Routing Rules
Routing Rules let you automatically send copies of uploaded DICOM studies, series, or instances to one or more configured Remote AEs. They are commonly used when studies need to be forwarded to another system for post-processing, reporting, review, archiving, or downstream workflow automation.
Instead of manually selecting and sending studies after upload, Routing Rules evaluate incoming DICOM data against configured filters and conditions. When a match is found, AdvaPACS routes a copy of the matching data to the selected destination.
How Routing Rules work
Routing begins after DICOM instances are uploaded to AdvaPACS.
A Routing Rule determines:
- Which uploaded data should be routed
- Where the data should be sent
- Which Local AE should perform the send
- Whether the rule applies at study, series, or instance level
Routing Rules do not move the original uploaded data. They send a copy of the matching study, series, or instance to the configured Destination AE.
Devices used in Routing Rules
Routing Rules use configured devices and AEs to identify where data came from and where it should be sent.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Source AE | The Remote AE that originally sent the DICOM data to AdvaPACS. |
| Local AE | The Local AE that received the data from the Source AE. |
| Bind AE | The Local AE that sends the routed data to the destination. |
| Destination AE | The Remote AE that receives the routed data. |
The selected Bind AE must be able to connect to the selected Destination AE for routing to succeed.
Create a Routing Rule
To create a Routing Rule, select + Create Routing Rule from the Routing Rules page.
The following fields are available when configuring a Routing Rule:
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Yes | A unique name used to identify the Routing Rule. |
| Description | No | Additional information about the purpose of the rule. |
| Source AE | No | Limits the rule to studies received from one or more specific Source AEs. If not specified, studies from any Source AE can match. |
| Local AE | No | Limits the rule to studies received through one or more specific Local AEs. |
| Bind AE | Yes | The Local AE used to establish the outbound connection when routing data to the destination. |
| Destination AE | Yes | The Remote AE that will receive the routed data. Multiple destinations may be configured. |
| Priority | Yes | Determines the order in which Routing Rules are evaluated. Higher values are evaluated before lower values. |
| Level | Yes | Specifies whether the rule evaluates and routes data at the Study, Series, or Instance level. |
| Enabled | Yes | Controls whether the rule is active and available for processing. |
Routing Levels
A routing rule evaluates the Conditions and routes instances based on the level you choose. It has three options:
| Level | Description |
|---|---|
| Study | Conditions are evaluated at study level and the entire study is routed when matched. |
| Series | Conditions are evaluated for each series and matching series are routed. |
| Instance | Conditions are evaluated for each individual instance and only matching instances are routed. |
Priority
Routing Rules are evaluated in priority order.
| Priority | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| 100 | Highest priority |
| 1 | Lowest priority |
When multiple rules could match the same data, use higher priorities for more specific rules and lower priorities for more general rules.
Conditions
Conditions determine whether a Routing Rule applies to incoming data. A rule may contain one or more conditions based on DICOM attributes such as:
- Modality
- Study Description
- Series Description
- Accession Number
- Referring Physician
- Institution Name
Only studies, series, or instances that satisfy the configured conditions will be routed. For more information on conditions, please refer to our Conditions page.