# OpenHIE Interoperability Layer (IOL)
While the roles of other OHIE components that provide services may be more easily understood, it is the IOL that secures and orchestrates the exchange of information. Similar to an orchestra conductor, the IOL provides the central force that enables all of the HIE components to work together and interact with Point-of-Service systems outside the HIE.
See also [Non-Functional Requirements](https://guides.ohie.org/arch-spec/dev-1/openhie-component-specifications-1/non-functional-requirements).
## **OpenHIE IOL Workflow Requirements**
To be OHIE IOL component, the IOL application must be able to support the following required standard:
| **#** | **IHE Standard** | **Recommendation / Requirement** |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **IOLWF-1** | IHE ATNA - this is split into two logical parts
- AT (Audit Trail) - Which describes how audit messages can be sent and stored in a central repository which in this case would be the IOL
- NA (Node Authentication) - Which describes how the IOL can authenticate clients (external systems) that want to send request into the exchange
| Required |
In addition to this, the Interoperability layer is architected to be the single point of entry into an HIE. This means that the IOL should be involved in every OpenHIE workflow. It transparently handles transaction routing, security and auditing as these are common functions that are necessary in all workflows.
## **OpenHIE IOL Functional Requirements**
| # | **IOL Functional Requirements** | **Recommendation/ Requirement** |
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| **IOLF-1** | The system should provide a central point of access for the services of the HIE. For example, this interface will provide access to the CR, PR, FR and SHR. This central point of access simplifies security management and provides a single entry point into the HIE. | Recommended |
| **IOLF-2** | The system shall provide routing functions that allow messages to be routed to the correct service provider systems within the HIE. |
Requirement
|
| **IOLF-3** | The system shall provide a central logging mechanism for the messages sent through the exchange. This function should log copies of the messages that travel through the interoperability layer for audit and reporting purposes. | Requirement |
| **IOLF-4** | The system should allow for the rerunning of failed transactions at a central level, alleviating the need for Point-of-Service systems to resend data, for example, in the event of a problem with an infrastructure component. | Recommended |
| **IOLF-5** | Should support transformation of messages that travel from the interoperability layer to service provider systems and vice versa if the service provider is not able to communicate in the required format, i.e. provides implementation specific adapters to transform messages from the interoperability layer’s internal form to a form that the service provider expects (e.g., SHR, CR, PR). | Recommended |
| **IOLF-6** | The system should allow for the routing of messages to the appropriate architecture component or external Point-of-Service system.
- Performs orchestration tasks for complex transactions to take the burden off client systems. This orchestration may contact multiple service providers within the HIE on a client’s behalf and compile an appropriate response to return to the client.
- Examples of orchestration could be the execution of a care plan or the validation of elements (such as identifiers or codes) in a message against other service providers within the HIE (e.g., PR, CR, FR, TS).
- Orchestration tasks are those that are required to complete the current transaction and therefore must be executed timeously as the transaction cannot continue without these steps.
| Recommended |
| **IOLF-7** | The systems shall include an interface into which a workflow engine can be connected.
- This workflow engine should be able to keep track of the long running state of a patient's care and would be able to perform actions based on this context (such as sending alerts) to improve patient care.
- This workflow engine is out of scope for an Interoperability Layer. However, the Interoperability Layer is expected to expose an interface to allow this sort of systems to be implemented.
| Requirement |
| **IOLF-8** | The system should support the ability to be extended by allowing additional mediation functions to be added or removed as they are needed. | Recommendation |
| **IOLF-9** | The system shall support a mechanism for error management and tracking, e.g. a console for viewing failed transactions. | Requirement |
| **IOLF-10** | The system shall allow for failed transactions to be grouped by error type and reason so that errors can be rectified efficiently by finding the root cause of the error, fixing the problem, and re-running those transactions. | Requirement |
| **IOLF-11** | The system should support the ability for a user to re-run errored transactions through the HIE once the reason for their failure has been rectified. | Recommendation |
| **IOLF-12** | The system shall provide authorized users with a view of metrics for monitoring the flow of messages through the HIE. | Requirement |
| **IOLF-13** | The system shall manage the security of the HIE through authentication (identity verification), authorization (permission to interact with specified HIE components) and encryption and decryption of messages. | Requirement |
| **IOLF-14** | The system shall support Authentication and Authorization of systems trying to send data to the HIE. | Requirement |
| **IOLF-15** | The system should support the encryption of data in flight (when not on a physically secure network) and at rest (whenever data is stored, e.g. when transactions are stored for logging). | Recommendation |
| **IOLF-16** | The system should capture monitoring statistics, such as transaction loads and performance metrics, and provides a view of these for monitoring the flow of messages through the HIE. | Recommendation |
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