Oracle Cerner 2021-2022

Cerner Smart Health Project

at

Oracle Cerner

An Internship Report Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the
Degree of Master of Computer Applications

Submitted by

Mr. Akash Roushan

R20CA608

Under the Guidance of

Prof. Sneha N.

School of Computer Science and Applications

REVA University, Bangalore

________________________________________________________________________

SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS

REVA University
Kattigenahalli, Yelahanka, Bangalore – 560 064
August 2022

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SCHOOL OF COMPUTER SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS

DECLARATION

I, Akash Roushan hereby declare that I have completed the Internship work
towards the Degree of Master of Computer Applications , with the support of Oracle
Cerner under the School of Computer Science and Applications, REVA University. It
was carried out under the supervision of Prof. Sneha N.
This report embodies the original work done by me in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the award of a degree for the academic year 2021-2022.

Place: Bangalore Signature of Student

Date: Akash Roushan

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INTERNSHIP COMPLETION CERTIFICATE

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. COURSE DESCRIPTION
a. INTRODUCTION OF THE INTERNSHIP
b. OBJECTIVES OF THE INTERNSHIP

2. BRIEF PROFILE OF THE INTERNING COMPANY

3. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTIONS
a. TECHNOLOGIES INVOLVED
b. CHALLENGES FACED
c. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING
d. ASSIGNMENTS COMPLETED
4. CONCLUSION
5. SCREENSHOTS OF PROTOTYPES

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1. COURSE DESCRIPTION

INTRODUCTION OF THE INTERNSHIP

During the Internship, I was trained on the proprietary software of Cerner Corporation like
OpenLink, OpenPort, OpenEngine. Also I got my hands on their in house programming language
which is CCL ( Cerner Command Language). Learnt their Cerner Millennium suite and various
applications related to the Millennium suite. My job was to play around with their Interfaces and
was working on firstly MOCK Builds then CERT Builds then PROD Builds too. During that time
I learnt a lot of things which I didn’t know earlier.

OBJECTIVES OF THE INTERNSHIP

The objective of the Internship is to get to know the basics of their proprietary software of Cerner
Corporation like OpenLink, OpenPort, OpenEngine and learning their Cerner Millennium suite
and various applications related to the Millennium suite. So that I can use the experience on the
real time projects which I did after the training and got assigned to a project “Cerner Smart Health”.
My job was to play around with their Interfaces and was working on firstly MOCK Builds then
CERT Builds then PROD Builds too. During that time I learnt a lot of things which I didn’t know
earlier.The Client here is Karuna Trust. Karuna Trust is a non-profit organization based in India
and the United States. Their projects aim at promoting dignity and self-confidence, and the
breaking down of caste and religious barriers. Karuna Trust is constantly working towards
improving the health status of the communities. The objective here is to make healthcare more
accessible to the rural PHCs in India. To digitize the data of the patients in rural PHCs. To keep the data of
the patients in rural PHCs secure and maintain integrity.

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2. BRIEF PROFILE OF THE INTERNING COMPANY

• Cerner Corporation is an American supplier of health information technology services,

devices, and hardware.

• Cerner Corporation is a HIT Company which provides various services related to Health
Care domain.

• Its product has been used for more than 27 thousand facilities in the world as of year
2018.

• They have more than 29k employees around the world globally. Its Head Quater is in
Kansas City, Missouri with 13k employees.

• Provides secure and reliable solutions that deliver health insights and experiences to
dramatically change how health is managed by patients, providers, and payors.

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3. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTIONS

a. TECHNOLOGIES INVOLVED
Following Technologies have been involved during the Internship:

• OpenLink
• OpenPort
• OpenEngine
• Discern
• CCL
• Cerner Millennium Suite

OPENLINK

Cerner OPENLink is designed to address the needs of data exchange in today's complex interface
environment. Cerner OPENLink is a full-featured interface engine designed for creating,
modifying, maintaining, and monitoring interfaces in a variety of configurations. It simplifies
many of the processes and functions that are required to maintain interfaces through its
complement of tools, functions, and options

Base Services refers to the initial Enterprise and its basic interface requirements and monitoring
of that design using the Operations features. Base Services design definitions include Enterprise,
Server, Engine, Interface, Connection, and Protocol

Toolkit Services refers to the features of interface design that allow for mapping and detail
management of the data transactions being sent through interfaces. Toolkit Services definitions
include Institution, System, Application, Transaction, Segment, Field, Component,
Subcomponent, Node, Map, Event, and the Event Path table definition.

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Register a database - refers to the process required to make a database available to the Cerner
OPENLink Graphical User Interface. A database cannot be selected or have design changes to it
until it is registered. Each database represents a design.

Design - refers to the building of interfaces and all necessary configuration effort that effectively
transfers data from one system to another system. Design features are both Base and Toolkit
Services features. Design also refers to the workspace where database configuration occurs.
Operations - refers to the monitoring and management of interfaces that are configured to send the
data transactions. Operations is a Base Services feature.

Operations also refers to the monitoring and management workspace.

Definitions - refers to the configuration of the individual pieces of a design. The definitions
collectively create an Enterprise Hierarchy that associates the different levels of the design to one
another.

Workspace - refers to the window for each definition from which configuration is completed
and associations are viewed.

Associations - refers to the linking of definitions from one level to another, linking the design
into a hierarchical structure.

Enterprise Hierarchy - refers to the structure of the associated definitions. The Enterprise
Hierarchy can be used to reference what definitions are associated with each other in a simple
visual depiction.

Enterprise - The enterprise is the entity that sits at the top of the hierarchy. There can be only
one enterprise for either a single- or a multiple-entity enterprise. All the entities are organized
under the enterprise. The next entity under the enterprise is the Institution.

Server - A process that runs on the Cerner OPENLink system. The Server is responsible for
data transfers, protocol conversion and reformatting. System - The system is the entity the sits

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between the institution and the application. It is usually the platform/operating system on which
the application runs. The next entity in the hierarchy is the application.

Application - The application is the entity that sits between the system and the transaction
(record). The application usually generates the data that are transmitted across the interface. If a
Default Service Application is specified in the Connection Definition, then the Base Services
connection will pass transactions to Toolkit Services for reformatting.

Connection - A connection describes the endpoint to endpoint path between applications that make
an interface.

Event - An event is an occurrence that triggers a transmission of data between two applications.
The event could be an admission, revision of information on a record, an order, and so on. HL7
(Health Level Seven) HL7 is a specification for formatting transactions to be communicated
between Healthcare Information Systems.

Institution - The institution is the part of the enterprise that sites between the enterprise and the
systems. The next entity under the institution is the system.

Interface Engine - An Interface Engine, sometimes referred to as a message broker, is an

application that accomplishes the reformatting and routing of transactions between different
applications which can be running on different hardware platforms and using different
communication protocols.

Interface - An interface is the connection between two different applications. The applications can
be at the same or different institutions.

Map - Data maps provide the template by which data are exchanged between two transactions.
The data maps can be used between segment data down to subcomponent data. Data maps are
necessary when the interfaced transactions’ data do not match.

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Template - A template is a set of parameters that are used to control the fields, default values, and
a user’s ability to add or edit information for the Cerner OPENLink definitions. Cerner OPENLink
provides a template for each definition.

Transaction - A transaction is a message that is sent between applications. Cerner OPENLink sends
and reads one transaction/message at a time. Protocol - A protocol is a set of rules that determines
how data is transferred between applications. Cerner OPENLink handles a variety of common
protocols.

Transport Protocol - The physical mechanism used for data transport. Some examples are SNA,
TCP/IP and HTTP. ACK (Positive Acknowledgement) - A character, or string of characters, sent
back to a system to indicate that the last transaction received from that system was accepted.

NAK (Negative Acknowledgment) - A character, or string of characters, sent back to a system to

indicate that the last transaction received from that system was rejected.

DPB (Data Parameter Block) - A method used to manipulate the data within Cerner OPENLink
Base Services.

API (Application Programming Interface) - The API is the interface used by applications programs
to access operating system services. They can provide an interface between the application and the
OS kernel, or between high level languages and lower level utilities and services.

The items listed below represent the primary definitions used in Base Services.

• Enterprise definition- establishes the design and is required.

• Engine definition- automatically established when the Enterprise definition is created. The engine
must be active to recognize the design in the Operations workspace. The API TCP Listen Port and
Alert TCP Listen Port must be unique when multiple designs exist. These ports also should not be
used for any connection definitions.

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• Server definition- automatically established when the Enterprise definition is created. The Server
Number must be unique when multiple designs exist. The Server definition establishes the server
process that uses all the definition configurations to process data transmissions.

• Interface definition- associated with the Engine workspace and used by the server process to
process transactions. There may be multiple interface definitions.

• Connection definition- associated with the Interface definitions. Typically, there are two
connections per interface, one for inbound into the Cerner OPENLink server processes and one
outbound from the server processes. Some interfaces may contain only one connection for the
application from which the data transactions are sourced or the final termination destination where
the transactions are sent.

• Protocol definitions- associated with the Connection definitions and controls data transmission
between applications and Cerner OPENLink. Network headers and acknowledgement/negative
acknowledgement decisions are configured in the protocol definition.

All transactions enter and leave Cerner OPENLink through connections and by utilizing protocol
conversions, Cerner OPENLink can successfully route the data from the sending to the receiving
system.

The connections provide the links between the server and the applications. It provides the pipe
through which the data pass. A protocol is associated with a connection and defines how the
application and the server "talk" to each other. The Interface definition is the combination of a
server, application, connection, and protocol definition that ensures transmission of data between
the application and the server.

In the example below, Cerner OPENLink receives transactions from CMS through the inbound
connection. As these transactions are received, Cerner OPENLink needs to know where to route
them. In this simple example, the inbound connection would be defined to route its transactions to
the outbound connection. From this outbound connection, Cerner OPENLink would then send the
transactions to the RAD system.

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Figure no. 1

TOOLKIT OVERVIEW

Toolkit Services definitions are used to map and manipulate the data inside Cerner OPENLink.
Users have access to a variety of tools within the Toolkit Services that can be used to map and
manipulate the data as needed. When data is received into the Cerner OPENLink server, it will
flow through 5 processing layers in preparation for final delivery to the receiving system.

• Read Step: The transactional data is passed from the server to Cerner OPENLink for processing.

• Decode Step: The transactional data is identified and parsed.

• Map Step: The parsed data is evaluated against the formatting rules as defined in the associated
source transaction and map definitions.

• Encode: The reformatted data is then encoded and recompiled in preparation for final
presentation back to the server.

• Write Step: The encoded data is now presented to the server process to be written outward to the
associated base services connection.

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Figure no. 2

The configuration of the Toolkit Services will determine exactly how the data is parsed and
ultimately transformed for delivery to the receiving application.

The items listed below represent the primary definitions used in Toolkit Services.

• Event Path Table that is used to control when information is exchanged and the data path that is
used between two applications.

• Transactions are used to transform data between different formats as required by the sending and
receiving applications.

• Transaction Record Format that is used to provide a detailed description of the data a specific
application can support.

• Transaction related definitions to include, segments, fields, components and subcomponents

which further define the layouts of the transactions themselves.

• Map definitions creates the relationships between source transaction and destination transaction
that will exchange the data between applications.

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• User Exits that perform additional reformatting and logic control beyond standard functions.

• Tables used to translate data values.

LOGGING INTO CERNER OPENLINK

Cerner OPENLink is delivered with pre-established users and groups. These user IDs are
configured for use with Cerner OPENLink internal security. You have the option to define users
for external authentication as well. For example, you can define users to be validated via Active
Directory.

Users are designated as a basic or advanced user, which control which functions a user may access.
When you create site or enterprise-specific designs, you can copy these model users and groups to
meet that design's requirements. Each user must be assigned to a group. Each group is defined in
the design.

For the user to be able to access or view the design or interfaces they must be assigned to a group
with the appropriate rights. The passwords for internal Cerner OPENLink IDs users are stored in
the design in an encrypted format so that they are not viewable.

If external authentication is used, passwords are not stored at all in Cerner OPENLink but rather
are validated to the active directory domain. When you launch the Cerner OPENLink icon from
the workstation desktop, you will be presented with a log on screen for Cerner OPENLink. The
model login for net new installations is Username - opl_user and Password – openlink in all
lowercase. This User ID has full administrative rights to Cerner OPENLink except for the Change
Encryption Key right which is not automatically assigned to any group). To effectively utilize user
reports, group reports, the security audit log or change log, each user will require a unique
Username. Please reference the Cerner OPENLink Integration Engine Manual for details on setting
up security and user groups

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Figure no. 3

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Figure no. 4

The Icon to the farthest left is the Operations Icon. This Icon is used to open the Operations window
for the selected design. When you click the Icon, the Operations view for the last design viewed
by this user ID will display. To select a specific design, Select the Open Operations option from
the File menu. A list of registered designs will display. Select from the list and click OK to open
the Operations window.

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The next icon on the Main Toolbar is the Design Icon. This icon will open the Enterprise
workspace. The Enterprise workspace is often referred to as “Design”.

Clicking the Design Icon will open the default design. To select a specific database design, select
the Open Design from the File menu. A list of registered designs will display. Select from the list,
click OK, and the selected Enterprise workspace will display for the selected design. The next icon
on the Main Toolbar is the Administration Icon. Click the icon to open the Administration tools.
The Administration window displays. The Administration window can also be opened by selecting
the Administration/ Security option from the File menu. It is important to note the Administration
feature is design specific. Be sure to note the design in the title bar before conducting maintenance.
The design that opens for the Administration window is either:

1. The design defined as the default design on the Registration Databases screen if no design
workspace has yet been opened or

2. The last design that was opened in the Design workspace. The next icon on the Main Toolbar is
the Reports Icon. Click this icon to open the Reporting utility features.

The Reporting Utility will display. Use the folder icon to open the database for which you want
to run reports.

Refer to the Cerner OPENLink Integration Engine Manual for more details on the Reporting
Utility feature. You can also access the Report Utility by selecting the Reports option from the
File menu. The next icon on the Main Toolbar is the Help Icon. Click the Help Icon to access the
Help database of information about Cerner OPENLink. You are encouraged to use the Help Icon
throughout class for reference.

You can also access via the Help menu. The last icon on the Main Toolbar is the Exit Icon. Click
this icon to close the Main Toolbar and exit Cerner OPENLink. Be sure to save all definitions prior
to exit. You can also access Exit by selecting the Exit option from the File menu, or you can click
on the X in the upper right-hand corner of the toolbar.

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The Options Menu item provides the following functions which will be discussed in future
chapters:

• Register a Database

• Convert a Database

• Convert Multiple Databases

• Update Schema

Figure no. 5

Once you access Help, you can navigate to various help tabs to search using Contents, Index, or
Search. Help always opens to the help content for the subject in focus.

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For example, in this example below, Help was opened from the Enterprise Workspace. The help
content is about the Enterprise Workspace.

• Content shows a guided selection of Help information.

• Index shows an alphabetical list of all help options.

• Search allows you to enter a free-text search.

Figure no. 6

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MODEL USER ACCOUNTS AND USER GROUPS

Cerner OPENLink is delivered with model User Accounts and User Groups and a model user log
on. User Accounts are assigned as members to User Groups. Each model User Group is assigned
a select set of rights. Rights are security permissions to access specific functions. You can copy
the User Groups and create customized User Groups that you may want to modify.

Users assigned to the model user group Administration will have most user rights automatically
assigned. Users assigned the model user group Operators will only have rights related to the
Operations view of the Design. Additional users assigned to the Operators group will not see the
Main Toolbar.

Figure no. 7

Figure no. 8

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Figure no. 9

The User Report displays User ID, the status of the User Account (Enabled or Disabled), the type
of Authentication associated to the account, if External Authentication is used the associated
Domain, and the User Group assigned.

DESIGN VIEW

Design is the process whereby you will create the Enterprise hierarchy for interface definition. The
Design is used to organize the different definitions used for interfaces into a logical and relational
structure. Each Design becomes a database of definition configuration as it is developed.

Each Design has its own Server Process and Engine definitions. A Design can include multiple
interfaces and other related definitions and also includes its own set of users and user groups,
allowing you to define security access to each design as appropriate. The Design provides Wizard
tools for implementing model definitions.

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ENTERPRISE DEFINITION WORKSPACE TOOLBAR ICONS

You can use the Enterprise definition workspace Toolbar Icons to access the different levels of
definitions. Select the appropriate icon desired for opening the definition. When you click the icon,
the Definition Name Box will be displayed. You can select the desired definition from the list of
definitions displayed, or you can select the New tab and create a new definition. Below is a list of
the icons on the Enterprise Definition Toolbar:

Figure no. 15

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DESIGN WIZARD

The Design Wizard is most often used to create a definition from the model database. You may be
prompted for a subset of site-specific parameters to value. When created, the definition will be a
duplicate of a model definition with your site-specific parameters. In this case, after the definition
is built you will open the definition and select the Add Association(s) from the Options menu to
associate the new definition to the next level definition when you are ready. You will also need to
open the definition at the next higher level to associate this definition to that one.

The Design Wizards are most often used for delivering model Interface definitions to your design.
From the definition workspace, select the Add Association(s) from the Options menu. In this
example, the definition workspace is the System workspace.

Figure no. 16

The Associate… window displays. Select the New tab to create a new definition. Enter the name
of your new definition. Select the template.

In this example, the model application template will be used to build the Application definition.
Click the Design Wizard Icon to complete the definition in the guided format.

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Figure no. 17

The Design Wizard window will open. The arrow will indicate at which level in the Enterprise
Hierarchy you are creating the definition. Click Next to continue. In this example, the Application
definition will be created.

Figure no. 18

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Depending on your definition, different fields may display. Enter the necessary information and
click Next > to continue through each screen until you reach the screen that states “You have
successfully completed your Definition”, Click Finish to continue.

You will be prompted to copy the model template to the target database. Click Yes or No to
continue. There are times when you may copy the template, such as in the case where you are
reinstalling a template that previously existed, but you know the model definition is using new
templates. The definition workspace will now display.

If the Design Wizard workflow does not automatically associate the new definition to the
definition from which you built the new definition, you will need to associate the new definition
in a separate step as described previously in this manual.

CONNECTION DEFINITION
The Connection definition is at the fourth level of the Design, below the Interface definition and
above the Protocol definition. Connection definitions are the point of connection between Cerner
OPENLink and another system. Every transaction will pass through a connection. An interface
will typically consist of a source and destination connection (inbound and outbound).

Connections are associated to both Interface definitions and Application definition and are the
linking point between Base Services and Toolkit Services configurations.

Connections are part of a set for inbound and outbound data flow of an application, but each
connection represents data flow either inbound to Cerner OPENLink or outbound from Cerner
OPENLink. Inbound data is sent from the application into Cerner OPENLink to process. Outbound
data is sent from Cerner OPENLink, after processing, to the application.

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B. CHALLENGES FACED

• Due to unstable domains I have to rework a lot of the interface engines and their servers.
• Also the project requirements were also constantly changing since it’s a POC.
• Had to rebuild the whole interface form scratch multiple times in MOCK, CERT domains
due to unpredictable domain behaviours.
• Multiple changes in requirements led to extension of project timelines.

C. PROFESSIONAL LEARNING

• Took Client Communications Training

• Took Linux Administrator Trainings
• Trained and certified in Cerner Proprietary softwares like OPENLINK OPENENGINE
OPENPORT CCL etc

D. ASSIGNMENT COMPLETION

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4. CONCLUSION

Throughout this internship I learned a lot about the Interfaces and how to create and
maintain interfaces with the help of Cerner Proprietary tools and solutions and how
we can use this to implement a better healthcare system.Through this project, we
learnt the workflow and the inner workings of the Cerner Smart Health Project. Like
how different modules are interconnected and working with each other.I would like
to conclude that this will help me to grow professionally and help me to transcend in
this field.

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