Test environments

Test environments

The Kanta client test service includes two test environments: the client test environment and the production image environment. When the client joins the client test service, they will be given access to the test environment and test IDs for use in the environment. The test environments in the client test service are not meant for training use.

Client test environment

The client test environment (CT environment) is a technical client test environment. Joining the client test environment means technical joining from the joining party's own test environment. The client test environment has the next development version from the production environment. It is primarily meant for independent testing in preparation of joint testing and for the completion of joint testing for information system suppliers and client organisations.

Change testing of functionalities that have already undergone joint testing is also carried out in the client test environment. The content produced into the client test environment must comply with the GDPR.

Production image environment

The production image environment (PI environment) of the Kanta client test service is a production-like test environment where information system suppliers and their client organisations can carry out independent testing against the Kanta Services. The production image environment has application versions corresponding to production. With the exception of the application versions, the production image environment corresponds to the client test environment.

Testing taking place in the production image environment is independent testing between the information system supplier and the client organisation. The production image environments in the Kanta Services are mainly meant for testing outside the joint testing. However, the production image environment can be used as part of the completion of joint testing by the decision of the Kanta Services if the development version of the client test service substantially differs from the production version.

Information system suppliers and healthcare organisations can use the production image environment to test any changes they have made in their patient information systems in the same kind of environment that is in production at the time of adopting the changes. The environment can also be used for testing the deployment of systems that have already been certified as well as different configurations, and for clarifying production errors. However, the production image environment is not meant for training use.

The service time, updates and maintenance outages of the Kanta client test service

The supported service time of the test environments is mainly between 8am and 4pm Monday to Friday. They are also available at other times, but there may be update and maintenance outages in the environment outside the actual service time. The maintenance window of the service is the first Thursday of the month. At that time, there may also be outages between 8am and 4pm. Software updates related to the test environments are carried out when necessary.

Organisations that have joined the environment will be notified of any service outages taking place at the notified service time and, where possible, also of other outages in the Kanta test services. Updates and maintenance outages are notified by email at least two days before the planned downtime. The contact details used in the notices are collected on the registration application for the client test service. If any contact details or contact persons have changed, they can be notified by email to yhteistestaus@kanta.fi.

Planned testing of fault situations in the Kanta client test service

The Kanta Services supports independent testing by system suppliers by providing an opportunity for planned testing of fault situations in the Kanta client test service.

The staging environments of Prescription and the Patient Data Repository will be disconnected programmatically between 12 noon and 3pm on the first Monday of each month. That is when information system suppliers can test the functioning of their own systems in relation to interruptions.

Please note that only the 900-series patient test IDs obtained from the Kanta Services can be used when carrying out testing in all test environments of the Kanta client test service, also in staging environments. It is strictly forbidden to use other than the 900-series IDs in the Kanta services test environment.

Requirements for the client’s test environments

It is possible to join the test environments of the Kanta client test service only from the information system supplier's or client organisation's own test environment. It is not possible to join the Kanta client test service from the production environment.

Separate systems that may be connected to the main system to undergo joint testing must have been integrated in the test environment at the latest at the stage when the system is registered for joint testing.  The version that will be taken into production is tested of the entity formed by the main and separate system. That way it can be ensured that the joint testing is correctly allocated. 

The information system supplier must ensure for its own part that its client organisations are aware of and comply with the testing procedures for the Kanta Services in test environments maintained by the Kanta Services.

Sandbox environments in Kanta PHR

The page aimed at Kanta PHR application developers tells about the sandbox environments available to application developers and about their deployment (in English only).

Archivist’s interface

The Archivist’s Interface is an online user interface, providing a view to the controller's data in the Patient Data Repository and the archive of client data archive for social welfare services. As a rule, archivists have a right to process the data in the registers of their own organisation, including:

  • patient and client documents produced in the controller’s own operations after joining the archive
  • documents archived in the controller’s register by another service provider in an outsourcing situation
  • data archived in the controller’s register with the aid of the Archiving of Old Data service.

The main purpose of the Archivist’s interface is to help in the clarification of errors. In the interface, it is possible to retrieve, examine and compare documents and their metadata.

Furthermore, it is possible to invalidate all document types that can be examined in the Archivist’s interface when there are no other means to rectify incorrect data. Functions carried out in the interface are logged at the person level.

Access to the Archivist’s interface in the client test service can be requested from kanta@kanta.fi. The following must be stated in the message:

  • number of the test professional card
  • with respect to public healthcare, the test controller for which the test professional card is authorised
  • with respect to private healthcare, the test organisation for which the test professional grant is authorised.
Last updated 30.8.2021