Study Retention Policy

Overview

Study Retention Policies are needed when one wants to expire/freeze/protect certain studies in archive. These policies may get applied either when studies are stored to the archive or using the Apply Retention Policy.

Configuration

3 sample Study Retention Policies have been shown below for reference.

Using Archive UI

• Study Retention Policy can be configured on :

  • Archive device level : Set expiration date to studies on

    • receive of DICOM objects by any Application Entity of Archive.
    • Apply Retention Policy invoked using any AE.

    Go to Menu->Configuration, then on Devices page click on Edit of the dcm4chee-arc device. Go to Extensions and Edit extension of Device Extension. Again go to its Extensions and Edit extension of Archive Device.

  • Archive Application AE extension level : Set expiration date to studies on receive of HL7 messages by this

    • receive of DICOM objects by this Application Entity of Archive.
    • Apply Retention Policy invoked using this AE.

    Go to Menu->Configuration, then on Devices page click on Edit of the dcm4chee-arc device. Go to its Child Objects and select an Application Entity from the Network AEs dropdown. Go to Extensions and Edit extension of Network AE Extension. Again go to its Extensions and Edit extension of Archive Network AE.

• In its Child Objects add Study Retention Policy. Specify Name, Study Retention Period and one or more optional values and click Save.

Using LDAP

One may either create a LDIF file (e.g.):

• To configure on Archive device level,

    version: 1		
    dn: cn=RetainCTStudies,dicomDeviceName=dcm4chee-arc,cn=Devices,cn=DICOM Configuration,dc=dcm4che,dc=org
    changetype: add
    objectClass: dcmStudyRetentionPolicy
    objectClass: top
    dcmRetentionPeriod: P1Y
    dcmProperty: Modality=CT
    cn: RetainCTStudies
    
    dn: cn=THIN_SLICE,dicomDeviceName=dcm4chee-arc,cn=Devices,cn=DICOM Configuration,dc=dcm4che,dc=org
    dcmExpireSeriesIndividually: TRUE
    dcmRetentionPeriod: P1D
    dcmProperty: SendingApplicationEntityTitle=STORESCU
    dcmProperty: SliceThickness=0.75
    objectClass: dcmStudyRetentionPolicy
    dcmRulePriority: 2
    cn: THIN_SLICE
    
    dn: cn=THICK_SLICE,dicomDeviceName=dcm4chee-arc,cn=Devices,cn=DICOM Configuration,dc=dcm4che,dc=org
    dcmRetentionPeriod: P4D
    dcmProperty: SendingApplicationEntityTitle=STORESCU
    objectClass: dcmStudyRetentionPolicy
    dcmRulePriority: 1
    cn: THICK_SLICE        
  

• To configure on Archive AE extension level,

    version: 1		
    dn: cn=RetainCTStudies,dicomAETitle=DCM4CHEE,dicomDeviceName=dcm4chee-arc,cn=Devices,cn=DICOM Configuration,dc=dcm4che,dc=org
    changetype: add
    objectClass: dcmStudyRetentionPolicy
    objectClass: top
    dcmRetentionPeriod: P1Y
    dcmProperty: Modality=CT
    cn: RetainCTStudies
    
    dn: cn=THIN_SLICE,dicomAETitle=DCM4CHEE,dicomDeviceName=dcm4chee-arc,cn=Devices,cn=DICOM Configuration,dc=dcm4che,dc=org
    dcmExpireSeriesIndividually: TRUE
    dcmRetentionPeriod: P1D
    dcmProperty: SendingApplicationEntityTitle=STORESCU
    dcmProperty: SliceThickness=0.75
    objectClass: dcmStudyRetentionPolicy
    dcmRulePriority: 2
    cn: THIN_SLICE
    
    dn: cn=THICK_SLICE,dicomAETitle=DCM4CHEE,dicomDeviceName=dcm4chee-arc,cn=Devices,cn=DICOM Configuration,dc=dcm4che,dc=org
    dcmRetentionPeriod: P4D
    dcmProperty: SendingApplicationEntityTitle=STORESCU
    objectClass: dcmStudyRetentionPolicy
    dcmRulePriority: 1
    cn: THICK_SLICE         
  

  and import it to the LDAP Server by using the ldapadd command line utility or the LDIF Import... function of Apache Directory Studio

• or directly use its New Entry... function of Apache Directory Studio to create corresponding Study Retention Policy entries on Device Level (e.g.: dicomDeviceName=dcm4chee-arc) or on Application Entity Level (e.g: dicomAETitle=DCM4CHEE) of the Archive Configuration.

One may refer to Study Retention Policy to understand the description of attributes.

Refer ISO-8601 Duration format for more know-how on Durations.

Go to the Control tab on Configuration page in archive UI and reload the configuration.