# Presentation: 228665

## Beam Commissioning Software Developed by Fermilab for the LHC

## Purpose of this Meeting

- Present to the Fermilab contingent of the LARP collaboration an idea to develop a suite of software products to enable _Fermilab_ accelerator physicists to make key contributions to the beam commissioning of the LHC.
- We would like the advice of the Fermilab contingent of the LARP collaboration as to the usefulness of this idea.

## Goal

- Fermilab wants to be involved in the commissioning and operations of the LHC.
- For example, we are making a substantial investment in remote operations
- It is difficult for outside visitors from other labs to make important contributions once beam commissioning has started.
- Unfamiliarity with the control system
- Critical problems are assigned to in-house staff.
- Fermilab will be much more welcomed at CERN if it:
- Can bring _real_ resources to the table
- Has the ability to solve operational problems

## Accelerator Software

- One possibility is to develop a suite of software products to enable Fermilab accelerator physicists to make key contributions to the beam commissioning of the LHC.
- Fermilab has a wealth of experience in the software issues of running a collider complex
- Comparable to the LHC, a significant portion of the Fermilab control system is based on Java
- Fermilab has a large pool of software expertise to draw on.
- A number of LARP hardware deliverables will require substantial software investment to make them useable.
- It might be unlikely that the software effort needed for these projects will receive a high priority from CERN

## Lessons Learned from Run II

- The importance of flexible “control room” software during Run 2 cannot be overstated.
- It is impossible to foresee all the software applications necessary _for_ commissioning _before_ commissioning begins.
- A framework is required that permits _quick_ and flexible application development by machine physicists.
- A mature shot data analysis framework must be available on Day 1 of LHC beam commissioning.
- There is little need to diagnose the accelerator when things are working well.
- It is difficult for outside visitors from other labs to make important contributions once beam commissioning has started.
- Unfamiliarity with the control system
- Critical problems are assigned to in-house staff.

## Possible Software Products

- The software should be
- Developed for the CERN control system
- Aimed for use by Fermilab accelerator physicists initially
- CERN will initially be reluctant to use software developed from the outside
- Designed for the eventual use by CERN staff
- once CERN realizes the benefit of the software
- Immediately useable by CERN
- SDA and OSDA
- Role Based Access
- Sequencers
- Programming environments and operational tools
- Synoptic Displays
- GUI Application Builder
- Accelerator Physics Code
- CHEF, OPTIM

## Software Products

- SDA and OSDA
- The most important products.
- CERN has already expressed a strong interest in collaborating with Fermilab on SDA
- Fermilab’s SDA and OSDA are written Java and might be straightforward to adapt to the CERN control system
- Will have to develop the concept of “states” or “cases” at CERN
- Role Based Access
- This software is crucial for any outside collaboration to work on the LHC
- As CERN begins to realize how vulnerable the LHC is  to external settings, this software will become critical to maintain central control of LHC while still preserving the flexibility of remote monitoring and diagnostics.

## Software Products

- Synoptic Displays
- Replace the Fermilab practice of “personalized” parameter pages with _easily_ personalized synoptic displays
- Easy to use and personalize for both operators and engineers
- Takes advantage of high level data pool management.
- Avoid the pitfalls of using “LABVIEW”-like front ends
- GUI Application Builder
- Provides a graphical and menu based development environment for rapid application development by machine physicists
- Similar to Visual Basic or Visual C++
- Has access to a library comparable to CLIB for gathering accelerator data (BPMs, magnet settings, etc..)

## Software Products

- Accelerator Physics Code
- CHEF, OPTIM, etc..
- Graphical user interfaces to lattice calculations
- Advance calculation tools
- Interface to control system

## LHC Software Team Composition

- Computer Professionals
- 1.5 FTE’s from AD
- 1.0 FTE’s from CD
- Operational Specialists
- Can write code
- 1.0 FTE’s from AD
- Accelerator Physicists
- Can write code
- 1.0-1.5 FTE’s
- With 0.5 FTE as the team leader
- This project would last 2-3 years
- At least until the LHC is commissioned
- The workload will change as LHC commissioning progresses
- Demand for computer professional effort will be high at the beginning of the project.
- Demand for operational specialist and accelerator physicist effort will increase as the LHC commissioning matures

## Initial Team Tasks

- Develop expertise on the CERN control system
- CERN is pleading for experienced Java programmers to assist them with their current programming loads
- see last LHC-Mac presentation by P. Charrue
- We should assign at least 1.5 FTE’s to help CERN
- Spend 35% of their time at CERN
- These FTE’s in return become the liaisons with CERN
- Knowledgeable on the CERN control system
- Knowledgeable on CERN needs
- Builds good will with CERN
- Further define:
- software products
- scope of work
- resources required

## Collaboration with the LHC

- We would like to see if it is possible to develop this project inside the framework of LARP
- Take advantage of LARP’s contacts and interactions with CERN
- A significant portion of LARP hardware deliverables will require substantial software investment to make them useable.
- without having to be a _formal_ part of the LARP collaboration.
- Do not want to detract or compete for resources of LARP’s major activities
- LARP has kept a distance from software projects
- It might be difficult to find a common software vision across different institutions that comprise LARP.
- A possible management strategy
- The project is funded by Fermilab as part of Remote Operations at Fermilab
- The project is managed by a member (or members) of the Fermilab contingent of LARP

## Next Steps

- Meet with mid-level management from AD, CD, and LHC @FNAL
- To review and refine the idea
- To identify _possible_ resources
- Complete by July 14
- Meet with AD and CD division heads
- For review
- For approval
- To identify _actual_ resources
- Complete by July 21
- Meet with Lab management (Holmes and Montgomery):
- For approval
- For commitment of resources
- Complete by August 1