Paolo Pizzolongo

Conquest Dicom Server Mysql on Debian (dgate)

This is a quick guide to install ConQuest DICOM server on Debian 8 (Jessie) using MySQL as ConQuest database.

BEFORE PROCEEDING
I assume that you’re logged in as “root” and the image files will be stored into the directory “/data” and you’ve already installed your debian server with a standard configuration.
I’m used with “nano” to edit files, if you’re not familiar with “nano”, please use another editor (eg: “vim”).

If you’re updating your ConQuest version, backup these files before proceeding:

/etc/conquest-dicom-server/acrnema.map
/etc/conquest-dicom-server/dicom.ini

Don’t restore the above files to your new version of ConQuest. Use them just to check the information you need to change at the new files. Overwriting files from a newer version of ConQuest with files from an older version may cause ConQuest malfunctioning.

INSTALLING
First of all, we want to install the latest version of each needed package, so we call:
# apt-get update

And then install the recommended packages:
# apt-get install apache2 mysql-server openssh-server conquest-mysql

Optionally i install too:
#phpmyadmin dcmtk apache2-mpm-itk

Now we create the database that ConQuest will use:
# mysql -u root -p
create database conquest;
quit;

The directory for ConQuest files is:
# /etc/conquest-dicom-server

Enter the ConQuest directory:
# cd /etc/conquest-dicom-server

Edit the file dicom.ini to set up your server, now you define the server Application Entity Title (AET), its communication port, the user and the password that ConQuest will use to connect to MySQL
The lines that aren’t listed here are the lines that I don’t make any changes, so leave them alone:
# nano dicom.ini
MyACRNema = SERVER_AET
TCPPort = 104 # the server communication port
Password =
FixPhilips = 1 # avoids problems with Patient ID from some Philips systems
FixKodak = 1 # avoids problems with Patient ID from some Kodak/Carestream systems
IgnoreOutOfMemoryErrors = 1 # avoids ConQuest interruptions when out of memory errors occurs
FileNameSyntax = 8 # determines the name of stored files (see page 52 of windowsmanual.pdf)
DroppedFileCompression = jk # store dropped files using Lossless JPEG2000
IncomingCompression = jk # store image files through DICOM communication using Lossless JPEG2000
PACSName = # for banner and debug information
MAGDevice0 /data/ # where the images will be stored

Create the directory to store the images:
# mkdir /data

Edit the the file that contain associated remote DICOM nodes that will communicate with this server:
# nano acrnema.map

(Re)build the database verbosely:
# dgate -v -r

SCRIPTS
I’ve developed some simple scripts to make my life easier. Here they are:

(Re)start Conquest
(Re)start script for ConQuest saving logs into “serverstatus.log” file:
# nano /usr/local/bin/start

#!/bin/bash
pkill -9 dgate
dgate -^logfilename.log &

Keep Server Alive
This script checks if “dgate” proccess is running, if not (server crashed), the script restarts it:
# nano /usr/local/bin/keepalive

#!/bin/bash
pgrep dgate
if [ $? -ne 0 ]
then /usr/local/bin/start
fi

Send Yesterday’s Studies To Another Server
This script sends every yesterday’s studies to another server
# nano /usr/local/bin/dgateyesterday

#!/bin/bash
DATE=$(date -d 'yesterday' + %Y%m%d)
dgate --movestudies:SRC_AET,DEST_AET,$DATE
wait

Make all scripts executables:
# chmod a+x /usr/local/bin/*

Schedule the execution of scripts:
# crontab -e

Reload cron to activate the new entries at “/etc/crontab”:
# /etc/init.d/cron restart

Some Useful Commands

Load new DICOM nodes after editing acrnema.map:
# dgate –read_amap:
List of loaded DICOM nodes:
# dgate –get_amaps:
Transferring studies from one server to another:
# dgate –movestudy:patientID:studyuid