dcmrecv - Man Page

  -h    --help
          print this help text and exit

        --version
          print version information and exit

        --arguments
          print expanded command line arguments

  -q    --quiet
          quiet mode, print no warnings and errors

  -v    --verbose
          verbose mode, print processing details

  -d    --debug
          debug mode, print debug information

  -ll   --log-level  [l]evel: string constant
          (fatal, error, warn, info, debug, trace)
          use level l for the logger

  -lc   --log-config  [f]ilename: string
          use config file f for the logger

  +v    --verbose-pc
          show presentation contexts in verbose mode

association negotiation profile from configuration file:

  -xf   --config-file  [f]ilename, [p]rofile: string
          use profile p from configuration file f

application entity title:

  -aet  --aetitle  [a]etitle: string
          set my AE title (default: DCMRECV)

  -uca  --use-called-aetitle
          always respond with called AE title

other network options:

  -ta   --acse-timeout  [s]econds: integer (default: 30)
          timeout for ACSE messages

  -td   --dimse-timeout  [s]econds: integer (default: unlimited)
          timeout for DIMSE messages

  -pdu  --max-pdu  [n]umber of bytes: integer (4096..131072)
          set max receive pdu to n bytes (default: 16384)

  -dhl  --disable-host-lookup  disable hostname lookup

transport protocol stack:

  -tls  --disable-tls
          use normal TCP/IP connection (default)

  +tls  --enable-tls  [p]rivate key file, [c]ertificate file: string
          use authenticated secure TLS connection

private key password (only with --enable-tls):

  +ps   --std-passwd
          prompt user to type password on stdin (default)

  +pw   --use-passwd  [p]assword: string
          use specified password

  -pw   --null-passwd
          use empty string as password

key and certificate file format:

  -pem  --pem-keys
          read keys and certificates as PEM file (default)

  -der  --der-keys
          read keys and certificates as DER file

certification authority:

  +cf   --add-cert-file  [f]ilename: string
          add certificate file to list of certificates

  +cd   --add-cert-dir  [d]irectory: string
          add certificates in d to list of certificates

  +crl  --add-crl-file  [f]ilename: string
          add certificate revocation list file
          (implies --enable-crl-vfy)

  +crv  --enable-crl-vfy
          enable leaf CRL verification

  +cra  --enable-crl-all
          enable full chain CRL verification

security profile:

  +py   --profile-bcp195-nd
          Non-downgrading BCP 195 TLS Profile (default)

  +px   --profile-bcp195
          BCP 195 TLS Profile

  +pz   --profile-bcp195-ex
          Extended BCP 195 TLS Profile

  +pb   --profile-basic
          Basic TLS Secure Transport Connection Profile (retired)

  +pa   --profile-aes
          AES TLS Secure Transport Connection Profile (retired)

  +pn   --profile-null
          Authenticated unencrypted communication
          (retired, was used in IHE ATNA)

ciphersuite:

  +cc   --list-ciphers
          show list of supported TLS ciphersuites and exit

  +cs   --cipher  [c]iphersuite name: string
          add ciphersuite to list of negotiated suites

  +dp   --dhparam  [f]ilename: string
          read DH parameters for DH/DSS ciphersuites

pseudo random generator:

  +rs   --seed  [f]ilename: string
          seed random generator with contents of f

  +ws   --write-seed
          write back modified seed (only with --seed)

  +wf   --write-seed-file  [f]ilename: string (only with --seed)
          write modified seed to file f

peer authentication:

  -rc   --require-peer-cert
          verify peer certificate, fail if absent (default)

  -vc   --verify-peer-cert
          verify peer certificate if present

  -ic   --ignore-peer-cert
          don't verify peer certificate

general:

  -od   --output-directory  [d]irectory: string (default: ".")
          write received objects to existing directory d

subdirectory generation:

  -s    --no-subdir
          do not generate any subdirectories (default)

  +ssd  --series-date-subdir
          generate subdirectories from series date

filename generation:

  +fd   --default-filenames
          generate filename from instance UID (default)

  +fu   --unique-filenames
          generate unique filename based on new UID

  +fsu  --short-unique-names
          generate short pseudo-random unique filename

  +fst  --system-time-names
          generate filename from current system time

  -fe   --filename-extension  [e]xtension: string (default: none)
          append e to all generated filenames

storage mode:

  -B    --normal
          allow implicit format conversions (default)

  +B    --bit-preserving
          write dataset exactly as received

        --ignore
          ignore dataset, receive but do not store it

A typical use case of dcmrecv is to receive SOP instances that are sent from a storage SCU and save them as DICOM files. The following command does exactly this:

dcmrecv --verbose <port> --config-file storescp.cfg default

If you prefer some automatically created subdirectory structure, shorter file names and the extension '.dcm' for all DICOM files, use the following command:

dcmrecv -v -xf storescp.cfg default <port> --series-date-subdir
                                           --short-unique-names
                                           --filename-extension .dcm

In case of very large SOP instances or if the dataset should be written exactly as received (e.g. for debugging purposes), the 'bit preserving mode' could be used:

dcmrecv -v -xf storescp.cfg default <port> --bit-preserving

The received datasets are always stored as DICOM files with the same Transfer Syntax as used for the network transmission.

Basically, the dcmrecv application supports all Storage SOP Classes as an SCP, including private ones. This requires, however, that a corresponding association negotiation profile is loaded from a configuration file. The format and semantics of this configuration file are documented in asconfig.txt.

By default, that means if no association negotiation profile is loaded, dcmrecv only supports the Verification SOP Class as an SCP (with default transfer syntax, i.e. Implicit VR Litte Endian).

In the future, there might be additional options that allow for specifying the list of supported Presentation Contexts (i.e. combination of SOP Class and Transfer Syntaxes) directly, i.e. without loading a configuration file.

The option --series-date-subdir allows for generating subdirectories (below the specified output directory) based on the value of the data element Series Date (0008,0021) from the received DICOM dataset. If this value could be retrieved from the dataset and is valid (i.e. consists of a valid DICOM date field), the subdirectory structure is as follows:

<output-directory>/data/<year>/<month>/<day>/<filename>

If the Series Date (0008,0021) cannot be retrieved or is invalid, the current system date is used for the following subdirectory structure:

<output-directory>/undef/<year><month><day>/<filename>

In both cases, <year> consists of 4 decimal digits and <month> as well as <day> of 2 decimal digits.

By default, the filenames for storing the received DICOM datasets are generated according to the following scheme:

<short-modality-prefix>.<sop-instance-uid><filename-extension>

If the same SOP instance is received twice, a warning message is reported and the existing file is overwritten.

The option --unique-filenames makes sure that each received DICOM dataset is stored as a separate file, i.e. no files should ever be overwritten. This is done by using a newly created unique identifier (UID) for each generated filename (and the infix '.X' in order to avoid conflicts with real SOP Instance UID values). The naming scheme for this option is as follows:

<short-modality-prefix>.X.<unique-identifier><filename-extension>

When option --short-unique-names is used, the filenames are generated by some pseudo-random name generator, which also makes sure that there are no conflicts (i.e. existing files are not overwritten). This is the naming scheme:

<short-modality-prefix>_<pseudo-random-name><filename-extension>

With <pseudo-random-name> consisting of 16 digits in hexadecimal notation.

Finally, option --system-time-names allows for generating filenames based on the current system time:

<date><time>.<short-modality-prefix><filename-extension>

With <date> consisting of '<year><month><day>' and <time> of '<hour><minute><second>.<micro-second>'. Please note that this scheme could result in naming conflicts if the resolution of the system time is not sufficiently high (i.e. does not support microseconds).

Please note that option --bit-preserving cannot be used together with option --series-date-subdir since the received dataset is stored directly to file and the value of the Series Date (0008,0021) is, therefore, not available before the file has been created.

EXITCODE_NO_ERROR                         0
EXITCODE_COMMANDLINE_SYNTAX_ERROR         1

EXITCODE_CANNOT_READ_INPUT_FILE          20 (*)

EXITCODE_CANNOT_WRITE_OUTPUT_FILE        40 (*)
EXITCODE_INVALID_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY        45

EXITCODE_CANNOT_INITIALIZE_NETWORK       60 (*)
EXITCODE_CANNOT_START_SCP_AND_LISTEN     64
EXITCODE_INVALID_ASSOCIATION_CONFIG      66
EXITCODE_CANNOT_CREATE_TRANSPORT_LAYER   71

(*) Actually, these codes are currently not used by dcmrecv but serve as a placeholder for the corresponding group of exit codes.