Introduction

Here are a few tips about checking the deployed versions of report and dashboard components ClinSpark.

MD5 checksums as component versions

An MD5 checksum can be described as a ‘digital fingerprint’ of a computer file. ClinSpark generates an MD5 checksum (or hash) for each view, data (report), and data script template value defined for a given component. The MD5 therefore represents a ‘version’ of that configuration.

In releases prior to 23.3, the MD5 value is calculated and displayed to users in Base64 notation. This means the string value represented in the user interface and certain reports in 24 characters. Example:

hAbUG+4WQxAvUO9vNrC+Gg==

Starting in ClinSpark 23.3, the MD5 value is calculated and displayed as a full 32-character string. Example:

ba8ba555f89df839c4603be34b74b6c7

User Interface

View the Report in Administration > System Settings > Reports section. If you hover over the black View and Report icons, you will see the MD5 checksums for the respective scripts used to create the report.

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Configuration Report

This information is also visible in the exportable Configuration Report, which you may generate in Administration > General Settings.

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The Reports are the last section in this file. You can find the checksums in the “Report Hashes” column.

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Limitations

Certain script-based configuration items are often copied manually from one instance of ClinSpark to another as a mechanism of deployment for testing or promotion between environments. There does exist a small risk that white space and/or other invisible characters (line feeds / carriage returns etc.) may inadvertently be included if done so outside the browser windows. In versions prior to 23.3, this will affect the value of the checksum / hash and therefore it will not be possible to demonstrate maintenance of the configuration state.