Understanding V.E.T.S. Architecture
V.E.T.S. is built on powerful foundational concepts that enable flexibility, collaboration, and scale.
Understanding these concepts helps you leverage the full power of the platform.
The TeamDoc Architecture
At the heart of V.E.T.S. is the TeamDoc architecture - a collaborative framework that connects people, animals, and information. Developed over 15+ years, TeamDoc enables unprecedented flexibility and multi-organizational collaboration.
TeamDocs
What it is: A collaborative workspace where teams share access to animals, records, tasks, and knowledge.
Animals
What it is: The central entity in V.E.T.S. - complete lifecycle management from birth to death.
Permissions
What it is: Granular control over who can see and do what. Permissions cascade from TeamDoc to Animal to Record level.
Inputs
What it is: The organizational structure of your TeamDoc - folders, documents, webpages, and knowledge.
Actions
What it is: Trackable events and tasks - medical treatments, breeding events, training sessions, any activity related to animals.
Items, TreeValues & Metadata
V.E.T.S. uses a powerful hierarchical knowledge organization system that goes beyond simple folders and tags.
TreeValues (TreeList)
What it is: Hierarchical classification system for organizing knowledge. Think of it as an infinitely flexible taxonomy that can be organized by specialty, species, procedure type, or any custom structure.
Real Example: The "Reproduction" tree organizes workflows for Donor Mares, Recip Mares, and Stallions across multiple species, reflecting actual veterinary workflow rather than just taxonomy.
Items
What it is: Detailed documentation attached to TreeValue nodes. Each Item can be linked to multiple nodes and contains rich content.
Example: Under "Hormone Injections", you find Items like "Lutalyse", "Sucromate", and "Regu-Mate" - each with full dosing protocols, indications, and safety warnings.
Animal-Centric Design
Mobile operations are designed for field work, optimized for touch interfaces and offline capability, ensuring the animal remains the focus.
Mobile-First Procedures
Specialized workflows designed for field work including:
- Quick SOAP notes for field veterinarians
- Rapid animal identification (scan, photo, GPS)
- Breeding event recording
- Performance evaluation forms
- Field photo capture with auto-linking
Design Principle: Enter data once in the field, available everywhere instantly.
Multi-Tenant Collaboration
V.E.T.S. is designed from the ground up as a multi-tenant SaaS platform, enabling complete data isolation while sharing infrastructure.
Data Isolation
Your data is completely separate from other organizations. Even though we share infrastructure, your data is yours alone.
Integration Framework
Every feature is accessible via API, enabling bi-directional data flow with external systems like QuickBooks, VIA, and IoT sensors.
Permission & Security Model
Security isn't an add-on; it's baked into the core architecture.
View vs Edit Separation
V.E.T.S. uses separate stored procedures for viewing and editing. This ensures that read-only views are strictly enforced and highly optimized, while edit forms contain the necessary validation logic.
Cascading Permissions
Permissions flow naturally from the TeamDoc level down to individual records. Integrations also respect this model - external systems can only access data the user has explicit rights to.
The Unified Items Table
V.E.T.S. uses a single unified table for both procedures (Actions) and physical products (Items). This meta-architecture enables unprecedented flexibility.
One Table, Many Types
What it is: Professional services, surgical procedures, diagnostics, pharmaceuticals, vaccinations, and certificates all live in the same table, distinguished by TransactionType metadata.
Why It Matters
New procedure types can be added without schema changes. The same billing, documentation, and workflow systems work for everything - from a simple vaccination to complex surgery.
TransactionTypes
Items are classified by type: ProfessionalServices, Surgical, Diagnostic, Rx (prescription), DEA (controlled), NonRx, VA (vaccinations), CRT (certificates), LA (lab work), and more. Each type can have specialized handling while sharing core infrastructure.
DynamicForms
A metadata-driven form generation framework that enables database administrators to configure forms without code changes.
Database-Driven Forms
What it is: Form definitions stored in tables, not hardcoded. DBAs can create, modify, and deploy new forms without developer involvement.
IoT Integration
DynamicForms connects to IoT sensors for real-time veterinary data - ultrasound measurements, temperature monitoring, and activity tracking flow directly into forms.
Primary Use Case: Reproduction Tracking
The reproduction module uses DynamicForms extensively - mare breeding status, follicle measurements, breeding windows, and pregnancy tracking are all configured through this system.
Secured Views
Security is enforced at the database layer through a view system that filters data before it ever reaches the application.
View Layer Architecture
How it works: Raw tables (atbl_/stbl_) are never accessed directly. Secured views (atbv_/stbv_) automatically filter data based on the current user's permissions and domain membership.
Automatic Filtering
When you query a secured view, you only see records you have permission to access. No application code required - the database handles it.
Why This Matters
Even if application code has a bug, users cannot see data they shouldn't. Security is guaranteed at the lowest level, not dependent on every developer remembering to add permission checks.
HTML-in-SQL Functions
V.E.T.S. generates UI components directly from the database using a library of SQL functions, enabling context-aware, permission-aware interfaces.
Server-Side UI Generation
The Pattern: Functions like afnc_HTML_Button, afnc_HTML_Link, and afnc_HTML_GridCell generate HTML that respects user permissions and adapts to context (mobile vs desktop, view vs edit).
Responsive by Default
The same stored procedure generates appropriate output for any device. No separate mobile codebase - the SQL functions handle responsive sizing and touch optimization.
Permission-Aware UI
Edit buttons only appear if you have edit permission. Delete links only show for managers. The UI itself enforces security because the database knows what you can do.
Putting Concepts Into Practice
Flexibility First
Customize TreeValues and Items to match your specific workflow.
Collaboration Built-In
Share what you want, with whom you want, when you want.
Scale-Proven
15+ years operational experience across veterinary clinics, breeding operations, and professional rodeo.
Ready to start? Create a free account or explore Use Cases.