I-Teco: Technology platform of informational portals

Within project implementation for Moscow City Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund I-Teco together with Novgorod Information and Analytical Center (NIAC) the technology platform of informational portals IBM WebSphere Portal and IBM DB2 Content Manager based on which integration of information resources is carried out is constructed.

Features of the solution

• multiplatformity, preserving of investments into the existing information systems;
• convenient administration of the portal;
• possibility of deployment on one server platform of virtual portals of authorities of the subordinated levels;
• possibility of fast accumulation of power at increase in number of users;
• observance of the highest requirements to security of information and safety of personal data.

Choice of the platform

As a hardware platform the solution based on technology of "thin clients" of Sun Ray is used that allows:

• construct a scalable solution based on inexpensive servers of initial level;
• avoid need of hiring of specialized personnel for service of numerous client places;
• reduce costs for creation and debugging of the solution;
• reduce total ownership cost the solution.

All changeable information is stored on the DBMS server; the application server processes requests from client places and will transform them to server requests of DBMS then sends the answer to the client. The scalability of the solution is reached due to increase in number of application servers which are at the same time serviced by "thin clients" of Sun Ray. Balancing of loading between servers is provided by software of Sun Ray Server.

Server part of a complex

The solution is constructed on the Sun X64 servers from Oracle running x86 Solaris 10 operating system.

Reliability and fault tolerance of the DBMS server is provided due to use of two servers (the main and reserve) and one disk array. The disk array contains the duplicated RAID controllers that provides reliability of data storage. Within a pilot project switching to a standby server of DBMS is made manually, transition to cluster technology of control of the DBMS servers is possible further.

Similar creation of a server part of the computer system allows to provide the required level of availability and fault tolerance of IT services.

Wireless local computer network. The possibility of increase in number of jobs without essential costs for creation or upgrade of a local computer network is provided thanks to wireless communication (fig. 2). Along with it need of the customer for mobility of jobs in health facilities is satisfied: if necessary it will be possible to transfer the user terminals to other offices. For the purpose of reliability augmentation the core of a wireless local computer network in each health facilities is constructed on two switches. In case of unavailability of network resources automatic switching to the reserve network interface is provided. Communication between the servers of the computer system and wireless access points set on each floor of medical institutions is provided by so-called floor switches. The number of wireless access points on each floor is defined proceeding from number of the serviced jobs and also from requirements to a necessary transmission level. Floor switches allow to increase in case of need without excess costs number of wireless access points on the floor. For connection of Sun Ray to a wireless network the wireless routers of ZyXEL P-330W working in the mode of the network bridge and providing "transparent" connection of "thin client" to application servers are used.

The booth - an operation mode of "thin clients"

The personnel of health facilities use the only application — specialized software for work with patients which does not create any files in local directories of users. It does possible use the booth mode, allowing to avoid double authentication of users and to regulate their actions in the UNIX operating system according to information security policies and access rights. "Thin clients" are configured in such a way that the standard session with a request of authorization of the user in a system is started only in the presence in the reader of the Sun Ray card. If there is no card, the booth mode starts.

Printer queues. To provide a possibility of an output of documents to printing from each workplace, printers are connected locally to each "thin client". As local printers are used by HP LaserJet 1022

Uninterruptible power supply units. For providing reliable power supply of the server hardware uninterruptible power supply units (APC Smart UPS 6000 and HP R5000) are used. At interruption of power supply servers are switched off in the normal mode, without data loss. Control of uninterruptible power supply units is exercised by means of software of Network UPS Tools (nut) which also allows to simplify installation of different UPSes thanks to unification of settings.