Stream: implementers
Topic: Server need to keep old copies of a resource
Brian Reinhold (Jul 17 2017 at 20:11):
If I update a resource, is the old version instance of that resource still present on the server? If so, can I GET it?
Or does the update REPLACE the existing resource with the new content and the old resource is no longer obtainable.
Its not clear in the spec ... to much about version numbers and not actual content
Igor Sirkovich (Jul 17 2017 at 20:21):
This depends on the server implementation, but the FHIR-way is to keep all historical versions: http://www.hl7.org/fhir/STU3/http.html#history
Brian Reinhold (Jul 17 2017 at 20:27):
This depends on the server implementation, but the FHIR-way is to keep all historical versions: http://www.hl7.org/fhir/STU3/http.html#history
Igor, so following the FHIR way if I make 300 updates of a resource, all 300 resources exist on the server just as if I had done 300 creates. Is that correct? Just trying to understand what this sentence means
The principal reason a resource might be missing is that the resource was changed by some other channel rather than via the RESTful interface. If the entry.request.method is a PUT or a POST, the entry SHALL contain a resource.
Igor Sirkovich (Jul 17 2017 at 20:32):
Yes, I believe you would store all versions of the resource, though for update-intensive systems, rom the pragmatic architecture approach (and depending on your business requirements), you might to implement this differently.
Igor Sirkovich (Jul 17 2017 at 20:34):
"2.21.0.7 Support for Versions" says "Servers that support this API SHOULD provide full version support" - note that this is SHOULD rather than SHALL
Igor Sirkovich (Jul 17 2017 at 20:35):
Also, "However, many current operational systems do not do this, and cannot easily be re-engineered to do so... For this reason, servers are allowed to not provide versioning support and this API does not enforce that versioning is supported."
Brian Reinhold (Jul 17 2017 at 20:37):
Also, "However, many current operational systems do not do this, and cannot easily be re-engineered to do so... For this reason, servers are allowed to not provide versioning support and this API does not enforce that versioning is supported."
@Igor Sirkovich Thank you. That clarifies it.
Last updated: Apr 12 2022 at 19:14 UTC
