# Presentation: 337632

## EPICS – Today’s Control System of Choice

*Ned Arnold*
*12/10/2004*

***... ******but what about tomorrow?***

## The Collaboration Grows ...

- 1990

- 1995

- 2000

- 2005

- LANL develops Ground Test Accelerator Control System (GTACS)

- LBL

- DESY

- SLS

- CLS

- RIA

- CEBAF

- BESSY

- SLAC

- IPNS

- IPNS DAQ

- ANL APS & LANL begin collaboration on EPICS

- FNAL D0

- KECK

- Gemini

- SNS

- Australian Synchrotron

- DIAMOND

***The Collaboration Grows ...***

**> 150 Licensees**

**2003**

- KEK

**May 2004 Meeting**
-  *100+ Attendees*
* **34 Institutions*
*75+ Presentations*

**Still the “Control System of Choice”**

## Reflection on the Collaboration

**Pros**
- An extremely beneficial and effective collaboration
- Synergy – yields many good ideas
- Common requirements have a single solution
- Large installed base improves robustness
**Cons**
- No one is in charge – tasks can not be delegated or assigned
- Contributors do what they want to do [i.e. the un-fun yet important work is often left undone]
- When money gets tight, there is less effort donated to the community good

## The Cons are Starting to be Felt

**No one’s in charge ...**
- In light of advancing technology, some of EPICS’  core facilities could be substantially enhanced
*More good ideas than resources, no common direction *
**Contributors do what they want to do ...**
- Many of the things required to enhance EPICS user support are not voluntarily addressed by the collaboration
*Consistent documentation*
*Consistent method in packaging/testing contributions*
**Money getting tight ...**
- Construction Funds: Running out ... not much on the horizon
- Operations Funds: Already being used ...being pinched

## Looking to the Future

**What has been attempted?**
- EPICS 2010 Meetings (three in the last two years)
*Good discussions*
*The seed has been sown ...*
*An attempt was made to move forward ... *
*It is now time to fertilize, water, and make something grow*

## Looking to the Future

**What is Needed? **
- “A plan”
- “A plan” that encourages the Pros and mitigates the Cons
- “A plan” that receives wide acceptance and support
*... **which then becomes “The Plan”*
- Implementation of “The Plan”
- Demonstration that we can deliver on “The Plan”, which will build additional momentum for further plans

## Vision ... (i.e. A Plan)

**Establish and promote a direction for the future**
**Aggressively solicit resources from collaborating institutions **
**Make something happen**

## Establish a direction ...

**Divide the numerous topics into four categories**
- EPICS Core
*iocCore*
*Channel Access*
*SNL*
- Core Tools/Extensions
*Display Manager, ALH, Archiver, StripTool, Gateway*
*VDCT*
*Other? (rdbCore?)*
- Collaboration Support Issues
- Ideas and R&D for EPICS 5.0 and beyond

## How can we build momentum?

**For each category ...**
- Identify a category “lead” – the person(s) responsible for making something happen
- <not sure what authoritive body actually approves these “leads” >
**Responsibilities of Category “lead”**
- Identify interested people who are committed to contributing both ideas and effort in this category (i.e. build a team)
- Ensure that plans, implementations, etc are sufficiently distributed/exposed for comments and all effort is kept “collaborative”, i.e. beta releases, <appropriate> reviews (e.g. Ben Franksen’s e-mail).
- Maintain web page(s) that clearly describes the activity (current plans, future plans, wild ideas, current status) occurring in this category.  [Post plan -> solicit feedback -> post plan -> solicit feedback -> ...]
- Report at every EPICS Collaboration Meeting what progress has been made in this category (accountability on collaborative skills)

## Action Items

| Category | Leads | Immediate Pursuits | Imminent Deliverables |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| EPICS Core |  |  | 

 |
| Tools/Extensions |  | 

 |  |
| Collaboration Support |  | 

 |  |
| EPICS 5.xx++ |  |  |  |

| Category | Leads | Immediate Pursuits | Imminent Deliverables |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| EPICS Core | Bob Dalesio
Marty Kraimer | O iocCore 3.15
O iocCore 4.0  
O CA 4.0
O SNL 4.0 | 3.15 Feature Sheet
4.0 Feature Sheet
CA 4.0 Func. Spec
CA 4.0 Design Spec |
| Tools/Extensions | ?? | O Common look/feel
O Common config
O Tightly integrated |  |
| Collaboration Support | ?? | O Record Reference
O “Getting Started”
O Device Support Archive
O Expectations for contributions |  |
| EPICS 5.xx++ | ?? |  |  |

## How might a lead proceed?

**Identify a cooperative team**
**Hold frequent consultations with the team**
- E-mail, video conference, meetings
**Solicit input from the wider community**
**Solicit/identify tangible resources**
**Consider “short term sabbaticals” for intense implementation efforts**
**It might be that the report at the EPICS Collaboration Meeting is ...**
- “I contacted 15 people and no one was interested”.

## Available Resources ?

**Can you help?**