Creating the Table Mappings VMD File After Steps 1 and 2 Step 3 - Stubcode Generation Step 4 - A Sample Server Application Generating an Application Application Overview Testing the Application Using the HL7 Simulator to Test the Application Step 5 - Handling Unrecognized Messages Step 6 - Python Scripts Step 7 - Repeated Segments Application to HL7 Tutorial Overview Step 1 - Message Design Step 2 - Mapping Data To HL7 Using the Message Browser Examining the Parsed Message Importing the Segments Examining the Re-Parsed Message Using the Create Message Definition Wizard Setting Up the Segment Grammar Setting Up the Table Grammar Defining the Tables Defining the MessageInfo Table Defining the Patient Table Defining the ObservationRequest Table Defining the ObservationResult Table Adding the Tables to the Table Grammar Setting the Grammar Root For the Defined Tables Mapping the Data VMD File After Steps 1 and 2 Step 3 - Stubcode Generation Step 4 - A Sample Client Application Generating an Application Application Overview Testing the Application Using the HL7 Listener to Test the Application Step 5 - Repeated Segment Groups Switching Configurations Using the Sorting Engine Tutorial Scenario Step 1 - Setting Up the VMD File Step 2 - Examining the Project Stubcode Step 3 - Updating the Application Step 4 - Testing the Changes Appendix: Using One Engine Per Configuration Performing Regression Tests Using msgtransform Examining the VMD File Using the msgtransform Tool Changing the VMD File and Running msgtransform Again Comparing the Two Output Files Creating a Regression Test Using the Transformation Window For Testing Mappings, Outbound Messages and Outbound Python Scripts Testing Your Table Grammar Mappings Testing Generated Outbound Messages Testing Outbound Python Scripts Testing Outbound Post Process Scripts Final VMD File Chameleon Exercises Message Identification Exercise Step 1 - Creating Message Types Step 2 - Importing a Segment From the Library Step 3 - Adding the MSH Segment to the Segment Grammar of a Message Step 4 - Specifying the Message Identity Step 5 - Sorting a Batch File of Messages Using msgtransform Graphical Table Mapping Exercise Step 1 - Analyzing the Message Using the Message Browser Step 2 - Importing Segments and Creating a Message Definition Step 3 - Creating a Table and Adding it to the Table Grammar Step 4 - Editing The Graphical Table Mapping Step 5 - Analyzing the Table Data Using the Message Browser Step 6 - Extracting Table Data Using msgtransform HL7 <-> XML Translation Exercise Step 1 - Converting Messages to XML Using the XML Translation Window Step 2 - Converting Back To HL7 Using the XML Translation Window Step 3 - Performing HL7 <-> XML Translation With msgxml HL7 <-> HL7 Transformation Exercise Sample Applications VB.NET Server Application Step 1 - Creating the Form Step 2 - Creating the VMD File Step 3 - Generating the Stubcode Step 4 - Importing the DLL Files Step 5 - Writing VB.NET Code to Parse Messages Step 6 - Testing the Application VB.NET Client Application Step 1 - Creating the Form Step 2 - Creating the VMD File Step 3 - Generating the Stubcode Step 4 - Importing the DLL Files Step 5 - Writing VB.NET Code to Generate Messages Step 6 - Testing the Application VB.NET Client-Server Application Step 1 - Creating the Form Step 2 - Creating the VMD File Step 3 - Generating the Stubcode Step 4 - Importing the DLL Files Step 5 - Writing VB.NET Code to Process Messages Step 6 - Testing the Application C# Server Application Step 1 - Creating the Form Step 2 - Creating the VMD File Step 3 - Generating the Stubcode Step 4 - Importing the DLL Files Step 5 - Writing C# Code to Parse Messages Step 6 - Testing the Application C# Client Application Step 1 - Creating the Form Step 2 - Creating the VMD File Step 3 - Generating the Stubcode Step 4 - Importing the DLL Files Step 5 - Writing C# Code to Generate Messages Step 6 - Testing the Application C# Client-Server Application Designing HL7 Interfaces Five Steps to Building HL7 Interfaces Acquire Real Data Analyze the Data Design the Message, Segment and Table Grammar Getting Smart About Standards How Much Information is Necessary? Extracting a Small Data Subset Ignoring Messages Treating Discrete HL7 Messages as One Logical Message Using Minimal Segment Grammars with Filtering Extracting Almost Everything Designing, Coding, and Deployment Regression Testing Interface Types ADT Feeds Handling Merge Messages Dealing with Lab Reports Generating Repeating Fields from a Table Column Implementation Considerations Using Multiple Parser Instances Integrating Conditional Logging Logging Messages Like the HL7 Listener Using Auto ACKnowledgment Performance (Speed) Considerations Importance of Throughput What are the Bottlenecks? Using Asynchronous Communication Avoiding Queuing Processing the Messages Final Delivery Dealing with Multiple Vendors Transport Design Issues Troubleshooting TCP/IP Socket Issues Get Some Background Server Port Conflicts Ensure you are Connecting to an HL7 Server Faulty LLP Implementations Segment Terminator Linefeed Problems Date Time Formatting Issues Mappings Breaking Parsing Troubleshooting Use the Error Report Log Messages Use the Table Dump Method Command Line Batch Testing Ensuring Non-present Required Fields Throw Exceptions Only Getting One OBX Segment Row When There are Multiple OBX Segments Unable to Map Sub-Fields From a Given Field Delimiter Character Issues Message Generation Python Scripting Issues Custom Deployment and DLL Issues DLL Procedure Entry Point Error Errors Generating Stubcode Visual Basic 6 (VB6) ActiveX Control Errors During Stubcode Generation Problems Running Chameleon on a Server for Non-Admin Users Evaluation Version vs. Licensed Version Avoiding NETDLL.DLL Errors When Loading Generated Projects in Delphi Error Message: Import Site Failed; Use -V For Traceback Distinguishing Between Null, Zero, Empty and Invalid in Fields What Data Type Should I Use in Chameleon to Handle SQL Server Text Types? Context-Sensitive Help Does Not Work Error Message: MySQL is not supported on this computer System.BadImageFormat Exception Method not Found Error Character Encoding in XML Files Assigning Zero In A Table Inbound Script When Using the 5.0 Parser Engine Unix Support Getting the Libraries Unix General Concepts Chameleon Unix Environment Variations Across Systems Example Errors when Variables are not Set Message Definition File Python Initialization Files Language-Specific Components How are Chameleon's Networking Components Compiled? Java Support com.interfaceware.chameleon Package Core Shared Library Stubcode Package Undefined Symbol: pthread_join Error C++ Support Under Unix libChameleon.a Library Makefile Environment Variables Runtime Environment Variables Generate an Example Project Make the Project TCP/IP Support Troubleshooting Validating a Platform/Compiler Language API Documentation Visual Basic Support General Architecture Dynamic vs. Static Interface Generated Controls ActiveX Control COM Control Parsing a Message Generated Classes Generating a Message Parse Method OnParseError Event Date/Time Manipulation TCP/IP LLP Transportation Implementation Dynamic Interface XML Conversion APIs Internal Engine API Access Loading a Message Definition File From Memory ActiveX Problems Deploying Your Application Troubleshooting Tips Borland Delphi Support General Architecture Dynamic vs. Static Interface Component Class Categories The Engine Component Table, Table Group, and Message Classes Generating a Message Parsing a Message OnParseError Event OnMessage Event OnLog Event Auto Completion Issues Networking Components Dynamic Interface XML Conversion APIs Determining the State of a Value Never Manually Compile Generated Packages Delphi Installation Issue Delphi 7.0 Issue Getting More Information C++ Support Dynamic vs. Static Interface Stubcode Class Categories The Engine Class Table, Table Group and Message Classes Generating a Message Parsing a Message CHMoutputLog Interface Networking Components Dynamic Interface XML Conversion APIs Precompiled Headers Standard Template Library CHMstring Class Getting More Information Determining the State of a Value Deprecation of iostream Library Support Troubleshooting C++ Issues in Unix and Windows C# .NET Support Why not a Pure C# Implementation? Dynamic vs. Static Interface Stubcode Class Categories The Engine Class Table, Table Group and Message Classes Generating a Message Parsing a Message Log Interface Networking Components Generating Stubcode into a User Defined Namespace PATH and Shared Assemblies Locating the C# compiler Dynamic Interface XML Conversion APIs Determining the State of a Value Bad Image Format Exception Garbage Collection Issues Getting More Information Visual Basic .NET Support Java Support Why not a Pure Java Implementation? Dynamic vs. Static Interface Stubcode Class Categories The Engine Class Table, Table Group and Message Classes Generating a Message Parsing a message Log Interface Networking Components Generating Stubcode into a User Defined Package CLASSPATH, LD_LIBRARY_PATH and PATH Variables Dynamic Interface XML Conversion APIs Determining the State of a Value Garbage Collection Issues Dealing with Dates Synchronization Getting More Information Chameleon Networking Components Cross Platform Naming Conventions TCP/IP Application Architectures LLP Component Architecture Single Thread for Networking No Long Blocking Operations Requires a Message Loop Asynchronous Event Driven General Pointers Regarding Asynchronous Programming LlpClient Class LlpServer Class LlpConnection Class Client/Server Use-Case Connection Use-Case Running the LLP Components in a Windows Service Running the LLP Components in Linux/Unix Issues Unique to Java PThread Dependencies (POSIX Only) What are the TCP/IP Limitations with the Networking Components? Deprecated Networking Components Using Your Member Account Creating a Member Account Logging In To Your Member Account What To Do If You Have Forgotten Your Password Viewing Your Registration Codes Viewing Existing Licenses Activating a New License Viewing Your Account History Viewing and Modifying Your Profile Obtaining the Referral Incentive Logging Out Of Your Member Account How to Report Problems
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Iguana Performance and SSL Encryption |
If you are using the SSL protocol with any channel source or destination component that supports it, the SSL connections may consume a significant amount of processing time if the channels are repeatedly connecting to and disconnecting from the systems that are communicating with them.
This is because the SSL protocol creates a shared secret key (also known as a session key) whenever a connection between two systems is established. This session key is encrypted/decrypted using asymmetric encryption, which is computationally expensive. The size of the private and public keys directly affects how expensive this operation is.
After the session key has been successfully shared between the two systems using asymmetric encryption, the two systems subsequently use symmetric encryption with the session key to secure communications, which is much less computationally expensive.
When a connection is dropped, the process of establishing the session key is initiated again. If SSL channels are repeatedly connecting to and disconnecting from outside systems, system performance may be noticeably affected.
SSL channels that are configured to use a persistent connection should not cause a sustained drain on system resources, as symmetric encryption remains in use after the initial connection is established. If you notice that your Iguana server is consuming significant processor time and you are using SSL with a channel component, consider configuring the channel to use a persistent connection.
Since the size of the public and private keys can have an effect on processor time use, an alternative to using a persistent connection is to use smaller private keys. However, this is not recommended, as smaller keys are less secure than those that are longer (2048 bits or more).