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Version: 9.2.0

Synchronization

Pathling can be kept in sync with a source FHIR server that supports FHIR Bulk Data Export. This is useful when you want to use Pathling's analytics capabilities on data that originates from another system.

The $import-pnp operation fetches data directly from a bulk export endpoint. By running this operation on a schedule, you can keep Pathling synchronized with your source system.

Configuration​

Before setting up synchronization, configure Pathling with the authentication credentials for the source server. See the ping and pull configuration section.

Example configuration for a source server using SMART Backend Services authentication:

pathling:
    import:
        pnp:
            clientId: pathling-client
            tokenEndpoint: https://source-server.example.com/auth/token
            privateKeyJwk: '{"kty":"RSA","n":"...","e":"AQAB","d":"...","p":"...","q":"...","dp":"...","dq":"...","qi":"..."}'
            scope: system/*.read

Sync script​

The following script invokes the $import-pnp operation and waits for completion. Save it as sync.sh:

#!/bin/bash
set -euo pipefail

PATHLING_URL="${PATHLING_URL:-http://localhost:8080/fhir}"
SOURCE_EXPORT_URL="${SOURCE_EXPORT_URL:-https://source-server.example.com/fhir/\$export}"
SAVE_MODE="${SAVE_MODE:-merge}"
TIMEOUT="${TIMEOUT:-7200}"
# Optional: comma-separated list of resource types (e.g., "Patient,Observation")
RESOURCE_TYPES="${RESOURCE_TYPES:-}"
# Optional: ISO timestamp for incremental sync (e.g., "2025-01-01T00:00:00Z")
SINCE="${SINCE:-}"

# Build parameters array
PARAMS="[{\"name\": \"exportUrl\", \"valueUrl\": \"$SOURCE_EXPORT_URL\"}"
PARAMS="$PARAMS,{\"name\": \"saveMode\", \"valueCode\": \"$SAVE_MODE\"}"

# Add resource type filters
if [ -n "$RESOURCE_TYPES" ]; then
  IFS=',' read -ra TYPES <<< "$RESOURCE_TYPES"
  for TYPE in "${TYPES[@]}"; do
    PARAMS="$PARAMS,{\"name\": \"_type\", \"valueString\": \"$TYPE\"}"
  done
fi

# Add timestamp filter for incremental sync
if [ -n "$SINCE" ]; then
  PARAMS="$PARAMS,{\"name\": \"_since\", \"valueInstant\": \"$SINCE\"}"
fi

PARAMS="$PARAMS]"
REQUEST_BODY="{\"resourceType\": \"Parameters\", \"parameter\": $PARAMS}"

# Kick off the import
echo "Starting import from: $SOURCE_EXPORT_URL"
[ -n "$RESOURCE_TYPES" ] && echo "Resource types: $RESOURCE_TYPES"
[ -n "$SINCE" ] && echo "Since: $SINCE"

STATUS_URL=$(curl -s -D - -X POST "$PATHLING_URL/\$import-pnp" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/fhir+json" \
  -H "Accept: application/fhir+json" \
  -H "Prefer: respond-async" \
  -d "$REQUEST_BODY" | grep -i "Content-Location" | cut -d' ' -f2 | tr -d '\r')

if [ -z "$STATUS_URL" ]; then
  echo "Failed to start import: no Content-Location header"
  exit 1
fi

echo "Polling status: $STATUS_URL"

# Poll until complete
START_TIME=$(date +%s)
INTERVAL=5

while true; do
  ELAPSED=$(($(date +%s) - START_TIME))
  if [ $ELAPSED -gt $TIMEOUT ]; then
    echo "Timeout after ${TIMEOUT}s"
    exit 1
  fi

  HTTP_CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "$STATUS_URL" \
    -H "Accept: application/fhir+json")

  if [ "$HTTP_CODE" = "200" ]; then
    echo "Import complete"
    curl -s "$STATUS_URL" -H "Accept: application/fhir+json"
    exit 0
  elif [ "$HTTP_CODE" = "202" ]; then
    echo "In progress... (${ELAPSED}s elapsed)"
    sleep $INTERVAL
    # Exponential backoff up to 60s
    INTERVAL=$((INTERVAL < 60 ? INTERVAL * 3 / 2 : 60))
  else
    echo "Error: HTTP $HTTP_CODE"
    exit 1
  fi
done

Make the script executable:

chmod +x sync.sh

Test it manually:

PATHLING_URL=http://localhost:8080/fhir \
SOURCE_EXPORT_URL=https://source-server.example.com/fhir/\$export \
./sync.sh

Scheduling with cron​

On Linux or macOS, use cron to run the sync script on a schedule.

Edit your crontab:

crontab -e

Add an entry to run the sync daily at 2 AM:

0 2 * * * PATHLING_URL=http://localhost:8080/fhir SOURCE_EXPORT_URL=https://source-server.example.com/fhir/\$export /path/to/sync.sh >> /var/log/pathling-sync.log 2>&1

Scheduling with Kubernetes CronJob​

For Kubernetes deployments, use a CronJob to run the sync on a schedule.

apiVersion: batch/v1
kind: CronJob
metadata:
    name: pathling-sync
spec:
    schedule: "0 2 * * *" # Daily at 2 AM
    concurrencyPolicy: Forbid
    jobTemplate:
        spec:
            template:
                spec:
                    containers:
                        - name: sync
                          image: curlimages/curl:latest
                          env:
                              - name: PATHLING_URL
                                value: "http://pathling:8080/fhir"
                              - name: SOURCE_EXPORT_URL
                                value: "https://source-server.example.com/fhir/$export"
                              - name: SAVE_MODE
                                value: "merge"
                              # Optional: comma-separated resource types
                              - name: RESOURCE_TYPES
                                value: ""
                              # Optional: ISO timestamp for incremental sync
                              - name: SINCE
                                value: ""
                          command:
                              - /bin/sh
                              - -c
                              - |
                                  # Build parameters
                                  PARAMS="[{\"name\": \"exportUrl\", \"valueUrl\": \"$SOURCE_EXPORT_URL\"}"
                                  PARAMS="$PARAMS,{\"name\": \"saveMode\", \"valueCode\": \"$SAVE_MODE\"}"

                                  # Add resource type filters
                                  if [ -n "$RESOURCE_TYPES" ]; then
                                    for TYPE in $(echo "$RESOURCE_TYPES" | tr ',' ' '); do
                                      PARAMS="$PARAMS,{\"name\": \"_type\", \"valueString\": \"$TYPE\"}"
                                    done
                                  fi

                                  # Add timestamp filter
                                  if [ -n "$SINCE" ]; then
                                    PARAMS="$PARAMS,{\"name\": \"_since\", \"valueInstant\": \"$SINCE\"}"
                                  fi

                                  PARAMS="$PARAMS]"

                                  # Kick off import
                                  STATUS_URL=$(curl -s -D - -X POST "$PATHLING_URL/\$import-pnp" \
                                    -H "Content-Type: application/fhir+json" \
                                    -H "Accept: application/fhir+json" \
                                    -H "Prefer: respond-async" \
                                    -d "{\"resourceType\": \"Parameters\", \"parameter\": $PARAMS}" \
                                    | grep -i "Content-Location" | cut -d' ' -f2 | tr -d '\r')

                                  echo "Polling: $STATUS_URL"

                                  # Poll until complete (timeout 2 hours)
                                  for i in $(seq 1 240); do
                                    CODE=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" "$STATUS_URL")
                                    if [ "$CODE" = "200" ]; then
                                      echo "Complete"
                                      exit 0
                                    fi
                                    sleep 30
                                  done
                                  echo "Timeout"
                                  exit 1
                    restartPolicy: OnFailure

Considerations​

Save mode​

Choose the appropriate save mode for your use case:

  • merge — Best for incremental sync. Updates existing resources and adds new ones. Use with _since parameter for efficient incremental updates.
  • overwrite — Best for full replacement. Deletes all existing data of each type before importing. Ensures exact mirror of source system.

Sync frequency​

Consider these factors when choosing sync frequency:

  • Data freshness requirements — How current does the data need to be?
  • Source system load — Bulk exports can be resource-intensive
  • Data volume — Larger datasets take longer to export and import
  • Network bandwidth — Consider the time to transfer data

For most analytics use cases, daily or hourly sync is sufficient.

Incremental sync​

For large datasets, use incremental sync to reduce load. The $import-pnp operation supports passing bulk export parameters directly, including _since for timestamp filtering and _type for resource type filtering.

Set the SINCE environment variable to export only resources modified after a specific timestamp:

SINCE="2025-01-01T00:00:00Z" ./sync.sh

You can also filter by resource type using the RESOURCE_TYPES variable:

RESOURCE_TYPES="Patient,Observation,Condition" SINCE="2025-01-01T00:00:00Z" ./sync.sh

Track the last successful sync time and use it for the next _since parameter. The transactionTime in the import response provides a good value to use for subsequent syncs.

Error handling​

  • Retry logic — The CronJob's restartPolicy: OnFailure provides automatic retries
  • Monitoring — Set up alerts on job failures using your monitoring system
  • Logging — Ensure logs are captured for troubleshooting