AusCAT Node Setup Summary#

This page provides a summary of the steps for establishing an AusCAT node at a new hospital, clinical centre, or registry, after being approved as a site in the ethics protocol and has received local governance approvals. This guide outlines an overview of the core steps involved in setting up the required infrastructure, deploying the system, and importing data. Detailed instructions for each step are available in separate pages, which can be accessed through the links provided below.

1. Infrastructure Setup#

As a first step, visit the Infrastructure Requirements page to establish the hardware infrastructure. This page provides details on the hardware specifications required for the server, including CPU, RAM, storage, and GPU recommendations for running AusCAT software tools, extracting relevant tabular and image data, executing code, and storing results.

2. Production Deployment#

Once the hardware and server OS (e.g., Windows Server 2022) are ready, the next step is to deploy an AusCAT node in a production environment. This includes the following components:

2a. VM Setup#

  • Install two VMs on the server:

    • KeyDB VM: For hosting the identifiable patient database

    • CatDB VM: For hosting the anonymised research database

  • Detailed VM setup instructions can be found here.

2b. Docker & Portainer Installation#

  • Install Docker and Portainer on each VM running Ubuntu. This is required to manage containerized applications and services.

  • Refer to the Docker and Portainer Installation Guide for step-by-step instructions.

2c. Configure and Deploy KeyVM Docker Stack#

  • Once Docker and Portainer are installed, configure KeyDB secrets and deploy the KeyDB Docker stack on the KeyDB VM.

  • Use the KeyDB stack template provided here.

  • Test the deployment to confirm the stack is running correctly.

2d. Pentaho Installation#

  • Install Pentaho, a data integration tool, on the KeyDB VM.

  • Detailed installation steps can be found in the Pentaho Configuration Guide.

2e. Configure and Deploy CatVM Docker Stack#

  • On the CatDB VM, configure CatDB secrets and deploy the CatDB Docker stack.

  • Use the CatDB stack template provided here.

  • Test the deployment to confirm the stack is running correctly.

For detailed steps, refer to the Production Deployment Guide.

3. Data Import#

Once the infrastructure is in place, navigate to the data import pages to begin importing clinical and imaging data from the hospital’s clinical systems into the AusCAT node.

Connection Parameters#

Ensure that proper authentication is configured for Pentaho to connect to the clinical systems. Without this, data extraction will not be possible. Typically, data is extracted from the reporting server rather than the live server for security reasons.

Usage

Source IP

Source Port

Destination IP

Destination Port

Protocol

2-Way

SQL Queries

xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (Reporting Server)

1433

xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (KeyDB)

104

TCP

Yes

3a. Clinical Data#

  • Once the Pentaho connection is established, navigate to the Pentaho Configuration Guide for details on running pipelines to populate the research databases with clinical data items.

3b. Imaging Data#

  • After initial clinical data is imported, DICOM imaging data for those patients can be sent to the Orthanc server for storage and later processing.

Node Setup Checklist#

  • Ethics and Governance Approval: Site is listed on current approved ethics protocol and local governance approvals are in place.

  • Server Hardware: The centre has provisioned server hardware meeting the minimum or optimal specifications.

  • Operating System: The host server is running Windows Server 2022.

  • VM and Docker Installation: Two VMs have been created and Docker/Portainer installed as per the infrastructure guide.

  • Deploy Docker Stacks: Respective docker stacks have been deployed on both VMs.

  • Authentication and Permissions: Appropriate credentials and access permissions for connecting the clinical systems from data integration tool (e.g. Pentaho) have been obtained.

  • Clinical Data Import: Pentaho is installed and run for clinical data setup.

  • DICOM Data Import: Orthanc server is set up for exporting and storing DICOM imaging data from the clinical systems.

For additional support or questions, please contact the AusCAT technical team.#

  • Fahim Alam

  • Sasha Barisic

  • Amir Anees