Flexible Documentation
This document is subject to expand and change over time based on poison center feedback. While we hope this provides a good starting point, the goal is to ensure we fine-tune all documentation to better suite your needs.
Please reach out directly to our team with suggestions and requests on documentation needs.
Overview #
This document will outline the process of implementing toxiCALL® 5. Several phases of implementation allow toxiCALL® 4 and 5 to run together. This approach minimizes the risk and impact of upgrading while allowing your staff an easy transition to the new features and capabilities.
Testing goals are also outlined below to assist you with determining which features and training are important prior to going live with toxiCALL® 5.
Quick Summary: #
- Setup the Testing SQL Server Environment
- Setup the Testing Workstation Environment
- Install and Configure toxiCALL® 4 and 5 for testing
- Update toxiCALL® 5 System Tables
- Perform Migration
- Perform toxiCALL® 5 Usability and Testing
- Perform Dual Migration Testing
Seamless Integration Overview #
Getting Started #
The first step when upgrading to toxiCALL® 5 will be to setup a testing environment. This is important to ensure your existing toxiCALL® 4 data will be migrated properly. We also want to review any data fields you may be capturing which can be properly implemented into toxiCALL 5 such as Date of Birth (DOB) and Electronic Medical Record Number (EMR).
We recommend using a different SQL Server than your production server. This will help minimize the impact on your production database during testing. However, some clients may wish to use the same SQL Server, so it is important to ensure a testing copy of the toxiCALL® 4 database is used.
Preparing for the Migration #
When preparing for the migration, toxiCALL® 5 requires stricter password requirements and a username for login. If these are not updated prior to migration, the migration routine will automatically make adjustments and create a migration report so new users can be notified of their login requirements.
Password Requirements
Password must be at least 8 characters long, contain upper and lower case letters, number, and one of the characters: @ # $ % ^ & + = _ – .
Usernames will be automatically taken from the AutoLogin name when present. If the AutoLogin name from toxiCALL® 4 is absent, a username will automatically be created based on the SPIName.
toxiCALL® 5 now supports email addresses for a password reset. Since toxiCALL® 4 does not support an email address, this can be manually added after the migration.
Setup Testing Environment #
toxiCALL® 4 and 5 share a very similar architecture, which can be viewed by clicking here. The main difference is the addition is the option to implement toxiWEB®. The ideal testing environment will be similar to your existing production environment. toxiCALL® 5 specifications can be found by clicking here.
When creating your testing environment, ensuring enough disk space to contain the toxiCALL® 4 and 5 databases on the same SQL Server will be important. You may limit the number of cases and data migrated during initial testing.
Setup IIS (for toxiWEB®) #
This setup is not required if you have not added toxiWEB® to your toxiCALL® license. You are welcome to explore toxiWEB® by requesting access to our demo site to view the features and capabilities.
If you choose to setup toxiWEB® this will only require the IIS Server and toxiWEB® application installation/configuration. No additional migration steps will be required for toxiWEB®.
SQL Server Testing Environment #
We recommend using a separate SQL Server for your testing environment. However, this will be a choice by individual poison centers. toxiCALL® 5 has been tested on both SQL Enterprize and SQL Express. Most testing has been performed on SQL 2019.
The toxiCALL® 4 databases ToxiNet, and ToxiNetUser will be required for migration to toxiCALL® 5. These databases can be backed-up from production then restored on the testing server. It will be important that production is not used for your initial testing because toxiCALL® 5 will be writing to the toxiCALL® 4 database.
The toxiCALL® 5 database can be created directly from the toxiCALL® 5 application. Alternatively, your DBA can create the database, especially if a separate drive is required for the database and/or log files. We recommend the name of “ToxiNetWin” for the new toxiCALL® 5 database.
toxiCALL® 5 supports Windows Authentication. This is recommended to provide an additional layer of user DB access to the SQL Database.
SQL DB Recommendation
Please place both databases in Simple Recovery Mode. This will minimize the size of the log file and will greatly increase the migration speed. After bulk migration is complete, the databases can be returned to Full Recovery Mode.
If toxiCALL® 5 creates the new database, it will be placed in Simple Recovery Mode.
SQL User Rights
At least one user account will require full DBO rights to the database. This is required because toxiCALL® 5 updates will perform maintenance changes on the database. This can include adding new tables, adding indxes, and other database management features.
Database update checks are performed the first time a new version of toxiCALL® is started. It will be important to ensure the first upgrade is started with these elevated rights.
Minimal toxiCALL® user rights are not currently defined.
Testing Workstations #
The toxiCALL® 4 and 5 applications will point to the testing environment and file share. It will be important to ensure there is no confusion between the production and testing environments. While toxiCALL® 4 can be configured to point to other databases, this should be considered carefully.
toxiCALL® 5 makes it easy to point to multiple databases and change this during the login process. This can be considered as you move towards setting up a separate training database for users.
FORM Updates (System Tables) #
Before performing the migration, it is required that the toxiCALL® 5 database is configured and also pointing to the toxiCALL® 4 database.
After starting toxiCALL® 5, the System Tables must be updated by going to Tools–>Check System Tables. This will ensure you update with the latest system tables.
FORM Updates (System Tables)
toxiCALL® 5 System Tables is very similar to the system tables in toxiCALL® 4. However, there are several significant advantages.
- Significantly Faster
- It does not always require a toxiCALL® restart
- Brings functional updates to the toxiCALL® Application, including:
- Reports
- Dashboards
- Validation Rules
- Much More…
Case Migration #
The toxiCALL® 5 Migration tool is an additional component during the toxiCALL® 5 installation. This should only be installed on 1 computer. It will also be important to installed on a computer which can be left running to perform the Dual Migration to keep data consistent between toxiCALL® 4 and 5.
If desired, migration can be installed on the SQL Server to help optimize the migration time. This is not advised if the SQL Server is used to provide SQL Databases to other business groups in your organization as this could adversely affect performance for those users.
Click here for more information on Migration.
Migration Syncing
Migration Syncing currently requires a workstation to be logged in while running. Once we receive additional poison center feedback, this will be converted to run as a background operation like AutoUpload.
Configure Micromedex #
toxiCALL® 5 supports multiple data source lookups, including an internal product database. The most common lookup source for poison centers is Micromedex. toxiCALL® will allow you to configure both the Internet and Intranet versions of Micromedex as individual data sources.
Click here for more details on the Micromedex Data Source configuration.
Migration Synchronization #
Migration Synchronization is how toxiCALL® performs dual migration between toxiCALL® 4 and 5. This allows both databases to stay current with case information, helping to minimize the stress of migrating to a completely new platform. It also allows our team to fine-tune toxiCALL® 5 features while delaying the significant re-write of all the case reports and some functionality.
Synchronization must remain up and running for both databases to stay consistent. Case locking is also performed to ensure only one specialist manages a case at a time.
Click here for more details on the Migration Synchronization configuration.
Testing Goals #
Testing will be the process to determine when your poison center is ready to upgrade to toxiCALL® 5. Using the phased implementation, you will be able to determine a confidence level when moving production to each phase. Click here for an overview of toxiCALL® 5 screenshots from the 2024 NACCT meeting.
The first goals of testing will be: #
- Validation of testing environment
- Ensuring toxiCALL® and toxiWEB® are configured properly
- System Tables Updates
- Migration Testing
toxiCALL® 5 testing #
- Verify Case Entry Features Meet usability needs
- Verify Cases entered/changed remain consistent between toxiCALL® 4 and 5
- Verify User rights controls and limitation needs
User Training & Feedback #
- New Case List
- List Layout
- Sorting
- Filtering
- Filter Row
- Adding/Removing Data Elements
- New Case Entry
- New Notes Management
- New Lab Module
- New Survey Module
- New Search Ribbon Bar
- New Search Filters
- New Reports
- New Dashboards
Gap Analysis #
- Determine which features need adjustments
- Determine which features are missing
- Identify continued usage of toxiCALL® 4 features and new workflow requirements.
