About CipherStream

CipherStream is Centaur Software's proprietary enterprise bulk data extraction platform, designed for high-performance data extraction from cloud-hosted databases with intelligent processing optimisation.

Key Features

• 38 Specialised Data Endpoints: Complete coverage of Dental4Web data
• Intelligent Processing: Auto-switching between streaming (≤100K rows) and job processing (>100K rows)
• Enterprise Security: AES-256-GCM encryption, API key authentication, IP whitelisting
• Multiple Formats: JSON, NDJSON, CSV with optional GZIP/ZIP compression
• Real-time & Batch: Sub-second streaming for small datasets, S3-backed jobs for large datasets
• Webhook Integration: Real-time notifications for job completion

Authentication

API Key Types

Headers Required

 
Authorization: Bearer <your-api-key>
Content-Type: application/json

Execution Modes

CipherStream automatically determines the optimal processing method based on data volume:

Auto Mode (Recommended)

• ≤100K rows: Streaming response (immediate)
• >100K rows: Background job with S3 download
• >50MB estimated: Automatic job mode regardless of row count
• System decides: Based on current load and data characteristics

Stream Mode

• Force streaming: Real-time response for all requests
• Recommended limit: ≤100K rows for optimal performance
• Timeout: 30 seconds maximum
• Use case: Small datasets requiring immediate response

Job Mode

• Force background processing: All requests create jobs
• S3 storage: Secure file storage with presigned URLs
• Extended timeout: 180 seconds for large extractions
• Use case: Large datasets, scheduled extractions

Usage Examples

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "auto",
  "output_format": "ndjson",
  "compression": "gzip",
  "encrypted": true
}

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "job",
  "output_format": "csv",
  "compression": "zip",
  "encrypted": true
}

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "stream",
  "output_format": "ndjson",
  "compression": "gzip",
  "encrypted": true
}

Date Modifiers

Control which records are returned based on their creation and modification dates:

Available Options

• All (default): Returns all records within the date range regardless of creation/update dates
• Created: Returns only records created within the specified date range
• Updated: Returns only records updated within the specified date range

Usage Examples

 
{
  "date_modifier": "Created",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31"
}

Behavior by Procedure Type

• Reference Data: Date modifiers not applicable (always returns current data)
• Data Procedures: Uses ts_4_insert (Created) and ts_4_update (Updated) fields
• Special Procedures: Applies to underlying table timestamp fields

Output Formats

NDJSON (Default)

• Format: Newline-delimited JSON
• Structure: One JSON object per line
• Benefits: Streaming-friendly, memory efficient
• Use case: Large datasets, real-time processing

{"id": 1, "name": "John Doe", "date": "2024-01-01"}
{"id": 2, "name": "Jane Smith", "date": "2024-01-02"}
{"metadata": {"execution_time": 2.5, "record_count": 2}} 

JSON

• Format: Standard JSON array
• Structure: Array of objects with metadata
• Benefits: Standard format, easy parsing
• Use case: Small to medium datasets, standard integrations

 
{
  "data": [
    {"id": 1, "name": "John Doe", "date": "2024-01-01"},
    {"id": 2, "name": "Jane Smith", "date": "2024-01-02"}
  ],
  "metadata": {"execution_time": 2.5, "record_count": 2}
}

CSV

• Format: Comma-separated values
• Structure: Header row followed by data rows
• Benefits: Universal compatibility, Excel-friendly
• Use case: Reporting, data analysis, spreadsheet import

 
id,name,date
1,John Doe,2024-01-01
2,Jane Smith,2024-01-02

Usage Examples

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "auto",
  "output_format": "ndjson",
  "compression": "none",
  "encrypted": false
}

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "auto",
  "output_format": "json",
  "compression": "none",
  "encrypted": false
}

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "auto",
  "output_format": "csv",
  "compression": "none",
  "encrypted": false
}

Compression Options

None (Default)

• No compression: Raw output format
• Use case: Small datasets, immediate processing
• Available in: Streaming and Job modes

GZIP

• Compression ratio: 70-96% size reduction (tested)
• Format: .gz compressed files
• Smart threshold: Only compresses data >8KB for optimal performance
• Available in: Streaming mode and Job mode
• Use case: Large datasets, bandwidth optimisation
• HTTP Header: Content-Encoding: gzip

ZIP

• Compression ratio: 60-97% size reduction (tested)
• Format: .zip archive files with proper structure
• Smart threshold: Only compresses data >8KB for optimal performance
• Available in: Streaming mode and Job mode
• Use case: Multiple files, Windows compatibility
• HTTP Header: Content-Encoding: deflate
• Compression ratio: 70-90% size reduction
• Format: .gz compressed files
• Use case: Large datasets, bandwidth optimisation

Usage Examples

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "auto",
  "output_format": "ndjson",
  "compression": "gzip",
  "encrypted": false
}

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "auto",
  "output_format": "json",
  "compression": "zip",
  "encrypted": false
}

Security & Encryption

Data in Transit

• TLS 1.3: All API communications encrypted
• Certificate pinning: Enhanced security for production
• HSTS: HTTP Strict Transport Security enabled

Data at Rest

• AES-256-GCM: S3 bucket encryption for job results
• Presigned URLs: Time-limited access (12 hours)
• Automatic cleanup: Files removed after expiry

End-to-End Encryption

• AES-256-GCM: Customer-specific encryption keys
• Available in: Streaming mode and Job mode
• Chunk-based: Each data chunk encrypted individually
• Key rotation: Key rotation support
• Usage: Set "encrypted": true in request body
• Format: {"encrypted_data": "key_id:iv:ciphertext"}

Authentication

• Bearer tokens: API key-based authentication
• IP whitelisting: Optional IP restriction
• Rate limiting: Prevents abuse and ensures fair usage

Usage Examples

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "auto",
  "output_format": "ndjson",
  "compression": "none",
  "encrypted": true
}

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "auto",
  "output_format": "csv",
  "compression": "zip",
  "encrypted": false
}

Webhook System

Supported Events

• job.completed: Job finished successfully with download URL
• job.failed: Job encountered an error with details
• job.cancelled: Job was manually cancelled

Security Features

• HMAC-SHA256: Payload signature verification
• Automatic retries: Up to 3 attempts with exponential backoff
• Delivery tracking: Monitor success/failure rates
• Timeout handling: 30-second response timeout

Usage Examples

 
{
  "customer_id": "sandbox",
  "from_date": "2024-01-01",
  "to_date": "2024-12-31",
  "date_modifier": "All",
  "mode": "job",
  "output_format": "ndjson",
  "compression": "gzip",
  "encrypted": false,
  "webhook_url": "https://yourwebhook.com/9e7212ee-c41f-4aca-a8f5-c850357fd6a9"
}

Webhook Payload Example

 
{
  "event": "job.completed",
  "timestamp": "2024-09-26T10:02:15Z",
  "signature": "sha256=abc123...",
  "data": {
    "job_id": "appointments_1758630144658_c7511999",
    "customer_id": "your-customer-id",
    "status": "completed",
    "rows_processed": 45678,
    "execution_time_seconds": 64.75,
    "s3_url": "https://secure-download-url",
    "expires_at": "2024-09-26T22:02:15Z",
    "file_size_bytes": 2048576,
    "output_format": "ndjson",
    "compression": "gzip"
  }
}

Job Management Lifecycle

Job States

1. Queued: Job created and waiting for processing
2. Running: Data extraction in progress with real-time progress updates
3. Completed: Data available for download via S3 presigned URL
4. Failed: Error occurred during processing with detailed error information
5. Cancelled: Job manually cancelled by user or system timeout

Job Features

• Progress tracking: Real-time percentage completion (0-100%)
• Row counting: Live count of processed records
• Time estimation: Estimated completion time based on current progress
• Resource monitoring: Memory and CPU usage tracking
• Error handling: Detailed error messages and recovery suggestions

Download Management

• S3 presigned URLs: Secure, time-limited download links
• 12-hour expiry: URLs automatically expire for security
• Resume support: Partial download recovery for large files
• Bandwidth optimisation: CDN-accelerated downloads

Data Procedures Overview

Reference Data

• Always streamed: Immediate response (no job creation)
• 5-minute cache: Optimal performance for frequently accessed data
• No parameters required: Simple, consistent access pattern
• Small datasets: Typically <1000 records per procedure
• Use cases: Dropdown population, validation, system configuration

Data Procedures

• Intelligent mode selection: Auto streaming/job based on volume
• Date range filtering: Flexible from_date/to_date parameters
• Date modifier support: Created, Updated, or All records
• High-volume capable: Handles millions of records efficiently
• Use cases: Bulk data extraction, reporting, analytics

Special Procedures

• CALL syntax: Advanced stored procedure execution
• Direct table access: Extract from any accessible database table
• Extended timeout: 180-second timeout for large extractions
• Flexible parameters: Custom table names and date filtering
• Use cases: Custom extractions, ad-hoc queries, data migration

Performance Characteristics

Streaming Response

• Latency: <2 seconds for reference data
• Throughput: Up to 10,000 records/second
• Memory usage: Constant memory footprint
• Concurrent requests: Up to 10 simultaneous streams

Job Processing

• Throughput: Up to 100,000 records/second
• Scalability: Auto-scaling based on queue depth
• Resource allocation: Dedicated processing resources
• Monitoring: Real-time progress and performance metrics

Error Handling

HTTP Status Codes

• 200: Success - Data returned or job created
• 400: Bad Request - Invalid parameters or format
• 401: Unauthorized - Invalid or missing API key
• 403: Forbidden - Access denied or rate limited
• 404: Not Found - Endpoint or resource not found
• 429: Too Many Requests - Rate limit exceeded
• 500: Internal Server Error - System error occurred

Error Response Format

 
{
  "error": {
    "code": "INVALID_DATE_RANGE",
    "message": "The specified date range is invalid",
    "details": "from_date must be earlier than to_date",
    "timestamp": "2024-09-26T10:00:00Z",
    "request_id": "req_abc123"
  }
}

Environment URLs

• Production: https://cipherstream.centaur.software
• UAT: https://cipherstream-uat.centaur.software

Patient Management

Core patient data and analytics for comprehensive patient relationship management.

Characteristics:

• Patient demographics - Core patient information and contact details
• Patient analytics - Lifetime value and business intelligence
• Follow-up management - Recall scheduling and tracking

Use Cases:

• Patient management systems
• Contact information updates
• Demographics analysis
• Marketing and communication
• Patient retention analysis
• Follow-up scheduling

Scheduling & Appointments

Complete appointment management including scheduling, status tracking, and optimisation.

Characteristics:

• Core appointments - Main appointment records with intelligent processing
• Status management - Appointment statuses and types for workflow control
• Schedule optimisation - Cancellation tracking and waitlist management
• Communication - Reminder and notification systems

Use Cases:

• Appointment booking systems
• Schedule management
• Cancellation analysis
• Waitlist optimisation
• Patient communication
• Scheduling templates

Financial Management

Comprehensive financial data including transactions, payments, invoicing, and accounts receivable.

Characteristics:

• Core financials - Main financial transaction records
• Payment processing - Receipts, deposits, and payment allocations
• Billing management - Invoices and discount tracking
• Accounts receivable - Debtor management and outstanding balances
• Pricing structure - Fee schedules and payment types

Use Cases:

• Financial reporting and analysis
• Revenue tracking
• Accounting system integration
• Business intelligence dashboards
• Payment reconciliation
• Debt collection workflows

Clinical & Treatment

Clinical data management including completed treatments and treatment planning.

Characteristics:

• Treatment records - Completed procedures and clinical work
• Treatment planning - Proposed treatments and care plans
• Service catalogue - Available procedures and service items

Use Cases:

• Clinical reporting and analysis
• Treatment outcome tracking
• Care plan management
• Service utilisation analysis
• Clinical decision support
• Quality assurance

Business Operations

Business expense management and operational cost tracking.

Characteristics:

• Expense tracking - Business expense records with date filtering
• Expense categorisation - Expense categories for financial reporting

Use Cases:

• Expense tracking and reporting
• Budget analysis
• Tax preparation
• Cost centre reporting
• Financial planning
• Operational efficiency analysis

Practice Setup & Configuration

Practice management configuration including staff, locations, and system setup.

Characteristics:

• Staff management - Practitioners and users with role definitions
• Location management - Practice locations and facilities
• System configuration - User roles and access control
• External relationships - Health funds, third parties, and referral sources
• Recall management - Recall types and follow-up configurations

Use Cases:

• Practice setup and configuration
• Staff management systems
• Location and facility management
• User access control
• External partner integration
• Follow-up system configuration

Advanced Tools

Advanced data extraction capabilities for power users and custom requirements.

Characteristics:

• Direct table access - Extract from any accessible database table
• CALL syntax - Advanced stored procedure execution
• Extended timeout - 180-second timeout for large extractions
• Flexible parameters - Custom table names and date filtering

Use Cases:

• Custom data extractions
• Ad-hoc reporting requirements
• Data migration projects
• Specialised analytics queries
• Direct database access
• Custom integration needs

Job Management

Background job management for large data extractions and processing with comprehensive monitoring and control.

When Jobs Are Created:

• Large datasets: >100,000 rows automatically trigger job processing
• File size threshold: >50MB estimated output size
• Explicit job mode: User specifically requests job processing
• System load balancing: High system load triggers job queuing
• Complex queries: Resource-intensive extractions
• Scheduled extractions: Automated recurring data pulls

Job Lifecycle States:

1. Queued - Job created and waiting for available processing resources
2. Running - Data extraction in progress with real-time progress updates
3. Completed - Data successfully extracted and available for download via S3
4. Failed - Error occurred during processing with detailed error information
5. Cancelled - Job manually cancelled by user or system timeout

Job Processing Features:

• Real-time progress tracking - Live percentage completion (0-100%)
• Row count monitoring - Current number of processed records
• Time estimation - Estimated completion time based on current progress
• Resource allocation - Dedicated processing resources for optimal performance
• Error handling - Detailed error messages and recovery suggestions
• Automatic retries - Built-in retry logic for transient failures

Download Management:

• S3 secure storage - Enterprise-grade cloud storage with encryption
• Presigned URLs - Time-limited, secure download links
• 12-hour expiry - URLs automatically expire for security
• Resume support - Partial download recovery for large files
• CDN acceleration - Global content delivery for faster downloads
• Bandwidth optimisation - Compressed files for efficient transfer

Monitoring & Notifications:

• Webhook integration - Real-time job completion alerts
• Email notifications - Optional email alerts for job status changes
• Progress callbacks - Periodic progress updates via webhooks
• Performance metrics - Execution time, throughput, and resource usage
• Audit logging - Complete job history and user actions

Security & Compliance:

• Data encryption - AES-256-GCM encryption for stored files
• Access control - Customer-specific job isolation
• Audit trail - Complete job lifecycle logging
• Automatic cleanup - Files removed after expiry for data protection
• IP restrictions - Optional IP-based access control

Integrations

Advanced webhook system for real-time notifications, system integration, and automated workflow triggers.

Supported Events:

• job.completed - Job finished successfully with download URL and metadata
• job.failed - Job encountered an error with detailed failure information
• job.cancelled - Job was manually cancelled or timed out
• job.progress - Periodic progress updates during job execution (optional)
• system.maintenance - Scheduled maintenance notifications
• api.rate_limit - Rate limit threshold warnings

Webhook Security Features:

• HMAC-SHA256 signature - Cryptographic payload verification using shared secret
• Timestamp validation - Prevents replay attacks with time-based verification
• IP whitelisting - Optional source IP restrictions for enhanced security
• TLS encryption - All webhook deliveries use HTTPS/TLS 1.3
• Signature verification - Complete payload integrity checking

Delivery & Reliability:

• Automatic retries - Up to 3 retry attempts with exponential backoff
• Delivery tracking - Complete success/failure monitoring and logging
• Timeout handling - 30-second response timeout with configurable settings
• Dead letter queue - Failed deliveries stored for manual retry
• Circuit breaker - Automatic endpoint disabling for persistent failures
• Rate limiting - Configurable delivery rate limits to prevent overwhelming

Webhook Payload Structure:

{
  "event": "job.completed",
  "timestamp": "2024-09-26T10:02:15Z",
  "signature": "sha256=abc123def456...",
  "delivery_id": "del_1758630144658",
  "attempt": 1,
  "data": {
    "job_id": "appointments_1758630144658_c7511999",
    "customer_id": "your-customer-id",
    "procedure_name": "appointments",
    "status": "completed",
    "rows_processed": 45678,
    "execution_time_seconds": 64.75,
    "file_size_bytes": 2048576,
    "s3_url": "https://secure-download-url",
    "expires_at": "2024-09-26T22:02:15Z",
    "output_format": "ndjson",
    "compression": "gzip",
    "metadata": {
      "from_date": "2024-01-01",
      "to_date": "2024-12-31",
      "date_modifier": "Created"
    }
  }
}

Signature Verification:

import hmac
import hashlib

def verify_webhook_signature(payload, signature, secret):
    expected_signature = hmac.new(
        secret.encode('utf-8'),
        payload.encode('utf-8'),
        hashlib.sha256
    ).hexdigest()
    return hmac.compare_digest(f"sha256={expected_signature}", signature)

Configuration Options:

• Event filtering - Subscribe to specific events only
• Custom headers - Add custom HTTP headers to webhook requests
• Retry configuration - Customize retry attempts and backoff strategy
• Timeout settings - Configure response timeout values
• Batch delivery - Group multiple events into single webhook call

Monitoring & Debugging:

• Delivery logs - Complete webhook delivery history
• Response tracking - HTTP status codes and response times
• Error analysis - Detailed failure reasons and troubleshooting
• Performance metrics - Delivery success rates and latency statistics
• Test endpoints - Webhook testing and validation tools

Use Cases:

• Automated workflows - Trigger business processes when jobs complete
• Real-time notifications - Instant alerts when data extraction finishes
• System integration - Connect CipherStream to other business systems
• Data pipeline automation - Chain multiple data processing steps
• Monitoring and alerting - Track job completion and system health
• Business intelligence - Trigger report generation and dashboard updates
• Customer notifications - Inform end users when their data is ready

Documentation

API documentation and OpenAPI schemas for integration and development.

Available Documentation:

• Interactive Docs - Swagger UI for testing endpoints
• OpenAPI Schema - Machine-readable API specification
• Integration Guides - Code examples and best practices

Use Cases:

• Interactive API testing and exploration
• Code generation for client libraries
• API documentation for development teams
• Integration planning and validation
• Request/response format reference