Getting Started with the Microsoft HealthVault SDK - Beta

Revised January 23, 2008

Note: Check the HealthVault Downloads page periodically for updates to this Getting Started guide.

Document History

Welcome

Welcome to the Microsoft® HealthVault™ beta! This Getting Started guide gives you information you need to get your application or device connected with HealthVault and available to your users from HealthVault Connection Center.

About This Getting Started Guide

This Getting Started guide tells about:

• where you can go to learn more about HealthVault
• the materials included in the SDK
• the procedure for installing the SDK
• the process of getting your application live on HealthVault

This Getting Started guide is available in the SDK installation, online in MSDN (the copy you are viewing now), and as a download from MSDN. The most recent version is always available at the MSDN locations.

What Is HealthVault?

Microsoft HealthVault is a new personal health platform that lets consumers gather, store, and share health information online. With HealthVault, users control their own health records, so they can share their health information with family, friends, and health care professionals, and have access to trustworthy online health management tools: these tools are the applications and devices of Microsoft HealthVault partners.

Sharing health information with people and programs can help users meet their health-related goals. For example, they can share health information from records they control:

• to co-manage the health of a family member
• to use products and services that can improve their health
• to consult with their health care provider
• to provide fitness information to coaches and trainers

HealthVault Connection Center is a desktop utility for users to upload information from their health and fitness devices and applications to their HealthVault account, as well as to view the information locally (see example).

HealthVault also has a Search feature that enables users to search for information on health topics within HealthVault and on the Web.

Browser Support

HealthVault is fully supported by the following browsers:

• Internet Explorer 7
• Internet Explorer 6
• Firefox 2.0
• On Safari for Windows and Macintosh, HealthVault has limited support (that is, data is displayed differently, but full functionality is still supported)

Exploring HealthVault

Anyone can look around the MSDN site and www.healthvault.com to see what HealthVault is about, and can download the SDK.

If you decide you want to wade in and modify the sample apps, you must create a HealthVault Developer account. These accounts exist in an environment that is separate from but functionally equivalent to the Consumer HealthVault environment. To create a Developer account, you no longer need a Promo Code (see Taking a Test Drive for more information).

The sample applications are allowed to create, read, update, and delete all types of data in HealthVault. You can alter their source code to explore your own ideas for HealthVault-compatible applications. When you reach a point where the sample application doesn’t have permission to do what you want to do, it's time to request or generate your own ApplicationID (see Taking a Test Drive for more information).

When you decide that your application is ready for consumers and you want to become a HealthVault partner, you kick off the Go Live process (see Going Live on HealthVault for more information).

This diagram summarizes the end-to-end process from hearing about HealthVault to taking your application live on HealthVault.

Taking a Look Around

You can explore HealthVault without needing to contact Microsoft.

To explore HealthVault:

• Read the HealthVault documentation on MSDN.
• Download and explore the SDK.
• Create a personal HealthVault account at www.healthvault.com. Later, you can create fictional HealthVault account in the developer environment to use when developing and testing your application.
• After installing the SDK, explore the sample applications in C:\Program Files\Microsoft HealthVault\SDK\DotNet\WebSamples.
• Upload data from real and simulated devices using HealthVault Connection Center. After you install the SDK, device simulators are available in the SDK in C:\Program Files\Microsoft HealthVault\SDK\Simulators.

Taking a Test Drive: ApplicationID, New Types

To fully explore the SDK’s sample applications, you need to create a test account in the HealthVault Developer environment.

With a test account, you can do the following:

• Modify the sample applications to see how things work
• Build a new application or modify an existing application to interact with HealthVault

You can go even further with an ApplicationID. When you have an ApplicationID, you can do the following:

• See your own logo and description during sign-in, instead of those belonging to a sample application
• Explore Offline Access, Open Query, and Send E-mail functionality

To generate an ApplicationID, follow the instructions at Generating an ApplicationID.

If you want to use a type of health information that is not currently supported in HealthVault, you can request a new HealthRecordItem type.

Going Live on HealthVault

When you decide that your application is ready for the world, you go through the Go Live process. This process involves:

• Signing a legal agreement with Microsoft
• Finalizing a variety of application configuration elements on the HealthVault server, including:
  • application name
  • types of data the application uses in online and offline modes
  • Description and Data Access Reason text that are shown when users sign up
  • public certificate
  • logo
  • a few other items
• Submit marketing information to Microsoft to get your application listed in the online directory.

You begin the Go Live process by following the instructions on the Going Live! Page.

Downloading and Installing the SDK

You download the Microsoft HealthVault SDK installer from the HealthVault Home tab or Downloads tab.

To install the Microsoft HealthVault SDK:

1. Click Download the SDK Installer on the Home tab or HealthVault SDK on the Downloads tab.
2. In the File Downloads - Security Warning dialog box, click Save.
3. In the Save As dialog box, browse to the location where you want to save the SDK installer, and then click Save.
4. Double-click healthvaultsdk.exe to start the installer.
5. In the Open File - Security Warning dialog box, click Run.
6. On the Welcome screen, click Next.
7. On the End User License Agreement screen, read the EULA.
8. Click the link to the privacy statement and read the privacy statement.
9. Select the I accept check box, and then click Next.
10. Wait while the HealthVault SDK is installed.
11. On the final screen, click Finish.

What’s in the SDK?

After SDK installation, the following items are available from the Start menu:

• the SDK Reference (Microsoft.Health.chm) containing the managed code interfaces to the HealthVault platform, methods, and types. This information is also available on MSDN for download and for viewing online.
• This Getting Started guide  (check MSDN for updated versions)
• the HealthVault Connection Center Extensibility document
• the SDK command prompt

After SDK installation, the following items are available in the SDK folder at Program Files\Microsoft HealthVault:

• Docs
• DotNet
• Native
• Simulators
• Tools

ConnectionCenterShortCut Folder

This folder contains a sample that shows how to create a Microsoft installer (MSI) package that can install an icon for your application in HealthVault Connection Center. There is also a tutorial on creating a shortcut.

HealthVault SDK Docs Folder

The following items are available in the Microsoft HealthVault\SDK\Docs folder:

• this Getting Started guide
• the HealthVault Connection Center Extensibility document, which explains how to customize the experience in Connection Center for your users
• the Microsoft.Health.chm file containing the managed code interfaces to the HealthVault platform, methods, and types
• the HealthVault SDK End User License Agreement (EULA)

HealthVault SDK DotNet Folder

In the DotNet folder are three sample applications: FitTrakLite, HealthAndFitness, and SleepJournal. Each sample application comes with:

• Visual Studio project file and solution file
• WinHttpCertConfig.exe and batch files to grant access rights to network service accounts
• a ReadMe file that provides instructions for installing the application certificate and granting access to network service accounts
• Everything else you need to run the sample and use it as a model for your own application

HealthVault SDK Native Folder

In the Native folder, you can find:

• The C/C++ header
• The object file library

HealthVault SDK Simulators Folder

Several simulated devices are provided. You can install, uninstall, plug/unplug, and refresh the devices using the WpdSimInstaller utility in this folder. The DeviceSimulators.xps document in this folder contains more information.

HealthVault SDK Tools Folder

In the Tools folder, you can find:

• ComputerCertificates.msc: a Microsoft Management Console script that helps you import and export certificates to/from the correct certificate store
• HVCC_Consumer.reg: a registry script that points your HealthVault Connection Center at the Consumer environment
• HVCC_Developer.reg: a registry script that points your HealthVault Connection Center at the Developer environment
• WinHttpCertCfg.exe: a utility that can be used to allow the NetworkService account to access your application’s private key

Installing HealthVault Connection Center

HealthVault Connection Center is a desktop utility used to upload data from health and fitness devices and applications to HealthVault accounts. Connection Center is home base for many HealthVault activities, for both developers and users.

To install HealthVault Connection Center:

1. Click the Connection Center page in the Microsoft Download Center
2. Click Continue.
3. In the Internet Explorer – Security Warning dialog box, click Install to install Windows Genuine Advantage.
4. When the dialog box closes, on the Microsoft Download Center page, click Download to download the installer for the Microsoft HealthVault Connection Center Beta.
5. In the File Download – Security Warning dialog box, click Save to save the installer to your computer.
6. In the Save As dialog box, browse to the location where you want to save the installer, and then click Save.
7. Wait while the installer downloads.
8. When the installer finishes downloading, double-click the executable.
9. In the Open File – Security Warning dialog box, click Run.
10. On the Connection Center Setup Wizard Welcome screen, click Next.
11. On the End User License Agreement screen, read the EULA for HealthVault Connection Center.
12. Click the link to the privacy statement and read the privacy statement.
13. Select the I accept check box to indicate your acceptance of the EULA and privacy statement, and then click Next.
14. Wait while the installer is running.
15. When the installer finishes, click Finish.
16. When the message box opens asking you to restart your computer to complete the installation, click Yes.

Working with HealthVault Connection Center

From Connection Center, you can:

• Go to the Microsoft HealthVault Developer Center on MSDN, where you can find online development tools.
• View the HealthVault Connection Center Extensibility document, which provides instructions and examples of XML code to customize the user experience of an application or device entry in HealthVault Connection Center.

There are also links targeted at users, so they can:

• Open a HealthVault account
• Enable a health device to communicate with their HealthVault record
• Add a program to communicate with their health record
• Go to their imported data from a device or application
• Set options for uploading their health data to their HealthVault account
• Modify their Internet connection settings
• Send feedback regarding their HealthVault account.
• View the privacy statement
• Use Live Search Health, which searches for health topic information, either on HealthVault or on the Web

For more information about being a HealthVault user, see Getting Started with HealthVault Connection Center, available from the HealthVault Connection Center Help menu.

Adding Your Application to HealthVault Connection Center

For more information on adding your application to HealthVault Connection Center, see the HealthVault Connection Center Extensibility document.

Adding Your Device to HealthVault Connection Center

Here is an example of how Connection Center might look when a sample device is connected.

You can display your own product logo in Connection Center, as shown with the Fabrikam logo in the example. See the HealthVault Connection Center Extensibility document for information about how to display your logo in HealthVault.

Resources Available from MSDN

The MS HealthVault Developer Center on MSDN provides links to a variety of useful resources.

On the Home tab:

• Link to an article that provides information from the HealthVault launch on October 3, 2007
• Download the SDK installer.
• Open the Getting Started guide.
• Link to the HealthVault blog written by a Microsoft HealthVault developer
• Link to the HealthVault device blog.
• Link to the HealthVault FAQ blog.
• Link to and participate in the HealthVault forum.

The Home tab also provides links to:

• The HealthVault consumer Home page
• The SDK Reference (HealthVault Class Library)
• The Go Live guide
• The Consultant Directory and information for prospective dev consultants

On the Library tab:

• The HealthVault Class Library

On the Learn tab:

• The Getting Started guide.
• A white paper on using a sample application to develop your own application
• The Consultant Directory
• The HealthRecordItem Type Schema Browser: a list of all thing types currently defined, where you can:
  • View a schema, open it as a file, and verify XML against it
  • Add a new Advance Directive thing
  • Insert your thing XML and verify it against the schema, and open the schema as a file
•  Dictionary browser: a list of all Microsoft HealthVault vocabularies, with the ID and name for each type in a vocabulary
•  Raw XML API Reference provides:
  • The Web service methods that can be used to communicate with Microsoft HealthVault.
  • The XML data schemas (thing types) that can be stored in and retrieved from Microsoft HealthVault.
  • Other schemas that get included in the method or thing type schemas.
• Method Schema Browser provides a list of all XML methods that HealthVault currently exposes. You can view request and response schemas and the XML method schemas for the types used in the methods.
• Requirements for development consultants
• How-to guides on a variety of subjects related to developing an application for HealthVault.
• Instructions for the major steps in becoming a HealthVault partner. You can learn how to:
  • Generate an ApplicationID
  • Request a new HealthRecordItem type
  •  Go live

On the Downloads tab, you can download:

• HealthVault SDK
• Makecert.exe, a tool that creates a public key/private key pair
• WinHttpCertConfig.exe, a tool that grants certificate usage rights to the NetworkService account
• SDK Reference, the HealthVault Class Library in CHM format
• the Getting Started guide
• the white paper on using a sample application to develop your own application

On the Support tab, you can:

• Run a search against MSDN, the Microsoft Knowledge Base, MSDN blogs, and MSDN forums
• Post a question to the MSDN HealthVault forum
• View answers to recent questions
• Contact a Microsoft Support professional
• Investigate other support options
• Connect to the Consultant Directory
• Connect to the requirements for becoming a dev consultant

On the Community tab, you can

• View the HealthVault developer blog and FAQ
• View and participate in the HealthVault forum

Copyright Statement

This document supports a preliminary release that may change substantially. This document is provided for informational purposes only and Microsoft makes no warranties, either express or implied, in this document. Information in this document, including URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. Unless otherwise noted, the companies, organizations, products, domain names, e-mail addresses, logos, people, places, and events depicted in examples herein are fictitious. No association with any real company, organization, product, domain name, e-mail address, logo, person, place, or event is intended or should be inferred. Complying with all applicable copyright laws is the responsibility of the user. Without limiting the rights under copyright, no part of this document may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), or for any purpose, without the express written permission of Microsoft Corporation.

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Microsoft and HealthVault are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.
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