Extensible and Preferred Bindings Strict Validation

[Ahmed Amgad]

Hello everyone,

I am running a local HAPI FHIR JPA Server (R4) using Docker Compose. I have successfully uploaded the needed CodeSystems and ValueSets, and I am trying to enforce strict terminology validation across the board.

Required Bindings: The server correctly catches invalid codes and blocks the request with a 4xx Error.

Example, Extensible, or Preferred Bindings: For fields like AllergyIntolerance.code, the server only generates a Warning in the OperationOutcome and returns a 201 Created, even if the code is invalid or missing from the specified system URI.

In my specific use case, I need the server to treat these terminology failures as hard Errors to prevent invalid data entry.

So, is there a global server-level configuration or a specific setting in the RequestValidatingInterceptor that can elevate all terminology warnings to Errors, regardless of the base FHIR binding strength?

Or, creating a custom StructureDefinition (Profile) with a Required binding strength is the only native way to achieve this behavior?

I am also considering building a C# middleware layer to handle this validation (via $validate-code) before the data reaches HAPI, but it will require sending multiple requests to the HAPI FHIR server to just validate the resource and more required implementation. Is this a common architectural pattern in practice, or is there a more "FHIR-native" approach I should consider?

I would appreciate any insights from those who have implemented strict terminology gates in their HAPI environments.

Thank you!