TIE – The Interface Engine
Download a free, 30-day evaluation of TIE – The Interface Engine. (When you buy a full license, you can retain your setup.) The evaluation version does not support configuration packaging & replication, but is fully featured in all other regards. Included in evaluation download package:
- TIE Interface Engine
- TIE SDK:
- COM Library
- TIE Developer
- Extensive Documentation
- MySQL Community Server, useful if a database doesn’t already exist
- Mobile Phone Clients
TIE comes in several different editions so that we can best accommodate your needs. All Editions have the same application features except as noted below. Note that editions may be purchased with or without CDA support. Editions purchased without CDA support will be missing most, but not all, CDA related features. Licenses are valid for the life of the software. The cost to upgrade from one edition to another is the difference between their current prices.
| Enterprise | This is the full unrestricted version of TIE. It can support any number of interfaces, up to the amount feasible given the system resources available, and supports message exchange by COM/web services. The Enterprise Edition is the only Edition that supports running on a Windows Cluster. | $4,500 |
| Enterprise +CDASupport | Exchanges XML-based documents like CCDs and C-CDAs in addition to HL7v2 messages. | $9,500 |
| Select10 | This is a restricted version that will only support up to 10 active interface connections at a time, will not run on a Cluster, and will not exchange messages through COM/Web services. | $1,500 |
| Select10 +CDASupport | Exchanges XML-based documents like CCDs and C-CDAs in addition to HL7v2 messages. | $3,000 |
| Developer | A desktop application that includes the full TIE functionality. This is a must-have tool for use by application developers who are implementing either TIE v2 or CDA solutions, even when the solution will be implemented on other interface engines. | $500 |
- Support for all released HL7 versions from v2.1 to v2.7
- Full support for v2.xml encoding
- Support for v2 localization using z-segments, and even support for re-defining the HL7 standard if necessary
- Support for CDA R2
- Support for CCD
- Support for CDA extensions using alternate namespaces
- Messages and documents are stored in a transaction-safe database (Microsoft SQL Server or MySQL)
- They can be stored as long as desired, or alternatively archived or deleted after a configurable interval of time since receipt
- They can also have annotations attached which can be used to manage the workflow (see below)
- TIE stores audit information relating to interface status, user history, and a full history for messages and documents, including resending failures
- Support for all released HL7 versions from v2.1 to v2.7
- Full support for v2.xml encoding
- Support for v2 localization using z-segments, and even support for re-defining the HL7 standard if necessary
- Support for CDA R2
- Support for CCD
- Support for CDA extensions using alternate namespaces
- TIE supports many network protocols:
- MLLP: TIE’s Minimal Lower Layer Protocol (v2 messages)
- XDR: IHE’s Cross-Enterprise Document Transfer protocol. (CDA documents)
- HTTP: Several variations of how to use HTTP, principally a simple RESTful based POST protocol
- Email: A simple email transfer protocol
- TIE also supports file based transfer using a variety of file formats:
- Plain Text (with scripts to convert the format)
- CDA documents – one per file
- HL7- one message per file
- HL7 v2 Batch file format
- LLP dump format
- Alternatively, you can use the COM library to exchange messages or documents between your application and TIE, or you can use the web services interface. In addition, it’s possible to write a custom DLL to handle message and document exchange
- Utilize a variety of scripting languages to create, validate, manipulate or modify messages and documents or modify and control the workflow.
- Interact with other databases or applications and insert information into the messages or insert data into a database using SQL statements.
- TIE supports a number of scripting languages:
- Javascript
- VBScript
- XSLT
- KScript (TIE scripting language for generating HL7 and CDA documents)
- TIE can validate messages and documents interactively, or as part of the workflow
- TIE supports a number of validation approaches:
- Basic Validation against the standards
- Javascript/VBScript
- XML Schema
- XSLT
- OCL (Object Constraint Language)
- (CDA) Eclipse OHF validation
- TIE includes a full knowledge base that provides:
- a full copy of HL7 v2 definitions (all versions: structures, events, segments, structures, and datatypes)
- a full copy of the CDA definitions (CDA clones, RIM classes and attributes, and datatypes)
- LOINC definitions and classifications
- SNOMED-CT terms and relationships
- These knowledge resources are available through the system as appropriate, for example performing message and document routing based on Snomed-CT subsumption logic
- A web-based user interface can be used from any web client, including mobile phones.
- Custom mobile phone applets are included for ease of remote management.
- An interactive development environment for working with HL7 v2 messages, CDA documents, and developing and testing scripts for the TIE extensibility features
TIE includes a COM library. The COM library offers a set of TIE v2 messaging and CDA document services that are useful for healthcare applications. The services include message/document:
- Parsing
- Encoding
- Building
- Scripting
- Analysis
Licensing
No license, either developer or run-time, is required to use the COM Library. It is free for any of kind of use. The COM library and a standalone COM Library installer is included in any installation of TIE, and can be installed separately.
Server Support
The TIE COM Library can be configured to connect to the TIE server at startup. In this mode, the COM Library offers an additional series of services that are extensions of the TIE server itself, most importantly including the ability to send and receive messages or documents. The server needs to have an Enterprise Edition License for this use.
In addition, the TIE Type Library includes a number of server side interface declarations. TIE users can implement these interfaces in any COM-capable language, and handle message/document sending/receiving and other TIE extensibility events in their own code.
TIE provides the following features to support HL7 v2 messaging:
TIE includes a COM library. The COM library offers a set of TIE v2 messaging and CDA document services that are useful for healthcare applications. The services include message/document:
- Parsing
- Encoding
- Building
- Scripting
- Analysis
Licensing
No license, either developer or run-time, is required to use the COM Library. It is free for any of kind of use. The COM library and a standalone COM Library installer is included in any installation of TIE, and can be installed separately.
Server Support
The TIE COM Library can be configured to connect to the TIE server at startup. In this mode, the COM Library offers an additional series of services that are extensions of the TIE server itself, most importantly including the ability to send and receive messages or documents. The server needs to have an Enterprise Edition License for this use.
In addition, the TIE Type Library includes a number of server side interface declarations. TIE users can implement these interfaces in any COM-capable language, and handle message/document sending/receiving and other TIE extensibility events in their own code.
TIE provides the following features to support CDA Documents:
- Store and forward, or straight-through sending of documents
- CCD api to make reading CCD documents easier (native expression in CCD language)
- Modification of documents using VBScript or Javascript
- Validation of documents using schema, transforms, OCL, VBScript, Javascript, or the Eclipse OHF CDA validator.
- Exchange using XDR (IHE XSD.b protocol), HTTP RESTful post, as files
- Inbuilt dictionary of the CDA & v3 standard to provide metadata throughout the product
Installation and Technical Guide
TIE Consulting
The Dynamic Health IT team has extensive expertise in all domains of HL7 and has supported hundreds of interfaces and implementations of TIE worldwide. We customize our consulting services to suit your needs and budget, from complete HL7 outsourcing to as-needed support, troubleshooting and mentoring.
To receive a free quote for any of your HL7 or TIE consulting and training needs, please email:
