VA Informatics &

Computing

Infrastructure

The VINCI Program

An Introduction to Services, Tools, and Sources of Information

Lanny Derby and Tim Trautman

VA Salt Lake City

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About VINCI

 VINCI is a secure, high performance 

computing environment where Researchers 

can access software, tools, and data

 Background

 Same research methods researchers typically 

use except they are conducted in a window 

to a secure server farm.

 FREE service to Researchers - Not mandatory!

 Partnership between HSR&D, OI&T, and VHA 

ORD 

HSR&D Cyber Seminar 09/22/2011
What VINCI IS & IS Not

 IS

 Computing Workspace (CPU, RAM, storage)

 Facilitation of Approval for Data Access

 Materializing & Hosting Data sets

 Software (commercial and custom)

 IS NOT

 Data custodian (does not own data)

 VINCI does not do data analysis for you

 Software provider outside of VINCI Workspace 

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VINCI Infrastructure

 500+ TB Storage Area Network

 70+ Servers

 Many servers are 64 core

 Windows Server 2008R2 64-bit OS

 Key servers have 2TB RAM

 SAS and Database TEMP spaces utilize FUSiON-iO

solid-state memory storage

 VINCI datacenter network uses InfiniBand high-speed 

networks

 Processes running within the VINCI environment are 

not affected by VA Intranet traffic

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HP ProLiant DL980 
VINCI Products & Services

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 Products – tools for research

 Data; SAS Grid; Collaboration Site; VINCI 

Workspace; Software; Custom Software 

 Services – info & VINCI business processes

 VINCI Central; Study Registration; Software 

Needs Assessment; Data Needs Assessment; 

Data Access Request Tracker (DART); Data 

Services

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VINCI Central

 Outside the Gateway (http://vaww.vinci.med.va.gov)

 Service utilities that support VINCI users in 

business processes required to use the 

VINCI Workspace

 Documentation on VINCI and how to use 

VINCI

 Access VINCI Workspace

 Access Collaboration Sites

 Announcements

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VINCI Central

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VINCI Workspace

8 

VA Network

AITC

VINCI

1. VPN

2. RDC

RDC

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VINCI Workspace

 Behind the Gateway

 Supporting a study through the entire 

project including exporting study artifacts 

 Access to

 Software Tools

 Data 

 SAS Grid

 VINCI File Transfer Utility

 H-drive / P-drive folders

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Data Storage Options

 H-Drive

 2 GB limit

 Intended for personal file storage only

 Specifically NOT for storing study data

 P-Drive Project Folders

 Intended for storage of shared project files

 Access is controlled and limited to study staff

 Specifically intended for study data storage

 Databases

 Microsoft SQL server by default

 Can provide MySQL when necessary

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Software

 Over 50 programs available

 Commercial, Open Source, Freeware, Shareware, 

& Government programs

 Utility, Productivity, Programming, & Analysis

 Custom Software

 V3NLP

 V3NLP Interface

 V3NLP Modules

 V3NLP Framework

 Annotation

 Knowtator, eHOST

 Annotation Admin

 Chart Reader

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Data

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 Partnership with Corporate Data Warehouse 

(CDW) to host National-level data: 30 domains 

and growing

 CDW - Appointment, Consult, Demographics, Health Factor, 

Immunization, Lab Chemistry, Mental Health, Outpatient 

Encounters, Outpatient Pharmacy, PCMM, and Vital Sign

 VINCI - Allergies, Administrative data, ECHO, EDIS, Equipment 

Inventory, Fee Basis, Non-VA Meds, Prosthetics, Inpatient (PTF), 

Radiology, Surgery, and TIU, Vital Status (except for 8 sites)

 We can help get access to other VA data sets

 Bring in your own data!

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SAS Grid Computing

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 Dedicated 80 node grid with enormous 

capacity and processing power to support 

large, complex processes

 2 Dedicated SAS Engineers

 Improving process performance

 9 SAS modules

 Enhanced Statistical Package; Graph; 

Econometrics and time series; Operations 

research; Matrix language; Quality control; 

Connect; Access; and Enterprise miner

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VINCI File Transfer Utility

 Workspace utility for copying files out

 Files copied for auditing purposes

 Audit Process

 Copies of transferred files are archived 

 Copied files are audited for for PHI, PII, and SI

 Can transfer out

 Aggregate data

 Documents - papers, analysis, presentations

 Cannot transfer identifiable data out

 Never any PHI, PII, or SI; even if you brought 

it in and own it

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VINCI Process

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Study Registration

 Available from VINCI Central

 For collecting information to support your 

project

 For creating a Study Collaboration Site

 For setting up initial site users

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Collaboration Site

 Designed by Researchers for Researchers

 Access to study-specific DART and 

Software Needs Assessment applications

 Facilitate communication

 Announcements & Calendar

 Team Discussion & Team Tasks

 Information

 Links to resources and user guides

 Manage Documentation

 Document repository

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Collaboration Site

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Software Needs Assessment

 Specify who needs what software in the 

VINCI Workspace

 Fulfillment tracking

 Software acquisition

 VINCI is funded to buy software but VA process 

is slow

 License management

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Data Needs Assessment

 Manual process for working with VINCI 

Data Managers to determine data needs

 Data Manager helps you understand and 

select from the various data sources

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Data Access Request Tracker (DART)

 Application for obtaining data access

approvals, not the data itself

 Select data sources and DART tells you 

what documents are required

 Upload documents to DART

 It distributes documents to 

approvers

 Facilitates communications

 Facilitates tracking

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Support

 VINCI Central 

 Support page

 Tier 1 - CDCO National Service Desk in Austin

 Available 24/7/365

 (888) 326-6780 or cdco-nsd@va.gov

 Tier 2 – VINCI Service Desk

 VINCI Staff

 Normal working hours

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Data Services

 Data Managers for VINCI & CDW

 Data extractions

 Data transformations

 Data views

 Help with accessing datasets using various 

analytical tools

 Help understanding the data

 Data profile information

 Metadata information

 Does not do data analysis for you

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Resources 

 VINCI Central

http://vaww.vinci.med.va.gov

 VINCI Quick Start Guide

 Contact VINCI@va.gov

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Before VINCI After VINCI
Survey

 How is the computer you use connected to the VA Network?

 GFE computer connected directly to the network 

 GFE Laptop via VPN 

 Non-GFE computer connected via VPN

 What operating system does your computer you use?

 Windows XP 

 Windows Vista 

 Windows 7 

 Mac OSX 

 Linux

 If you connect over VPN, what VPN client do you use?

 Rescue GFE

 Rescue OE

 Citrix Access Gateway (CAG) 

 One-VA VPN 

 AnyConnect

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Survey

 If you have an FTP client installed on your computer for transferring files, what is it?

 CoreFTP 

 FileZilla 

 Other (please specify)

 Do you use a virtual machine to connect to the VA network from your computer?

 Yes 

 No

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