You're ready to start sending messages! You've completed all of the prerequisite steps:

 

•You've downloaded and installed your UltraPort Router (see Getting Started).

•You've created 1 or more profiles (see Router Profiles).

•You actually have access to a HL7 Receiver to get the messages you send. Either your HL7 Trading Partner or a local development HL7 listener application (like our UltraPort HL7 Listener).

 

And now it's time to make sure that everything works and you can send HL7 messages over TCP/IP to a HL7 Listener! From the main window click on the 'Windows Service Status' tab and you're ready to begin.

 

 

The UltraPort Router profiles can be started two different ways:

 

1.Run in a Microsoft Windows service (see Running as a Service).

2.Run Locally, as a Windows desktop application (see Running Locally).

 

It is important to understand the major differences between these 2 execution methods.

 

Microsoft Windows services run in the background with no user interface and start when the system boots up (before anyone logs in). They run in a different memory space on your computer than your normal programs (like the web browser, word processors, etc) and (unless you configure them differently) as a different user. Service applications are fault-tolerant and can be configured to restart themselves if they crash. This is why you always want your production outbound HL7 interfaces to run as a Windows service.

 

Running Locally as a Windows Desktop application means that you are basically running your HL7 sender as you, the windows user who logged into Windows. Running locally is a great way to test your outbound HL7 interface, work out connection issues, and general HL7 troubleshooting. Since it runs in a window you can actually watch it send your HL7 messages out, which, if you are testing, or troubleshooting, or developing is how you want it to run anyway.

 

#1 Troubleshooting Tip: 9 out of 10 support calls we get on the UltraPort Router software are because someone has forgotten or doesn't understand this difference. If you run it locally and it works but it does not if you run as a service, then the problem always lies in the difference between a Microsoft Windows service application and a Windows Desktop application and is usually very easy to correct. Example: If the data folder you selected in your Router Profile is on a network share or mapped drive then this is something that YOU have access to, but the Windows services might not. In this example it would work running locally, but fail when running as a service.

 

Users with a production license can install and run the Microsoft Windows Service(s) OR they can opt to run 'locally'.

 

Users with a DEMO license or a Developer license can ONLY opt to run their router profile(s) locally, they cannot install or run the MS Windows Service(s).

 

 

If you have a production license click HERE.

 

If you have a Developer or DEMO license click HERE.