DTS Editor FAQs
Get quick answers to common questions about all things DTS
Your Questions Answered:
Whether you’re getting started with Apelon’s terminology services or exploring the full capabilities of DTS, our FAQ section is here to help.
What's New in DTS 4.8?
In this release of DTS, we expanded our list of supported environments as well as resolved a variety of miscellaneous and minor bugs.
There are many changes to our supported environments with the release of DTS 4.8. DTS 4.8 introduces support for Windows Server 2019. Windows 2012 R2 Server will reach end of support from Microsoft on October 10th, 2023, and as a result DTS 4 versions will not officially support it in the future.
DTS 4.8 introduces support for MySQL 8 Database and Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Database. DTS 4.8 is the last version that will support Oracle 12c and MySQL 5.6 database. As a note: This will be the last DTS release that will support an Oracle Database.
DTS 4.8 introduces support for JBoss EAP 7.4 and WildFly 23 Application Servers and will be the last version that will support JBoss EAP 7.1 and WildFly 12 Application Servers. This new version of DTS does not require a keystore for DTS 4 Editor connections to JBoss EAP or WildFly. Also, DTS 4.8 will be the last version that will support GlassFish
One enhancement made was the upgrading of Log4j to version 2.19.0. In addition to several bug fixes, this version sees a TQL Editor issue resolved where Namespace and Subset export performance had been reduced from that of the previous version. Another issue for the Import Wizard was resolved where performing concept name updates on concepts in Local Ontylog namespaces resulted in the concepts incorrectly being changed from ‘Primitive’ to ‘Defined’.
In addition, several known issues from previous releases have also been addressed.
For more details about this release see the DTS 4.8 Release Notes on the DTS Documentation Page.
When will Apelon cease support for Oracle 12c?
DTS 4.8 will support Oracle12c, however, this will be the last DTS release that will support an Oracle Database.
If you are currently using this database and your organization requires assistance in planning your DTS migration, please reach out to Apelon Customer Support at support@apelon.com
When will Apelon cease support for MySQL 5.6?
DTS 4.8 will be the last DTS release that will support MySQL 5.6 database.
If you are currently using this database and your organization requires assistance in planning your DTS migration, please reach out to Apelon Customer Support at support@apelon.com
Does the DTS 4.8 Editor use a version of Log4j that is affected with Apache Log4j vulnerabilities?
No, the Log4j version has been upgraded to 2.19.0 in the DTS 4.8 release and will not be affected by Apache Log4j vulnerabilities.
The versions of Log4j that are affected by the vulnerability that is affecting Apache’s Log4j library are versions 2.0-beta9 to 2.14.1.
When will Apelon cease support for the Application Server GlassFish?
DTS 4.8 will be the last version that will support GlassFish.
If you are currently using this application server and your organization requires assistance in planning your DTS migration, please reach out to Apelon Customer Support at support@apelon.com
When will Apelon cease support for Windows 2012 R2 Server?
Windows 2012 R2 Server will reach end of support from Microsoft on October 10th, 2023 and as a result DTS 4 versions will not officially support it in the future.
When will Apelon cease support for WildFly 12 Application Server?
DTS 4.8 will be the last version that will support WildFly 12. DTS 4.8 introduces support for WildFly 23.
When will Apelon cease support for JBoss EAP 7.1 Application Server?
DTS 4.8 will be the last version that will support JBoss EAP 7.1. DTS 4.8 introduces support for JBoss EAP 7.4
Will I require a Keystore for DTS Editor Connections to JBoss EAP or WildFly for DTS 4.8?
No, This new version of DTS does not require a keystore for DTS 4 Editor connections to JBoss EAP or WildFly.
Does the Distribution Client support MySQL 8.0?
Yes, but you will need to install Distribution Client R41 (1.2.0.9).
The installation can be found on the DTS Software Page.
I'm searching in DTS using UMLS CUIs and the matching concept isn't returned?
In previous versions of subscription content, some UMLS CUIs contained trailing spaces, causing exact match searches to fail. While this issue has been corrected for future content, it is possible to return the correct results using wildcard searching.
If you are having trouble returning results using UMLS CUIs, please reach out to Apelon Customer Support at support@apelon.com.
I am experiencing issues with Validator or Kind IDs. Why?
There is a known issue with the Import Wizard plug-in in versions 4.7.1 and older that can cause Validator and Kind sequence ID issues resulting from Import Wizard Namespace imports. If you are experiencing an issue with Validators or Kinds IDs, please reach out to Apelon Customer Support at support@apelon.com.
This issue was resolved with the Import Wizard 4.7.2 Version.
Can DTS be run as a JBoss Service on RedHat based systems?
Yes, support for this functionality was introduced in DTS 4.01 and remains available. We have included improved instructions for running DTS as a service on Linux version Redhat Enterprise Linux 7 or 8.
What's FHIR® and how does DTS work with it?
Apelon is pleased to make available a version of DTS that implements HL7®’s Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®)Terminology Service (https://hl7-fhir.github.io/terminology-service.html).
DTS’s support for FHIR® now fully integrates all of the functionality of DTS 4 with a built in FHIR® Terminology Service implementation. The FHIR Terminology Service specification is continuously evolving, and Apelon remains committed to implementing its updates incrementally over time.
You can find the FHIR Terminology Guides on the DTS Documentation Page.
For more information on the supported FHIR® Terminology Service functionality please contact info@apelon.com
For FHIR® ValueSets in DTS, do I need to create the Subset, and Subset Version Attributes every time?
Technically, yes. Each FHIR ValueSet in DTS needs to be defined with the FHIR_Url, and FHIR_Id Subset and Subset Version Attributes (and any other FHIR related subset attribute types you wish to implement). However, you can use a Subset Profile to make this easier, rather than manually creating the attribute types every time.
For your convenience Apelon has provided a Subset Profile .xml which you can import into DTS using the Subset Profile Editor, and use every time you make a DTS Subset you intend to use as a FHIR ValueSet. You can download that xml file below:
My connection parameters won't save as default when I restart DTS, why?
If you’re running Windows 10, and DTS 4.4.1, you may be experiencing an issue saving your connection parameters as defaults, causing you to re-enter them every time you launch DTS. Apelon is aware of this permissions issue and will be addressing it in a future DTS release.
In the meantime you can get around this problem by manually setting the permissions on your Apelon DTS 4.4.1 directory, and subdirectories.
Granting the “Users” directory in windows with “Full Control” permissions will allow the DTS Editor application to write the new connection parameters you saved to the configuration file, and remember them across sessions.
If you require additional assistance or instructions on how to do this, please feel free to reach out to support@apelon.com and we can guide you through this process.
How can I optimize performance in DTS using the commercial version of GlassFish?
If you are using the commercial version of GlassFish provided by Oracle (not the Open Source Edition), this can be accomplished by increasing the allocation time for DTS to access the database.
From the GlassFish Administration Console, select “Performance Tuner” from the sidebar. Next to the “Allocation Time for Database Access” option, go to the dropdown menu and select “High ( >=20%)” .
Be sure to restart GlassFish to allow the changes to go into effect.
I am using GlassFish and Java 8, but GlassFish won't start, why?
Configuring GlassFish for use with Java 8 requires some additional configuration settings, found in the GlassFish setup portion of the DTS 4 Installation Guide (found on our Documentaiton Center). It’s important that these configuration settings are entered properly, and there are no leading, trailing, or intermediate spaces.
For Example:
The osgi.properties entry should be entered as:
jre-1.8=${jre-1.7}
and not
jre-1.8=$ {jre-1.7}
or
jre-1.8=${jre-1.7}
Follow the instructions in that documentation explicitly to avoid any issues with using Java 8 in your GlassFish/SQL Server 2016 enviornments.
Can I create my own Ontylog Namespace?
Yes! As of DTS 4.5, users can now fully model and classify a writable, local Ontylog namespace. With this function, it is possible to:
- Create associations, properties, qualifiers, kinds, roles, and validators for your own local Ontylog namespace
- Create Namespace Profiles supporting local Ontylog namespaces and Kinds
- Assign kinds to root concepts of your local Ontylog namespace
How do I author a Tree for a Thesaurus Namespace
How to Author a Tree for a Thesaurus Namespace
- Go to Tools > Attribute Types…
- Select the desired Thesaurus Namespace from the Namespace Dropdown.
- From the Association Type tab, select New.
- In the Name field, enter “Parent Of”.
- Select the Apply button.
- With the Thesaurus Namespace in the Details Panel, right click the “Version: Working” field and select Add Root.
- Drag the intended Root Concept into the Add Namespace Root window.
At this stage, the Root Concept should now be in the Tree Panel under the designated namespace.
To expand the tree, create a “Parent Of” association between the Root Concept and the intended child concept. Continue to create “Parent Of” associations in a hierarchical manner to expand the tree further.
How do I author a Tree for an Ontylog Namespace?
How to Author a Tree for an Ontylog Namespace
- Go to Tools > Attribute Types…
- Select the desired Ontylog Namespace from the Namespace Dropdown.
- Under the Namespaces tab, select the Kind tab.
- Select New.
- Enter a name for your Ontylog Kind and select Apply.
- With the Ontylog Namespace in the Details Panel, right click the “Version: Working” field and select Add Root.
- Drag the intended Root Concept into the Add Namespace Root window.
At this stage, the Root Concept should now be in the Tree Panel under the designated namespace.
To expand the tree, all concepts must be assigned a Kind by setting the Defining Concept for all concepts created, and then the namespace must be classified.
What is the Namespace Summary?
The Namespace Summary plug-in allows a user to see a report of Namespace statistics. It will show the number of Namespace Versions, Concepts, and Terms, as well as Attribute statistics. It also allows for the ability to show non-local Attribute statistics.
What is the Grid Editor?
The Grid Editor tool is a table-based batch-style editor for use within DTS. It allows for concurrent edits to multiple objects within your Namespace, and also includes features to copy and paste the table contents to your clipboard, or export the data in CSV format. This powerful new editing tool can greatly increase the efficiency with which users can maintain their DTS data.
You can find the DTS Grid Editor Guide on the DTS Documentation Page.
What is the Audit Report?
The new Audit Report tool allows a user to define specifications to run reports to receive an audit history for DTS Editor activity for a given namespace. The reporter can include history for all or specific Users, all or specific Concepts, include related Terms and Attributes, and define a date range for which to gather the history. Reports can be sorted by User or Date, and saved in order to run the report again in the future.
What is a Validator?
A validator is a tool used to define a set of parameters to restrict the input string for property and qualifier type values within a namespace. There are two types of Validator:
- The List Type, which allows users to define a picklist of options to choose from, OR…
- The Regex Type, which allows users to use a regular expression to define the restriction on the string input, like a date field, or alpha-numeric characters only.
Is there a DTS version for MAC?
DTS is supported for Windows and Linux environments. Mac users who wish to utilize DTS typically can do so by running DTS in an emulated enviornment such as Parallels, or some other virtual windows enviornment.
I noticed there are two .ear files available, which one do I deploy in my Application Server?
If your environment is running Oracle or MySQL you can deploy the .ear file located in the deployments folder for either JBoss or GlassFish.
However, SQL Server requires a specialized .ear file which we include within the directory:
<DTS Home>\server\<app server>\standalone\deployments\sqlserver
If your environment is running Microsoft SQL Server, be sure to deploy that dtsjboss.ear or dtsgf.ear file instead. Deploying the standard .ear file in SQL Server will allow you to connect and start the DTS Editor, but many of the functions (such as deleting local namespaces) will fail to run, resulting in errors in the app server log.
We continuously look for ways to make deployment easier and plan to address this in a future release.
What is the Module Manager?
The DTS Module Manager was introduced in DTS 4.2 Editor that enables the loading, updating, and removal of DTS Editor User Modules with minimal user intervention.
You can find the DTS Module Manager Guide on the DTS Documentation Page.
What is Publish/Subscribe?
The Namespace-specific Publish/Subscribe feature is a new feature in Apelon DTS 4.3!
It introduces the ability to send XML messages to either automated systems or key personnel. These events will now be able to be tracked through the DTS Publish/Subscribe system: Namespace Creation and Namespace Version Publication.
Subscribers can be configured to receive all messages, or only those associated with specific namespaces, and alerts for failed messages can also be configured. A description of this feature is given in the DTS Publish Subscribe documentation. DTS Administrator Users can access the Notifications Configuration panel from the DTS Editor Options menu.
You can find the DTS Publish/Subscribe Guide on the DTS Documentation Page.
What is the Layout Editor?
This is a new user side feature as of DTS 4.3!
The DTS Layout Editor, available from the Options menu, provides a flexible, easy-to-use GUI editor for DTS Editor Layouts. Like Namespace and Subset Profiles, User and System Layouts are now maintained on the server, not in client xml files, although xml import and export options are present in the Layout Editor for exchange. Both User and System Default Layouts are available. For a complete description of the Layout Editor, see the DTS Editor Module Guide and the DTS Layout Editor video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/ApelonInc.
Where can I find more information about DTS?
For a comprehensive set of documentation surrounding DTS, be sure to check out our DTS Documentation Page.
For sales and services information, contact our Sales and Services team.
How do I host my own Module Folder?
Instructions for hosting and managing a DTS Editor Module folder can be found in the Managing a DTS Editor Module Manager Facility Guide available on the DTS Documentation Page.
What is the User Manager?
The User Manager feature of the DTS Editor implements role-based access control of DTS Editor functions.
You can find the DTS User Manager Guide on the DTS Documentation Page.
What is the Graphic Viewer?
The Graphic Viewer Module is an alternate, graphics-based, Apelon KB browser component. It features customized attribute display and hierarchical (ancestor tree) visualizations.
What is the Import Wizard?
The Import Wizard DTS Editor plug-in, the standalone ImportWizard application, and the DTSImport batch file enable the importing of information into DTS Namespaces and DTS Subsets.
For Namespace import, data can be imported into either new or existing (populated) Namespaces; Thesaurus and Ontylog Extension Namespaces are supported. For Subset import, expression creation (from specified Concepts) and building are supported.
What input file formats are supported by the Import Wizard?
Import data can come from either delimited text files (such as those resulting from TermWorks mapping sessions), Excel files (.xls or .xlsx) or specially formatted XML files.
What is the Template Editor?
The DTS Template Editor Module provides facilities for the creation and execution of DTS Editor Templates: structured forms for the entry of DTS Concept and Term information.
A Template data entry panel gives an alternate, and more structured, way for Concepts/Terms and Concept/Term information to be created and edited compared to the existing DTS Editor Concept/Terms Detail panel.
The Template Editor Module contains a Template execution component for selecting and running Templates and a Template builder component for creating and editing the Templates which drive the form-based data entry. The builder component also supports the “publishing” of Templates as independent DTS Editor Modules.
What is the TQL Editor?
The DTS Terminology Query Language (TQL) is a language for expressing statements (queries) that manipulate or export information found in the DTS Knowledgebase.
TQL provides an alternative to direct API programming for more easily performing many common DTS maintenance, Q/A, and output tasks. The TQL Editor, available as both a DTS plug-in module and standalone application, permit the creation, editing, saving and interactive execution of TQL queries.
A TQL class is also available for execution of queries from batch files and Java applications.
You can find the DTS TQL User’s Editor Guide on the DTS Documentation Page.
Is there a Quick Reference for TQL?
The TQL Reference Guide in the distribution kit is a quick reference for TQL syntax formatted as a concise double-sided “trifold”.
Where do I find programming information on TQL?
A description of calling the TQL class from user applications can be found in the TQL User’s Guide. Javadoc for the TQL class is available in the distribution kit.
What is pSearch?
The DTS pSearch Module offers an alternate search panel that implements progressive (type-ahead) search for DTS Concepts and Terms.
What is the Export Module?
The DTS Export Module supports printing and exporting of DTS Concept data. Concepts, Namespaces and Subsets to be exported are simply dragged from other DTS Editor panels and dropped into the Export Module’s floating panel.
The Export Module satisfies many simple export requirements. For more sophisticated exports, including programmatic operation, see the TQL (Terminology Query Language) Editor Module.
What export file formats are supported by the Export Module?
Exporting to delimited-text and Excel files are supported.
What is the Import Module?
The DTS Import Module provides a way to “package” multiple Import Wizard load operations to accommodate more complex importing procedures. These packages, called Actions can then be easily executed using a simplified Import Module GUI.
Do I need to have the Import Wizard to run the Import Module?
Yes, the Import Module relies on many Import Wizard capabilities.