NetScaler and DiCom

[Erez Baruch1709151548]

Hello,

I'm implementing a NEtScaler based solution for a DICOM platform.
Has anyone implemented DICOM PING or DICOM echomonitor by NETScaler ?

Thanks,

[Surya ARBY1709151622]

I have never deployed this type of solution. Can we have more details about the implementation of the protocol in use ? (udp / tcp ?)

[Erez Baruch1709151548]

Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) is a standard for handling, storing, printing, and transmitting information in medical imaging.
I would like to use Dicom ping or echo (this is the same) to monitor every server in the Services.
I have F5 DicomPinger, but the bin file does not run on Netscaler OS.

I have a tcp port 104 monitor (Dicom uses tcp port 104), but it files my event log on the DiCom Server.
In addition, the Dicom Ping will give me a better monitoring, because it tests the DiCom system much better.

[Surya ARBY1709151622]

Maybe you can ask your SE or AM for a product enhancement request about that. NetScaler doesn't support DICOM specifically so you won't find any feature you're looking for by default in the netscaler (in fact it's the first time I hear about this standard :) ) You can build your own TCP-generic probe but you have to know the details of the implementation protocol (if it's not based on plain text / ascii, you'll have to write a binary probe)

[Erez Baruch1709151548]

Will it suit if I get the application's source code of FreeBSD 6.3 version for i386?
How can I compile it for NetScaler?
Can I ask Citrix to prepare such thing, as was done for f5?

[Ronan OBrien1709151594]

Hi Erez,

If you can get a network trace of a DICOM PING transaction, and, in a program like wireshark or ethereal, choose "Follow TCP Stream" we should be able to see if we can do anything quickly with a TCP-ECV monitor.

This will only work if there is one request and one response.

We can also use PERL scripts to perform the monitoring, as we do for ftp, pop, smtp etc, which requires several
requests and responses to determine if a back end service or resource is healthy. e.g. for FTP we need to connect,
receive a login prompt, provide a username, receive a password prompt, provide a password, and then check for the existence of a file.

Hope that helps,

Kind Regards,

Ronan.

[Erez Baruch1709151548]

Hello,
It really seems like a simple protocol to me, just sending and receiving without authentication.
I'm sending the Follow TCP Stream file

Thanks

dicom ping

[Erez Baruch1709151548]

I've done that. The best solution:
1. Installing FreeBSD 6.3.
2. Downloading DiCom source from FreeBSD website.
3. Compiling in FreeBSD server.
4. Copying relevant files to NetScaler.
5. Giving running permission for the files
6. Writing a perl script with the following parameters: IP address, port, queue name.
7. Creating a user monitor that would call the perl script with the parameters.

What do you think of this solution?
Will it still continue to run after upgrading Netscaler?

Avi ,Thanks

Edited by: Erez Baruch on 01:35 26/11/2009

[Andy Osborne]

I know this is an old thread but I wondered if anyone has implemented a NetScaler monitor for DICOM?

[Matt Elsberry]

Also interested in this..  in addition, how do the AE names get handled when devices are pointed at VIP?

That information does not seem to traverse the connection.