Batch/Transaction

Do multiple operations in one call

Introduction

Transaction interaction allows for several interactions using one HTTP request. There are two types of transaction interaction (type is specified by field type): batch and transaction. The first one executes requests one by one, and the second one does the same but rolls back all changes if any request fails.

POST /fhir

The body of such a request contains one resource of type Bundle, which contains field entry with an array of interactions, for example:

POST /fhir
accept: application/json
content-type: application/json

{
  "type": "transaction",
  "entry": [
    {
      "resource": {},
      "request": {
        "method": "PUT",
        "url": "/Practitioner/pr1"
      }
    },
    {
      "request": {
        "method": "GET",
        "url": "/Patient"
      }
    },
    {
      "resource": {
        "id": "admin123",
        "email": "[e-mail]",
        "password": "password"
      },
      "request": {
        "method": "POST",
        "url": "/User"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Each element of the entry array contains a resource field (body of the request) and a request field (request line in terms of the HTTP request).

resource:
  # body here (if needed)
request:
  method: POST # POST/GET/PUT/PATCH/DELETE
  url: "/ResourceType" # request url
# needed if you want to refer the resource inside the bundle
fullUrl: "urn:uuid:<uuid | string>"

Using references

Sometimes, we may need to reference a resource within a bundle that has not yet been created. For this purpose, you can use the fullUrl field, available for each resource, which acts as a unique identifier at the bundle level (a logical reference).

You can then reference this identifier from another resource using a FHIR reference, e.g.,"reference": "urn:uuid:<uuid|string>". Those references are temporary (existing during bundle processing) and will be translated to valid FHIR references when the bundle is processed.

Processing rules

Differences from the FHIR transaction processing rules:

• Each entry is processed in the order provided in a bundle

• For type: batch references to resources inside a bundle won't be resolved.

• For type: transaction before processing interactions, all references in a resource will attempt to resolve. In this example, Patient will refer to a newly created Organization:

POST /fhir
accept: application/json
content-type: application/json

{
  "type": "transaction",
  "entry": [
    {
      "resource": {
        "resourceType": "Patient",
        "managingOrganization": {
          "reference": "urn:uuid:14121321-4af5-424c-a0e1-ed3aab1c349d"
        }
      },
      "request": {
        "method": "POST",
        "url": "/Patient"
      }
    },
    {
      "resource": {
        "resourceType": "Organization",
        "name": "org10"
      },
      "request": {
        "method": "POST",
        "url": "/Organization"
      },
      "fullUrl": "urn:uuid:14121321-4af5-424c-a0e1-ed3aab1c349d"
    }
  ]
}

Multiple resources with the same id

If you have multiple entries with the same resource id, Aidbox will execute them one by one and thus you can create a resource with a history within a single transaction:

POST /fhir
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "resourceType": "Bundle",
  "type": "transaction",
  "entry": [
    {
      "request": {
        "method": "PUT",
        "url": "/Patient/pt-1"
      },
      "resource": {
        "birthDate": "2021-01-01"
      }
    },
    {
      "request": {
        "method": "PUT",
        "url": "/Patient/pt-1"
      },
      "resource": {
        "birthDate": "2021-01-02"
      }
    },
    {
      "request": {
        "method": "PUT",
        "url": "/Patient/pt-1"
      },
      "resource": {
        "birthDate": "2021-01-03"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Response of GET /fhir/Patient/pt-1/_history:

{
  "resourceType": "Bundle",
  "type": "history",
  "total": 3,
  "entry": [
    {
      "resource": {
        "birthDate": "2021-01-03",
        "id": "pt-1",
        "resourceType": "Patient"
      }
    },
    {
      "resource": {
        "birthDate": "2021-01-02",
        "id": "pt-1",
        "resourceType": "Patient"
      }
    },
    {
      "resource": {
        "birthDate": "2021-01-01",
        "id": "pt-1",
        "resourceType": "Patient"
      }
    }
  ]
}

Change transaction isolation level

By default Aidbox uses SERIALIZABLE transaction isolation level. This may lead to some transactions being rejected when there are many concurrent requests.

See more about transaction isolation in Postgres documentation.

The best way to handle rejected transactions is to retry them. If it is not possible, you can set the maximum isolation level with the HTTP header or environment variable. If both the HTTP header and environment variable are provided, the header will be used.

Using an isolation level lower than serializable may lead to data serialization anomalies.

Example:

POST /fhir
x-max-isolation-level: read-committed
Accept: application/json
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "resourceType": "Bundle",
  "type": "transaction",
  "entry": [
    {
      "request": {
        "method": "PUT",
        "url": "/Patient/pt-1"
      },
      "resource": {
        "active": true
      }
    },
    {
      "request": {
        "method": "PUT",
        "url": "/Patient/pt-2"
      },
      "resource": {
        "active": false
      }
    }
  ]
}