Introducing the WorldVistA EHR /VOE 1.0 Release 6-08 Four Slice Toaster

[K.S. Bhaskar]

The WorldVistA EHR /VOE 1.0 Release 6-08 Four Slice Toaster is a
software appliance (virtual machine) of WorldVistA EHR /VOE 1.0
Release 6-08 on GT.M on GNU/Linux.

Note: to unzip the package, you will need a password that is available
in a Readme (http://downloads.sourceforge.net/worldvista-ehr/README-
FIRST-WVEHR-VOE1.0-Release-6-08.txt).

A Toaster is an software appliance – virtual machine – that provides a
complete FOSS stack of VistA on GT.M on GNU/Linux. This Toaster is a
proof of concept that implements a simulated Application Service
Provider (ASP) with two clinics, Clinic P and Clinic Q. Clinics P and
Q share the VistA routines, but have separate databases, and the users
of each clinic are unable to access the the database files of the
other clinic. Additional clinics can also be set up.
I have set up this software appliance with what I think should be good
practices for setting up VistA securely I seek to collaborate with
experts on VistA and Linux security to analyze (and attempt to break)
this Toaster with a view to improving the wholesomeness of practices
for deploying VistA on GT.M on Linux. If you are interested in
working together, please contact me. Of course, the passwords on the
appliance as distributed are weak, but you can set new ones. Also, in
a real deployment, we would turn on the firewall. The Ubuntu firewall
(ufw) is installed on the appliance, but is not turned on – I would
like to see VistA well secured without the firewall, and then add the
firewall for an additional layer of protection.

More information, including details on how it is set up and how to run
it are available at Source Forge (http://downloads.sourceforge.net/
worldvista-ehr/WVEHRVOE10Release6-08Toaster4SliceReadme.html), as is
the software (http://downloads.sourceforge.net/worldvista-ehr/
WVEHRVOE10Release6-08Toaster.zip).

As with all VistA Toasters, this runs on most hosts - Windows, Linux,
OS X, Solaris...

Regards
-- Bhaskar

[K.S. Bhaskar]

I have just re-released the four slice Toaster. I realized this
morning that I had neglected to password protect the zip file. If you
downloaded it previously, there is no need to download it again -
please make sure that you read
http://downloads.sourceforge.net/worldvista-ehr/README-FIRST-WVEHR-VOE1.0-Release-6-08.txt

Apologies for the inconvenience.

Regards
-- Bhaskar

[DHRobbins]

Bhaskar,

Do you have any metrics on how the appliance will scale? In
particular I'm interested in the number of concurrent users that can
be supported.

On Feb 8, 10:56 pm, "K.S. Bhaskar" <ksbhas...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Nancy Anthracite]

If you are actually planning on hundreds of users, I wonder if you really want
to be use a virtual machine.

--
Nancy Anthracite

[K.S. Bhaskar]

I don't think it is appropriate to consider scalability of a toaster.
That is not what they are intended to do. In general, I would expect
about a half order of magnitude penalty on CPU, with a contemporary host
CPU, and an order of magnitude on IO (remember that there are two file
systems in use, that of the host and that of the guest).

If you want to deploy VistA on GT.M on Linux in a virtual machine, my
recommendation would be to consider IO virtualization that supports
virtual machine disks on SAN logical volumes or physical partitions
(such as with iSCSI), and CPU virtualization that supports SMP virtual
machines.

But before you go there, do think about what your objectives are, i.e.,
identify your requirements before you look at solutions.

-- Bhaskar

On 02/10/2009 07:50 AM, DHRobbins wrote:
>
> Bhaskar,
>
> Do you have any metrics on how the appliance will scale? In
> particular I'm interested in the number of concurrent users that can
> be supported.

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[geky]

Bhaskar,

I noticed that VPE is missing from your appliance, and
tried to install it. I imported and executed the 2 VPE
files according documetation, VPE seems to work but I
am getting following error when trying to save a file
using its editor :

NOTE: You've discovered an error in VRR.
Error: 2,+1^GTM$DMOD,%SYSTEM-E-ENO2, No such file or directory
Please report error to BOLDUC,DA...@FORUM.VA.GOV.

I thought something is wrong with file permissions, so set
permissions so that vista user can execute _ZVEM* files but
had no luck.

Any ideas what is wrong ?

Thanks

[Sam Habiel]

Bug in VPE. If I get a lot of free time in the next few years, I will
fix it. The Vista Expertise Network (Rick Marshall & co.) owns the
package now. Jon Tai, David Wicksell, Rick and I worked on this bug
about a month ago, but due to the fact that there is a lot of code
that sets error traps, we were successful in only fixing part of it.

Sent from my iPhone

[Joseph Dal Molin]

We live in interesting times.....

J.

http://whatsbrewin.nextgov.com/2009/02/a_new_vista_for_ahlta_redux.php

A New VistA for AHLTA, Redux

By Bob Brewin 02/20/09 04:57 pm ET

I'm picking up strong and high level signals that Veterans Affairs
Secretary Eric Shinseki plans to push the Defense Department to use the
VA's Veterans Health Information System and Technology Architecture
(VistA) electronic health record system instead of the Military Health
Systems Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA)
system.

Shinseki has made electronic health records, and the ability to easily
exchange health information with Defense, one of his key priorities, and
I'm told he has a meeting with Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Feb. 24
on the topic.

Shinseki, I'm told, wants Gates "to rip out AHLTA and replace it with
VistA." At his confirmation hearing in January, Shinseki told the Senate
VA Committee that he planned to work with Gates to ensure development of
a seamless electronic health records system for active-duty personnel
and veterans, and the meeting on Feb. 24 shows he does not plan to waste
any time on development of a system which serves both departments.

Dr. S. Ward Casscells, Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs, briefly
considered the VistA for AHLTA option last summer, but then said he
favored the "converged evolution" of a system which would jointly serve
Defense and VA.

A Booz Allen Hamilton report in January 2008 said development of a joint
inpatient electronic health records system will satisfy almost all the
requirements of Defense and VA.

Shinseki may have gotten the idea that VistA was a better solution for
Defense than AHLTA during his physical at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center in January shortly before his confirmation hearing. During his
hearing he that he asked two Walter Reed doctors if they were familiar
with VA's electronic health record system, and, according to Shinseki,
they said, "they thought it was an excellent system, and they wished
they had it at Walter Reed."

Hopefully more will be revealed on this subject when I discuss
Defense/VA health information sharing at the Government Executive Health
IT breakfast on Wednesday, March 4 with Rear Admiral Gregory Timberlake,
Director, Interagency Program Office, Department of Defense/Department
of Veterans Affairs. You can register for the breakfast here.