This document provides tips to improve performance and security in Mirth Connect. It recommends increasing heap memory and server memory to improve message searching and handling heavy traffic. It also suggests encrypting plain-text passwords and message storage for added security. Programming techniques like using code templates and environment strategies are presented to simplify channels and account for different environments. Maintenance strategies like pruning message storage, using a database backend, and pretty printing XML are outlined.
4. INCREASING HEAP MEMORY
PERFORMANCE TWEAKS
The Heap Size is the amount of memory
made available for your Mirth Connect
front end application. This plays a role
especially when searching for messages
in channels with lots of traffic.
The Server Memory setting dictates the
amount of memory that Mirth Connect
as an engine will be able to use in the
background. This allows Mirth to
process large messages and handle
heavy traffic.
7. SECURITY IMPROVEMENTS
ENCRYPT MESSAGE STORAGE
If you choose to use this
feature, add these settings to
your mirth.properties file and
restart the Mirth service.
For added security, you can
encrypt message content
stored in the database.
11. MOVE FUNCTIONS TO CODE TEMPLATES
PROGRAMMING SUGGESTIONS
Allows you to edit a function in one location instead of having
to make changes in every channel where you are using.
Also lets you keep your channels simple by
moving long and complicated code out of
them and into the code templates screen.
12. MODIFY AN HL7 MESSAGE WITH DATABASE DATA
PROGRAMMING SUGGESTIONS
Incoming Hl7 Message (note PID 4 is blank)
Transformed Hl7 Message (PID 4 now has the PatientMrn)
Source Transformer Javascript Writer
The row in our table we want to query
Using a code template for database connections
14. ENVIRONMENT STRATEGIES
PROGRAMMING SUGGESTIONS
• Programmatically dictate desired
behavior based on server names rather
than manually making changes to
channels between development and
production environments.
• This eliminates potential for human
error when exporting channels from
development environment to
production.
16. KNOW THE REASON FOR FILTERING
PROGRAMMING SUGGESTIONS
If you use a lot of filters, Mirth Connect
currently does not tell you which filter was
triggered. If that information is useful, here
is a custom way of showing that.
19. MESSAGE STORAGE IMPACT
MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES
Uses the most disk space which
also slows processing time.
Preserves essential troubleshooting
data. Pair with pruning options to
keep disk usage in check.
Stores just the original source
message. No mapped variables.
Reprocess a message when you
need to troubleshoot one.
Deletes everything except what you
see on the channel message log.
Cannot reprocess a message.
1x
5x
8x
20. DATABASE BACKEND
MAINTENANCE STRATEGIES
Default Setting Preferred Configuration
• The default Apache Derby option is for quick deployment and testing.
• Mirth Corp recommends PostgreSQL, MySQL, Oracle, or SQL Server.
• These offer better performance, disk space efficiency, backup options,
security, etc.
24. ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
“Best Practices and Vulnerabilities
in Mirth Connect” white paper
Google “Mirth Connect Security
White Paper Galen”
“Mirth Connect - Introduction” webcast
Search “Mirth Connect Galen” on Youtube
“10 Tips and Tricks To Make Mirth
Connect Work For You” blog post
Google “Mirth Connect Tips and Tricks Galen”
Editor's Notes
An essential element to configure in Mirth. Add information to the channel messages screen.
Channel summary screen shows the Custom Metadata settings.
Add clarity to message logs but all minimize storage needs.
What are recommended settings?
If you want to send data securely via an HTTP POST, you can do so by sending data to an HTTPS address. In the event that this address has a self-signed SSL certificate, you’ll want to import it into the Java Truststore on your computer. This Truststore is a file located in the /lib/security/ folder of the Java Program Files folder on the server where Mirth is installed.
To edit your Truststore, there is a free application called Portecle that you can download from SourceForge.net. This is actually a Java Virtual Application, so you don’t need to install anything. Just unzip the folder that it comes in, and run the portecle.jar file as Administrator to give the application the permissions it needs to change the Truststore. On this slide you can see some screenshots showing how to import the certificate you need.
Note that the little red X on the lock icon will still appear next to your HTTP Sender URL even after you have successfully imported the certificate, which can be misleading, because your data will be encrypted outgoing. Mirth Corp recommends you install their SSL Manager extension to have better certificate management on your machine. This, however, requires a paid support license with Mirth.
Before we dive into some more technical aspects of Mirth, I wanted to get an idea of how much experience do you have with the Mirth Connect Interface Engine?
