data-retriever 1.3

The package to retrieve data from ETL-built databases. Part of the BETTER project.

I-ETL

The ETL algorithm creates interoperable databases for the BETTER project. It relies on MongoDB to store the data and reads a .env file for the configuration. The code is written in Python and encapsulated in a Docker.

1. Requirements

• Docker Desktop is installed on the host machine.
• All input files are in the same folder on your machine, and they have the exact same name as specified in the metadata.
  • Specifically for VCF data:
    • You can group them in a sub-folder (or not).
    • If you grouped them in a folder, e.g., named vcf-folder, please provide vcf-folder/*.vcf for the data files in the .env file.
    • If you did not group them, please provide *.vcf for the data files in the .env file.
    • The VCF files should be named with the patient ID (exactly and only the patient ID used the other data).
• In your data files: variables are columns, patients are rows and patient have identifiers (which will be further anonymized by I-ETL).
• The column name for the patient ID, respectively the sample ID, is the same for all the files used to build the database.

2. Use I-ETL to create an interoperable database with your data

1. Get the image of the I-ETL:

• Either download the TAR image available in the repository (recommended)
  • Go to the deployment artifacts page: https://git.rwth-aachen.de/padme-development/external/better/data-cataloging/etl/-/artifacts
  • Click on the "folder" icon of the latest valid build (the most recent one with a green ☑)
  • Download the TAR archive named the-ietl-image.tar (be sure to download a .tar, not a .zip)
• Or build it from the repository (not recommended, see section "For developers")

2. Download the comose.yaml file, available in the repository (https://git.rwth-aachen.de/padme-development/external/better/data-cataloging/etl/-/blob/main/compose.yaml?ref_type=heads)
3. Download the settings file .env file, available in the repository (https://git.rwth-aachen.de/padme-development/external/better/data-cataloging/etl/-/blob/main/.env?ref_type=heads)
4. Download your metadata file in the Better Drive: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/folders/1J-3C2g06WbC1gUE_3KaDp3_v1uKHXxFV

• ES-HSJD-variables.xlsx for SJD hospital
• IT-BUZZI-variables.xlsx for BUZZI hospital in use-case 1
• RS-IMGGE-variables.xlsx for IMGGE hospital
• UC2-variables.xlsx for LAFE and HMC hospitals
• UC3-variables-02-04-2025.xlsx for TERRASSA, UKK and BUZZI hospitals

4. Create a folder, e.g., named better, with:

• The I-ETL Docker (TAR) image
• The .env file template
• The compose.yaml file
• The metadata file

5. In that folder, load the TAR image within the Docker: docker load < the-ietl-image.tar
6. In that folder, fill the .env file with your own settings (see Section 3)
7. In that folder, launch I-ETL by running the following commands:

• export CONTEXT_MODE=DEV
• export ETL_ENV_FILE_NAME=.env
• export ABSOLUTE_PATH_ENV_FILE=X where X is the absolute path to your .env file
• docker compose --env-file ${ABSOLUTE_PATH_ENV_FILE} up -d (-d stands for --daemon, meaning that I-ETL will run as a background process).

7. To check whether I-ETL has finished, you can run docker ps: if the-etl does not show in the list, this means that it is done.
8. To check the logs of the ETL, you have two options:

• If you have specified the parameter SERVER_FOLDER_LOG_ETL in your .env, you can look at the log files produced in the folder you specified in that parameter;
• Otherwise, use docker logs the-etl.

3. Parameters in the .env file

The .env file is a file to specify several parameters that I-ETL needs to run properly. This includes parameters about the database, the files to use, the language, etc.

The provided .env file is a template: you have to fill each parameter with your own value.

About input data (synthetic or real) given to the ETL

Parameter name	Description	Values	Example
SERVER_FOLDER_METADATA	The absolute path to the folder containing the metadata file.	A folder path	/home/better/data
METADATA	The metadata filename.	A filename	ES-HSJD-variables.xlsx
SERVER_FOLDER_DATA	The absolute path to the folder containing the datasets.	A folder path	/home/better/data
DATA_FILES	The list of comma-separated filenames.	Filename(s)	Baseline_Clinical_Table.xlsx,Genomic_Table.xlsx,vcf-folder/*.vcf

About the database

Parameter name	Description	Values	Example
HOSPITAL_NAME	The hospital name.	it_buzzi_uc1, rs_imgge, es_hsjd, it_buzzi_uc3, es_terrassa, de_ukk, es_lafe, il_hmc	any value in the list
DB_NAME	The database name.	better_database or any string without special character except _ (underscore). Please use better_database for any database created for the Better project.	better_database
DB_DROP	Whether to drop the database. WARNING: if True, this deletes the database before creating a new one: this action is NOT reversible!	False, True
SERVER_FOLDER_MONGODB	The absolute path to the folder in which MongoDB will store its databases.	A folder path	/home/mongodb-data

About the ETL

Parameter name	Description	Values	Example
SERVER_FOLDER_LOG_ETL	The absolute path to the folder in which I-ETL will write its log files.	A folder path	/home/better/logs
USE_LOCALE	The locale to be used for reading numerics and dates.	en_GB, en_US, es_ES, it_IT, sr_RS.	en_GB
COLUMNS_TO_REMOVE	The list of columns that are too sensitive, thus NOT included in the database.	[] (empty list), or a list with strings being the column names	[patient_address, date_of_birth]
RECORD_CARRIER_PATIENTS	For Buzzi hospital in use-case 1 only: whether to records carrier and diseased patients or only diseased ones.	False, True
PATIENT_ID	The name of the column in the data containing patient IDs	Any column name	Patient ID
SAMPLE_ID	The name of the column in the data containing sample IDs	(empty) if you do not have sample data, else a column name	sample_id

4. For developers

Build the Docker image

To be used when working with the I-ETL repository

1. Install Docker Desktop and open it
2. From the root of the project, run docker build . --tag ietl
3. If an error saying ERROR: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at XXX. Is the docker daemon running? occurs, Docker Desktop has not started.
4. If an error saying error getting credentials occurs while building, go to your Docker config file (probably ~/.docker/config.json) and remove the line credsStore. Then, save the file and build again the image.

Steps to deploy the Docker image within a center

To be used when deploying I-ETL within a center

1. Locally, build the Docker image: see above section
2. Locally, create a TAR image of I-ETL (only with the ETL, not with the mongo): docker save ietl > the-ietl-image.tar
3. Send that TAR image to the host machine, e.g., using scp the-ietl-image.tar "username@A.B.C.D:/somewhere/in/host/machine"
4. Send the env file to the host machine in the same folder as the TAR image, e.g., using scp .env "username@A.B.C.D:/somewhere/in/host/machine"
5. Send the compose file to the host machine in the same folder as the TAR image, e.g., using scp compose.yaml "username@A.B.C.D:/somewhere/in/host/machine
6. In the host machine, move to /somewhere/in/host/machine/ using cd /somewhere/in/host/machine
7. In the host machine, load the TAR image within the Docker of the host machine: docker load < the-ietl-image.tar
8. In the host machine, follow any above scenario, i.e., tune the .env file and run I-ETL