Configuration Management

Supplement 67

Robert Horn, Agfa Healthcare

Configuration Management
The Problem being solved Use Cases Sup. 67 DICOM Configuration Management

The Problem Being Solved

Installation of DICOM equipment

Takes too long Requires too much effort Requires time consuming, multi-vendor coordination Involves too many mistakes

Upgrading and repairing DICOM equipment

Requires too much service effort for configuration tasks that are unrelated to the problem being solved. Configuration complexity prevents customer self-help for simple problems

Use cases
Add a new machine Locate Actor, IP, AE-title, Security information Single node power up and establish configuration Time Synchronization

Constraints
Support vendor extensions Support site and enterprise extensions Consider installed IT support facilities in selection Do not invent a new protocol

Network Services

DHCP
Assigns IP address, hostname Informs DNS of assignment Provides routing, NTP, DNS, etc. information to client

DNS
Provides hostname to IP lookup services Provides server location lookup services

NTP
Provides accurate time and time synchronization See www.ntp.org for descriptions, software, evaluation, and configuration guidance.

LDAP

Very Widespread use,

No surprises to the IT staff Large base of trained users and administrators Large base of software clients

Support by Microsoft, Unix, Open Source Support for federated databases Easy to extend by adding schema

Infrastructure requirements

DHCP, DNS, NTP, LDAP may be on one host, or may be on multiple hosts. Normal network design issues, nothing special for the DHCP, DNS and NTP services. LDAP is increasingly integrated into IT operations. This makes its use for configuration management more attractive, but means a greater planning involvement with the IT organization.

Beyond AE-Titles
Installation and Network Configuration oriented Locate Application given the AE-title
TCP/IP parameters

AE Configuration
SOP Classes supported (SCU/SCP, Transfer Syntaxes) Vendor extension Obtain new unique AE-Title

Device Configuration
Description Vendor extension Hospital extension

Preconfigured Installation
Large network addition Multiple vendors Reduce coordination and scheduling delays Reduce configuration errors Reduce staging requirements

Preconfigured Installation
Vendor A Preparation
Prepared Configurations LDIF

LDAP

IT Organization

A A A

Network Planning

DHCP
LDIF

Prepared Configurations

Vendor B preparation

Add another machine

Get IP, hostname, etc.

Install Hardware Assign Name

Find LDAP Server

DHCP

DNS

LDAP
Query Configuration

Configure System
Obtain Unique AE Titles

Update Configuration

Customer Assisted Maintenance

Simple device swap Remote reconfiguration Local reconfiguration

Present Supplement Status

Supplement 67 Proposed for Frozen Draft Could be updated and final by September or October.

Configuration Management Actors

Find NTP Server (Broadcast) NTP Client
Maintain Time

NTP Server

OR SNTP Client

Maintain Time

Find NTP Server (DHCP)

DHCP Client

Find DHCP and Use Server DHCP Server Maintain Lease

DDNS Coordination Resolve Hostname

DNS Server

DNS Client

Resolve Hostname

Find LDAP Server LDAP Client LDAP Server

Query LDAP Server, Client Update LDAP Server One or more Client actors will be in the same device

One or more Server actors may be in the same device

LDAP Schema
DICOM Configuration Unique AE Titles Registry

Individual AE Title Individual AE Title Individual AE Title

This portion is used to provide unique AE titles automatically.

Devices

Vendor Information, Certificates, Device Configuration parameters, etc.

Network AE Network AE Transfer Capability Transfer Capability

AE-Title, Description, AE Configuration parameters, etc. SCU/SCP, Hostname, Port, etc.

LDAP Schema
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # The following attribute types are defined in this document: Name -------------------------------dicomDeviceName dicomDescription dicomManufacturer dicomManufacturerModelName dicomVersion dicomVendorData dicomAETitle dicomNetworkConnectionReference dicomApplicationCluster dicomAssociationInitiator dicomAssociationAcceptor dicomHostname dicomPort dicomSOPClass dicomTransferRole dicomTransferSyntax dicomPrimaryDeviceType dicomRelatedDeviceReference dicomPeerAETitle dicomTLSCipherSuite dicomAuthorizedNodeCertificateReference dicomThisNodeCertificateReference dicomInstalled Syntax -----string string string string string binary string DN string bool bool string Integer OID string OID string DN string string DN DN bool Multiplicity -----------Single Single Single Single Multiple Multiple Single Multiple Multiple Single Single Single Single Single Single Multiple Multiple Multiple Multiple Multiple Multiple Multiple Single

Example of attribute definition

# 3.1 dicomDeviceName # # This attribute stores the unique name (within the scope of the LDAP database) # for a DICOM Device. # # It is a single-valued attribute. # This attribute's syntax is 'Directory String'. # Its case is not significant for equality and substring matches. # attributetype ( 1.2.840.10008.15.0.3.1 NAME 'dicomDeviceName' DESC 'The unique name for the device' EQUALITY caseIgnoreMatch SUBSTR caseIgnoreSubstringsMatch SYNTAX 1.3.6.1.4.1.1466.115.121.1.15 SINGLE-VALUE ) string Single

Objects Defined
# # # # # # # # # # # # # The following object classes are defined in this document. structural classes. Name --------------------------dicomConfigurationRoot dicomDevicesRoot dicomUniqueAETitlesRegistryRoot dicomDevice dicomNetworkAE dicomNetworkConnection dicomUniqueAETitle dicomTransferCapability All are Description -------------------------root of the DICOM Configuration Hierarchy root of the DICOM Devices Hierarchy root of the Unique DICOM AE-Titles Registry Hierarchy Devices Network AE Network Connections Unique AE Title Transfer Capability

Example of Object Definition

# # 4.4 dicomDevice # # This structural object class represents a DICOM Device. # objectclass ( 1.2.840.10008.15.0.4.4 NAME 'dicomDevice' DESC 'DICOM Device related information' SUP top STRUCTURAL MUST ( dicomDeviceName $ dicomInstalled ) MAY ( dicomDescription $ dicomManufacturer $ dicomManufacturerModelName $ dicomVersion $ dicomVendorData $ dicomPrimaryDeviceType $ dicomRelatedDeviceReference $ dicomAuthorizedNodeCertificateReference $ dicomThisNodeCertificateReference) )

Use of LDAP Schema

Schema text from the supplement

in the format used to configure generic LDAP servers Cut and paste from supplement into server configuration file tested and verified

Local extension by modifying schema

Purpose of Frozen Draft

Find any remaining flaws in the Frozen Draft

Inhouse experience at several companies revealed flaws in the public comment version. The flaws only became apparent during the development of trial versions.

Inter-company trials
are expected to reveal other flaws in the Frozen Draft version The trials are not exploring implementation compatibility, only clarity of the standard The trials are not a compatibility connectathon The Committee for Advancement of DICOM is organizing a small group of trial implementations.

Future additions

Security parameter distribution

LDAP is one of the mechanisms for distributing PKI information for key management.