One example of an exception from the main line is the bypass of an aggregational node. This occurs when a certain type of reports from the district level has to reach the national level faster than normal, or when there are special health programs, which are not coordinated by an intermediary level. In this case the aggregational level n has to compile the data from the aggregational level n-2.

For a SAPHMIS this means, that an installation on a node on the aggregational level n has to know the nodes from the aggregational level n-2 for some type of reports, and the nodes from aggregational level n-1 for the other types of reports. The two levels have to be managed at the same time by the same installation on the node from level n.