Is there a way to filter out a package of tests versus individual tests.

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Patrick M recently asked me this question and it’s a good one.  The short answer is no, but here are several ways to make filtering easier:

Hi Patrick,

Believe me I wish there was.  The only way to quickly ‘filter’ out a broad group of tests is to use a worksheet.  You can put up to 2 worksheets, separated by a comma, in the Worksheet field:


You can now (as of version 1.78) use the lab department in filters.  So you could include only one or two departments or exclude some:

If there is any consistency in the naming of a group of tests, you can get a little creative and filter them by name.

Say you have a group of tests: GLU1, GLU2, GLU3, BGLUC…

Since they all contain ‘GLU’, you could make a single filter using the ‘CONTAINS’ operator to get rid of them all:

If you don’t want to waste a lot of time typing in filters, you can quickly add a filter by right-clicking on the test on the main display:

It’s easy to create a bunch of filters this way, you end up with a ton of filters in your filter config, but there is no limit so it’s fine.

Finally the alternative is to go into the filter options and manually create one or a few huge filters with all the tests listed.


These all-in-one filters can create a problem later on if you want to remove or change a test that is listed in the middle!  But an easy way around that is to nix the test by typing in something else in the field.  So say later on you don’t want to filter out DAT’s:

 Where ‘DAT’ was, I replaced with ‘NONSENSE’.  Hopefully you don’t have any tests named nonsense so this will have no ill effect, and your DAT’s will start to show up.

Hope that helps.  The manual covers filters in more detail: http://www.olmonitor.com/ManualM/module_5.htm

Sluggish OL Monitor/Optimizing OL Monitor

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After helping a site troubleshoot a problem that came up on one of their pc’s, I have a few tips for anyone who might be having similar problems or just wants to optimize their current installation.
Symptoms:
– Ol Monitor refreshes once and then becomes extremely sluggish, freezes, and has to be terminated with Task Manager.
– Multiple Smarterm sessions with “KillMe” in the title bar.
– Clicking on Ol Monitor application and getting “This program is not responding..” message.

Solutions:
-Turn off Error Logging: This option is in the Misc tab under ‘Error Controls’.  On the pc in question, this turned out to be consuming way too much time and causing timeouts and freezing.  If you are having no issues with Ol Monitor you can safely turn off this option anyway.
-Un-Check ‘Test Mode’: This option is also under ‘Error Controls’ and is only used when testing out Ol Monitor.  If you have it enabled during normal use the Smarterm macro will prompt you at every refresh.  If the Smarterm window is hidden or in the background this prompt will hang up the macro.
-Check Smarterm’s shutdown options: Newer versions of Smarterm have various shutdown options:

Note which option you have selected and then try selecting ‘Close the session’ and ‘Exit Smarterm if last session closed’.  Although your server may have a timeout and disconnects Ol Monitor, Smarterm will still not close when a macro is running.  The macro will try to reconnect if the session disconnects.  The other options, ‘Show disconnect options’ in particular, may cause Smarterm to pop up a question box that prevents Ol Monitor from shutting it down.

Finally, note that with version 1.54 of Ol Monitor 2 additional connection checks have been added to sections of the macro.

Turn off Encryption.  On the Advanced tab of options, disable the “Encrypt PID” option: http://olmonitor.com/ManualM/window_7_2.htm#id_8

SSH upgrade effect on OLM monitor, or: The somewhat convoluted process of getting the SSH password to save.

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*Note:  The SSH process has changed in newer versions of Smarterm and this post is very outdated.  Please see this post.

Please help.None of our OL_monitors are connecting to Smarterm after a server upgrade.We are no longer using a telnet session in smarterm.We ware using SSH.

Remember you should always backup your settings before installing or updating!
See the “Export options” topic here:

http://www.olmonitor.com/ManualM/window_3_6.htm#id_4
IN ADDITION, I suggest you also save your session file. The file should be located in:

C:\Program Files\OlMonitor VIM\OlMonitor.stw

After backing up your settings be sure to uninstall the previous version. (the installer will ask you if you want to uninstall the earlier version)

The SSH issue:  Basically what the issue is that Smarterm encrypts the SSH password.  Since there is no way for me to reverse-engineer their encryption, we cannot put the password into OL Monitor options.  So you have to do the password saving via Smarterm.  It’s a little tricky because you have to stop the macro before saving the session file within Smarterm.  After you get the SSH password saved into the Smarterm Session file you won’t be prompted for it anymore and Ol Monitor will function normally.

Workaround:
When you start Ol Monitor immediately go to the options screen and change the comm. Method to SSH:

 

Set the Misys server to the SSH server address:

When you press OK the settings will get saved to the session file.

When OlMonitor starts Smarterm, I expect you may first get a message saying ‘Password encryption failed’. This is because I left the password blank.

Since I don’t have an SSH server to test with I’m not sure what other prompts/messages you will get.

If you would make a note of the extra steps you have to do on the first connection, and if on repeat connections of any other prompts that continue to popup.

Also, of course, let me know if the macro fails, gets hung, or for whatever reason doesn’t work.

Smarterm starts, after you have gotten the password setup and checked the box to save it you will need to save the session.

Smarterm will not let you save while a macro is running.

Press the green triangle button to get to the macro control:

or press tools macros:

Click stop macro and then save the session.

Here you can also set the SSH login string.

Stop on Match feature makes Inclusive filters play nice (ver. 1.39)

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Eric, I am working on setting up filters in OL_Monitor for one
of our hospital sites and seem to be having problems. I have a worksheet
set in Options that should include all the possible tests we would like to
consider and then I am filtering from there. I would like to
include/exclude the following: 1. exclude all non Inpatient locations(if I
list these it ends up being 2+ filters) 2. include all tests with a stat
priority code (we have multiple stat priority codes) 3. include all
location ER, test X 4. include tests A,B,C,D, etc; regardless of priority.
Every time I try to set up these filters it seems I am missing something or
have something setup wrong but cannot figure it out. Please help!

I will skip explaining why I had to add the new filter feature. Suffice to say it would have been possible to make a filter that did what you wanted with your current Ol Monitor, but it would have been very complex and difficult to maintain or change. In your current version, the first inclusive filter overrides all other filters. So unless you incorporate all possible exceptions into that filter the other filters you define can get overridden. In the new version, I have added an option for the inclusive filters to be more flexible.

The new checkbox is called ‘stop on match’. Stopping on match was the default behavior in previous versions. So normally this box would be checked.
To employ the type of filtering you want I keep this box Un-checked.
Now all of the filters will have an effect.

I think you will find the new filters easier to maintain and change.

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Fix for macro Problems pulling OL – WayString feature w/ version 1.3.5

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I have just uploaded a new version designed to deal with problems navigating the OL Menu. After you install the new version the new method named “WayString” will be selected by default in the advanced options menu:

Allow Smarterm to load and refresh and watch the Smarterm window to make sure it successfully gets through the OL Menu.
The new method has not been tested at other sites but is more adaptive so if you encounter any problems let me know right away and I will be able to make changes quickly.

Misys 6.3 update and 2 new features – Ol Monitor v 1.32

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Ol Monitor has been updated for some changes in Misys 6.3. Misys 6.3 adds an option to the report menu to include CID data. The three options are None, All, or CID only. This is what the new prompt looks like:
Misys 6.3 prompt.jpg
Starting with Ol Monitor version 1.32 there is a 6.3 option in the Advanced tab in the options: Misys 6.3 options.jpg
If you have Misys 6.3 or above make sure the box is checked. Enter N, A, or C in the text box below.

You can now add another worksheet and/or hospital ID to be monitored. More slots may be added in the future.
To use 2 worksheets or Hospitals’ separate the two with a comma in the worksheet/HID box: OlMon 2 worksheets opt.jpg

Also added support for 10-digit CID numbers.

Retain Misys IP address between installs

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I have added a check in the installer to retain the Misys IP address between installs. It checks both the trial folder if it exists and the full version folder, good for those upgrading from the trial. There is also a check for the .ini file for those upgrading from the trial. Previously the .ini file would have to be manually backed up and then imported after upgrading.

Version 1.2.9b

Default priority code

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Have you made any progress with the routine/Null priority issue?

To choose a different default priority code:
Go to options under the advanced tab, change the letter ‘T’ to whatever other letter you would like. You can also try leaving it blank or leaving just a space in there, but I’m not sure if you might get some errors with a blank.
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Multiple monitors

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I am still working with getting your software into our site. My director is very excited about the possibilities. We have one question that is a sticking point so far. The way our lab is set up, it is in an L shape and we cannot all see just one monitor no matter how big of a monitor we get, so we are looking at multiple monitors. Is there a way for us to display the information on 3 different monitors using just one PC? Our IS department cannot figure this out but I feel that there has to be a way to do this. I think there must be some kind of cable that will split the signal but I am not sure where to look for one. Have you had anyone set their lab up this way? If so, can you get me any information on how this setup was done? We would really appreciate it.

Yes you can get a ‘Monitor multi-plexer’ that would allow you to basically split the output of one monitor to multiple screens. Of course it would be a mirror display, you would not be able to have one thing on one screen and another config on the second. Here is a link to one: http://www.blackbox.com/Catalog/Detail.aspx?cid=1578,1856,1859&mid=3761 Blackbox is by no means the cheapest vendor, but it was the outfit we used to buy ours many years ago. You could probably do a search on the net for ‘vga video splitter’, on google products for example (formerly froogle), and find many types and prices. You can see pictures in the olmonitor gallery here: http://olmonitor.com/gallery/

OL Monitor Installation

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We have received our software and are in the process of installation. Currently, we are on Misys 5.4.2.21 and utilize Citrix. I am guessing SmarTerm (we have ver 12.1) will need to be loaded as a fat client on the PC we will be using for OL Monitor. I looked on the CD for specific installation instructions, but did not find any documents.
I downloaded the manual from the web, but it doesn’t really state the PC requirements. I also noticed that you have a lot of notes about enhancements and bug fixes. Since our CD was mailed on 7/6, what is the cutoff date for what we will find in the program we purchased?
Any recommendations for installation that you can make will help.

Yes you will need Smarterm version 11 or above installed as a fat client on the pc that will run OlMonitor. OlMonitor needs to launch and control a local installation of Smarterm to work.
When you run OlMonitor you can click help and access the help file or reach the online documentation.
The pc requirements are modest, but are mentioned on the requirements page: http://www.olmonitor.com/requirements.html
As for enhancements and bug fixes, there is no cutoff date. The program will continuously be updated until the next version (2.0) is reached, the current version is 1.27. You can always find the latest version of OlMonitor at:
http://www.olmonitor.com/Ol_MonitorVIM.zip
Secondary link:
ftp://ftp.olmonitor.com/Ol_MonitorVIM.zip

This latest version includes an auto-updating function to make it easier to update your installation. However, if you already have an installation running and configured, I still recommend testing any new versions on another pc before installing to the pc you have in use.

Briefly to install OlMonitor:
1. Make sure Smarterm is installed first.
2. Install OlMonitor using the setup program
3. Find out what the Misys server ip is for logging into Misys using the VT420 (roll-and-scroll) protocol. The Misys gui is not used so all you should need is a tcpip address to connect.
4. Run OlMonitor and go into the options screen.
5. Have the online documentation at hand while you setup the options. The options under the Misc tab are the most vital, and they will be highlighted in yellow the first time you setup the program.
6. It is not really necessary to setup the turnaround times, filters, or sorts at this time. Just get the login information and IP setup.
7. Click OK to save your changes. As the countdown gets to 0 the program will automatically start Smarterm, login with the username and password you provided, and pull the outstanding log.
8. After you get some data on your screen you will have a much better idea of what you need to do to filter down to only the data you want to see.