IP, IP, IP everwhere

IP = Internet Protocol
"...is the set of communications protocols used for the Internet and other similar networks." wikipedia

The key to understanding digital radiology is having a solid fundamental knowledge of the TCP/IP protocol. A solid foundation of knowledge - basically knowing the 7 layer ISO model and TCP/IP for network communications - is the foundation, the building block, of everything comes after, whether it be DICOM, network communications, system troubleshooting, etc. Just like knowing the alphabet is fundamental to learning to read, understanding the ISO model and TCP/IP is fundamental to networking and digital radiology.

Our first step in building the PACS system at Citizen Potawatomi Nation Health Services is to document their current IP network and assign IP addresses to the new equipment. We need information on their current subnet scheme, their default gateway, their radiology gateway IP and firewall, DNS addresses, any public IP's, any static routes, etc. Once that is documented then we will develop a network drawing showing all the devices and addressing assignments. This will give us a roadmap for the deployment of the PACS system.

Once the documentation is complete, InTelemed will work with the clinic IT staff to prepare the network for the PACS system. We will need to install the Sonicwall firewall for radiology, NAT MAP the public IP's to the appropriate private IP's, map a publically addressable URL to the IP of the PACS server, set up firewall rules & security, deploy the gigabit switch for the network, and basically complete all the necessary groundwork. Just like building a new factory, our first step is to prepare the network infrastructure.

Next week we will be meeting with the clinic staff to review the new Kodak DRX Evolution room re-design and finalizing the network documentation. We have two weeks to get the network documented and ready for the PACS deployment.