DCMTK Version 3.7.0 OFFIS DICOM Toolkit

storescu: DICOM storage (C-STORE) SCU

# SYNOPSIS

    storescu [options] peer port dcmfile-in...

# DESCRIPTION

The storescu application implements a Service Class User (SCU) for the Storage Service Class. For each DICOM file on the command line it sends a C-STORE message to a Storage Service Class Provider (SCP) and waits for a response. The application can be used to transmit DICOM images and other DICOM composite objects.

# PARAMETERS

    peer        hostname of DICOM peer

    port        tcp/ip port number of peer

    dcmfile-in  DICOM file or directory to be transmitted

# OPTIONS

## general options

      -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

## input options

    input file format:

      +f    --read-file
              read file format or data set (default)

      +fo   --read-file-only
              read file format only

      -f    --read-dataset
              read data set without file meta information

    input files:

      +sd   --scan-directories
              scan directories for input files (dcmfile-in)

      +sp   --scan-pattern  [p]attern: string (only with --scan-directories)
              pattern for filename matching (wildcards)

              # possibly not available on all systems

      -r    --no-recurse
              do not recurse within directories (default)

      +r    --recurse
              recurse within specified directories

      -rn   --no-rename
              do not rename processed files (default)

      +rn   --rename
              append .done/.bad to processed files

## network options

    IP protocol version:

      -i4   --ipv4
              use IPv4 only (default)

      -i6   --ipv6
              use IPv6 only

      -i0   --ip-auto
              use DNS lookup to determine IP protocol

    application entity titles:

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

      -aec  --call  [a]etitle: string
              set called AE title of peer (default: ANY-SCP)

    association negotiation profile from configuration file:

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

    proposed transmission transfer syntaxes (not with --config-file):

      -x=   --propose-uncompr
              propose all uncompressed TS, explicit VR
              with local byte ordering first (default)

      -xe   --propose-little
              propose all uncompressed TS, explicit VR little endian first

      -xb   --propose-big
              propose all uncompressed TS, explicit VR big endian first

      -xi   --propose-implicit
              propose implicit VR little endian TS only

      -xs   --propose-lossless
              propose default JPEG lossless TS
              and all uncompressed transfer syntaxes

      -xy   --propose-jpeg8
              propose default JPEG lossy TS for 8 bit data
              and all uncompressed transfer syntaxes

      -xx   --propose-jpeg12
              propose default JPEG lossy TS for 12 bit data
              and all uncompressed transfer syntaxes

      -xv   --propose-j2k-lossless
              propose JPEG 2000 lossless TS
              and all uncompressed transfer syntaxes

      -xw   --propose-j2k-lossy
              propose JPEG 2000 lossy TS
              and all uncompressed transfer syntaxes

      -xt   --propose-jls-lossless
              propose JPEG-LS lossless TS
              and all uncompressed transfer syntaxes

      -xu   --propose-jls-lossy
              propose JPEG-LS lossy TS
              and all uncompressed transfer syntaxes

      -xm   --propose-mpeg2
              propose MPEG2 Main Profile @ Main Level TS only

      -xh   --propose-mpeg2-high
              propose MPEG2 Main Profile @ High Level TS only

      -xn   --propose-mpeg4
              propose MPEG4 AVC/H.264 High Profile / Level 4.1 TS only

      -xl   --propose-mpeg4-bd
              propose MPEG4 AVC/H.264 BD-compatible HP / Level 4.1 TS only

      -x2   --propose-mpeg4-2-2d
              propose MPEG4 AVC/H.264 HP / Level 4.2 TS for 2D Videos only

      -x3   --propose-mpeg4-2-3d
              propose MPEG4 AVC/H.264 HP / Level 4.2 TS for 3D Videos only

      -xo   --propose-mpeg4-2-st
              propose MPEG4 AVC/H.264 Stereo HP / Level 4.2 TS only

      -x4   --propose-hevc
              propose HEVC/H.265 Main Profile / Level 5.1 TS only

      -x5   --propose-hevc10
              propose HEVC/H.265 Main Profile / Level 5.1 TS only

      -xr   --propose-rle
              propose RLE lossless TS
              and all uncompressed transfer syntaxes

      -xd   --propose-deflated
              propose deflated explicit VR little endian TS
              and all uncompressed transfer syntaxes

      -R    --required
              propose only required presentation contexts
              (default: propose all supported)

              # This will also work with storage SOP classes that are
              # supported by DCMTK but are not in the list of SOP classes
              # proposed by default.

      +C    --combine
              combine proposed transfer syntaxes
              (default: separate presentation context for each TS)

    post-1993 value representations:

      +u    --enable-new-vr
              enable support for new VRs (UN/UT) (default)

      -u    --disable-new-vr
              disable support for new VRs, convert to OB

    deflate compression level (only with --propose-deflated or --config-file):

      +cl   --compression-level  [l]evel: integer (default: 6)
              0=uncompressed, 1=fastest, 9=best compression

    user identity negotiation:

      -usr  --user  [u]ser name: string
              authenticate using user name u

      -pwd  --password  [p]assword: string (only with --user)
              authenticate using password p

      -epw  --empty-password
              send empty password (only with --user)

      -kt   --kerberos  [f]ilename: string
              read kerberos ticket from file f

            --saml  [f]ilename: string
              read SAML request from file f

            --jwt  [f]ilename: string
              read JWT data from file f

      -rsp  --pos-response
              expect positive response

    other network options:

      -to   --timeout  [s]econds: integer (default: unlimited)
              timeout for connection requests

      -ts   --socket-timeout  [s]econds: integer (default: 60)
              timeout for network socket (0 for none)

      -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)

            --max-send-pdu  [n]umber of bytes: integer (4096..131072)
              restrict max send pdu to n bytes

            --repeat  [n]umber: integer
              repeat n times

            --abort
              abort association instead of releasing it

      -nh   --no-halt
              do not halt if unsuccessful store encountered
              (default: do halt)

      -up   --uid-padding
              silently correct space-padded UIDs

      +II   --invent-instance
              invent a new SOP instance UID for every image sent

      +IR   --invent-series  [n]umber: integer (implies --invent-instance)
              invent a new series UID after n images have been sent
              (default: 100)

      +IS   --invent-study  [n]umber: integer (implies --invent-instance)
              invent a new study UID after n series have been sent
              (default: 50)

      +IP   --invent-patient  [n]umber: integer (implies --invent-instance)
              invent a new patient ID and name after n studies have been sent
              (default: 25)

## transport layer security (TLS) options

    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

      +tla  --anonymous-tls
              use secure TLS connection without certificate

    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:

      +ph   --list-profiles
              list supported TLS profiles and exit

      +pg   --profile-8996
              BCP 195 RFC 8996 TLS Profile (default)

      +pm   --profile-8996-mod
              Modified BCP 195 RFC 8996 TLS Profile

              # only available if underlying TLS library supports
              # all TLS features required for this profile

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

      +px   --profile-bcp195
              BCP 195 TLS Profile (retired)

      +pz   --profile-bcp195-ex
              Extended BCP 195 TLS Profile (retired)

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

              # only available if underlying TLS library supports 3DES

      +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
              list supported TLS ciphersuites and exit

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

    server name indication:

            --no-sni
              do not use SNI (default)

            --request-sni  [s]erver name: string
              request server name s

    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)

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

# NOTES

## Scanning Directories

Adding directories as a parameter to the command line only makes sense if option –scan-directories is also given. If the files in the provided directories should be selected according to a specific name pattern (e.g. using wildcard matching), option –scan-pattern has to be used. Please note that this file pattern only applies to the files within the scanned directories, and, if any other patterns are specified on the command line outside the –scan-pattern option (e.g. in order to select further files), these do not apply to the specified directories.

## DICOM Conformance

The storescu application supports the following Storage SOP Classes as an SCU:

    ComputedRadiographyImageStorage                      1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.1
    DigitalXRayImageStorageForPresentation               1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.1.1
    DigitalXRayImageStorageForProcessing                 1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.1.1.1
    DigitalMammographyXRayImageStorageForPresentation    1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.1.2
    DigitalMammographyXRayImageStorageForProcessing      1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.1.2.1
    DigitalIntraOralXRayImageStorageForPresentation      1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.1.3
    DigitalIntraOralXRayImageStorageForProcessing        1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.1.3.1
    CTImageStorage                                       1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.2
    EnhancedCTImageStorage                               1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.2.1
    UltrasoundMultiframeImageStorage                     1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.3.1
    MRImageStorage                                       1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.4
    EnhancedMRImageStorage                               1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.4.1
    MRSpectroscopyStorage                                1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.4.2
    UltrasoundImageStorage                               1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.6.1
    SecondaryCaptureImageStorage                         1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.7
    MultiframeSingleBitSecondaryCaptureImageStorage      1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.7.1
    MultiframeGrayscaleByteSecondaryCaptureImageStorage  1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.7.2
    MultiframeGrayscaleWordSecondaryCaptureImageStorage  1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.7.3
    MultiframeTrueColorSecondaryCaptureImageStorage      1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.7.4
    TwelveLeadECGWaveformStorage                         1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.9.1.1
    GeneralECGWaveformStorage                            1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.9.1.2
    AmbulatoryECGWaveformStorage                         1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.9.1.3
    HemodynamicWaveformStorage                           1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.9.2.1
    CardiacElectrophysiologyWaveformStorage              1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.9.3.1
    BasicVoiceAudioWaveformStorage                       1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.9.4.1
    GrayscaleSoftcopyPresentationStateStorage            1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.11.1
    ColorSoftcopyPresentationStateStorage                1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.11.2
    PseudoColorSoftcopyPresentationStateStorage          1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.11.3
    BlendingSoftcopyPresentationStateStorage             1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.11.4
    XRayAngiographicImageStorage                         1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.12.1
    EnhancedXAImageStorage                               1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.12.1.1
    XRayRadiofluoroscopicImageStorage                    1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.12.2
    EnhancedXRFImageStorage                              1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.12.2.1
    NuclearMedicineImageStorage                          1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.20
    RawDataStorage                                       1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.66
    SpatialRegistrationStorage                           1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.66.1
    SpatialFiducialsStorage                              1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.66.2
    RealWorldValueMappingStorage                         1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.67
    VLEndoscopicImageStorage                             1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.77.1.1
    VLMicroscopicImageStorage                            1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.77.1.2
    VLSlideCoordinatesMicroscopicImageStorage            1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.77.1.3
    VLPhotographicImageStorage                           1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.77.1.4
    OphthalmicPhotography8BitImageStorage                1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.77.1.5.1
    OphthalmicPhotography16BitImageStorage               1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.77.1.5.2
    StereometricRelationshipStorage                      1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.77.1.5.3
    OphthalmicTomographyImageStorage                     1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.77.1.5.4
    BasicTextSRStorage                                   1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.88.11
    EnhancedSRStorage                                    1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.88.22
    ComprehensiveSRStorage                               1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.88.33
    ProcedureLogStorage                                  1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.88.40
    MammographyCADSRStorage                              1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.88.50
    KeyObjectSelectionDocumentStorage                    1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.88.59
    ChestCADSRStorage                                    1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.88.65
    XRayRadiationDoseSRStorage                           1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.88.67
    ColonCADSRStorage                                    1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.88.69
    EncapsulatedPDFStorage                               1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.104.1
    PositronEmissionTomographyImageStorage               1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.128
    RTImageStorage                                       1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.481.1
    RTDoseStorage                                        1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.481.2
    RTStructureSetStorage                                1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.481.3
    RTBeamsTreatmentRecordStorage                        1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.481.4
    RTPlanStorage                                        1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.481.5
    RTBrachyTreatmentRecordStorage                       1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.481.6
    RTTreatmentSummaryRecordStorage                      1.2.840.10008.5.1.4.1.1.481.7

The default behavior of storescu is to propose two presentation contexts for each supported SOP class (abstract syntax) - one with the preferred transfer syntax and one with all other uncompressed transfer syntaxes. The default preferred transfer syntax is explicit VR with byte ordering corresponding to the local byte ordering of the machine on which storescu is running. This behavior can be changed with the –propose, –combine and –required options, see above. Depending on these options, the following transfer syntaxes are supported:

    LittleEndianImplicitTransferSyntax                   1.2.840.10008.1.2
    LittleEndianExplicitTransferSyntax                   1.2.840.10008.1.2.1
    DeflatedExplicitVRLittleEndianTransferSyntax         1.2.840.10008.1.2.1.99 (*)
    BigEndianExplicitTransferSyntax                      1.2.840.10008.1.2.2
    JPEGProcess1TransferSyntax                           1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.50
    JPEGProcess2_4TransferSyntax                         1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.51
    JPEGProcess14SV1TransferSyntax                       1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.70
    JPEGLSLosslessTransferSyntax                         1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.80
    JPEGLSLossyTransferSyntax                            1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.81
    JPEG2000LosslessOnlyTransferSyntax                   1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.90
    JPEG2000TransferSyntax                               1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.91
    MPEG2MainProfileAtMainLevelTransferSyntax            1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.100
    MPEG2MainProfileAtHighLevelTransferSyntax            1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.101
    MPEG4HighProfileLevel4_1TransferSyntax               1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.102
    MPEG4BDcompatibleHighProfileLevel4_1TransferSyntax   1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.103
    MPEG4HighProfileLevel4_2_For2DVideoTransferSyntax    1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.104
    MPEG4HighProfileLevel4_2_For3DVideoTransferSyntax    1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.105
    MPEG4StereoHighProfileLevel4_2TransferSyntax         1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.106
    HEVCMainProfileLevel5_1TransferSyntax                1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.107
    HEVCMain10ProfileLevel5_1TransferSyntax              1.2.840.10008.1.2.4.108
    RLELosslessTransferSyntax                            1.2.840.10008.1.2.5

(*) if compiled with zlib support enabled (see –version output)

Additional Storage SOP Classes and transfer syntaxes can be used with the so-called "association negotiation profiles" (see below).

The storescu application does not support extended negotiation by default. However, using an appropriate association negotiation profile (see below) the optional support for extended negotiation can be added to particular SOP classes.

## Association Negotiation Profiles and Configuration Files

storescu supports a flexible mechanism for specifying the DICOM network association negotiation behavior, based on so-called "association negotiation profiles" which may be read from a configuration file. The format and semantics of this configuration file are documented in asconfig.txt.

## User Identity Negotiation

When specifying user name and/or password using options –user and -e –password, the value has to be provided in UTF-8 encoding.

If the option –pos-response is used, the SCP is asked to explicitly respond, i.e. acknowledge, the user credentials provided in the storescu request. Otherwise, if no such response is sent, storescu will not continue but instead abort the connection. Since User Identity Negotiation is an optional feature that has been introduced later into the standard, many SCPs will not check the user identity provided and therefore will not provide a user identity response at all.

# LOGGING

The level of logging output of the various command line tools and underlying libraries can be specified by the user. By default, only errors and warnings are written to the standard error stream. Using option –verbose also informational messages like processing details are reported. Option –debug can be used to get more details on the internal activity, e.g. for debugging purposes. Other logging levels can be selected using option –log-level. In –quiet mode only fatal errors are reported. In such very severe error events, the application will usually terminate. For more details on the different logging levels, see documentation of module "oflog".

In case the logging output should be written to file (optionally with logfile rotation), to syslog (Unix) or the event log (Windows) option –log-config can be used. This configuration file also allows for directing only certain messages to a particular output stream and for filtering certain messages based on the module or application where they are generated. An example configuration file is provided in <etcdir>/logger.cfg.

# COMMAND LINE

All command line tools use the following notation for parameters: square brackets enclose optional values (0-1), three trailing dots indicate that multiple values are allowed (1-n), a combination of both means 0 to n values.

Command line options are distinguished from parameters by a leading '+' or '-' sign, respectively. Usually, order and position of command line options are arbitrary (i.e. they can appear anywhere). However, if options are mutually exclusive the rightmost appearance is used. This behavior conforms to the standard evaluation rules of common Unix shells.

In addition, one or more command files can be specified using an '@' sign as a prefix to the filename (e.g. @command.txt). Such a command argument is replaced by the content of the corresponding text file (multiple whitespaces are treated as a single separator unless they appear between two quotation marks) prior to any further evaluation. Please note that a command file cannot contain another command file. This simple but effective approach allows one to summarize common combinations of options/parameters and avoids longish and confusing command lines (an example is provided in file <datadir>/dumppat.txt).

# ENVIRONMENT

The storescu utility will attempt to load DICOM data dictionaries specified in the DCMDICTPATH environment variable. By default, i.e. if the DCMDICTPATH environment variable is not set, the file <datadir>/dicom.dic will be loaded unless the dictionary is built into the application (default for Windows).

The default behavior should be preferred and the DCMDICTPATH environment variable only used when alternative data dictionaries are required. The DCMDICTPATH environment variable has the same format as the Unix shell PATH variable in that a colon (":") separates entries. On Windows systems, a semicolon (";") is used as a separator. The data dictionary code will attempt to load each file specified in the DCMDICTPATH environment variable. It is an error if no data dictionary can be loaded.

# FILES

<docdir>/asconfig.txt - configuration file documentation
<etcdir>/storescu.cfg - example association negotiation profile

# SEE ALSO

storescp(1)

# COPYRIGHT

Copyright (C) 1996-2025 by OFFIS e.V., Escherweg 2, 26121 Oldenburg, Germany.

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