PC-based Remote Console System using Java for High Energy Accelerators
Noriichi KANAYA*, Seiji ASAOKA and Hideki MAEZAWA
Photon FactoryHigh Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK)
1-1, Oho, Tsukuba, 305-0801, Japan
half day. Thus, the Remote Console System has been
designed and implemented.

Abstract
A PC-based Remote Console System has been designed
and implemented using Java for high-energy accelerators.
The Remote Console System provides control
information on accelerator control operation in order tocontrol and monitor high-energy accelerator components.
The system was implemented on PCs and portable laptop computers running under WindowsNT. The systemallows operating the accelerator as well as diagnosing theaccelerator at any place in the field through the network.
The system provides functionality of consoles either inthe control room or, if a failure occurs in the accelerator,
in the vicinity of the faulty accelerator component. The
system can greatly reduce shutdown time caused by amalfunctioned accelerator component. The design andimplementation of the system is discussed.

1 INTRODUCITON
There are twenty-two synchrotron-radiation beam lines
at the 2.5-GeV positron storage ring, Photon Factory atthe High Energy Accelerator Research Organization(KEK). These beam lines feed synchrotron radiation to
the experimental hall where experiments, such as surface
physics, x-ray lithography, microscopy and crystal
structure analysis, are simultaneously carried out. Thesebeam lines are simultaneously in operation, providing
intense synchrotron-radiation beams. The pressures inthe storage ring and the beam lines are maintained at an-8
ultra-high vacuum (UHV) of less than 10 Pa to achievea long beam lifetime, typically of more than sixty hours.
Consoles in the control room for high-energy
accelerators generally tend to be large, heavy displays,
X-terminals and workstations. If there is a failure in theaccelerator, it is useful to be able to locate any faulty
component in the field, i.e., at the vicinity of theaccelerator. Particularly, there are a number of users fora synchrotron radiation facility who use an intense
photon beam for their experiment at the same time.
Shutting down the accelerator caused by a malfunctioned
device should be avoided as much as possible, even for a*

Email:noriichi.kanaya@kek.jp

2 SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
The Remote Console system comprises an applet on
World-Wide-Web (WWW) browser, a proxy server onan SGI UNIX workstation, and the operation server
running on the control computer VAX/VMS.
In addition to Java’s capability, due to its tightnetwork-security mechanism than CGI, the Java Applet
was chosen as the implementation language for thesystem. Needless to say, the Remote Console System canbe utilized on any WWW browser on a PC running
WindowsNT4.0 that supports Java Applet as shown inFig.1. Due to the security restrictions of the WWWbrowser, the Applet is not allowed to make a direct linkto the control system on the VAX in this case, except for
the host (i.e., the UNIX workstation) from which theApplet is loaded. Thus, the server works as a proxy
server. The http server is always listening to a TCP/IP
port, and accepts a request from a WWW browser.
When invoked, the WWW browser on the PC loads
the Java class library of the Remote Console Systemfrom the http server on the UNIX workstation throughthe network. Then, the WWW browser automaticallyinitiates the Remote Console System. After being
invoked, the Remote Console System establishes aconnection with the proxy server on the UNIXworkstation across the network. As shown in Fig.2, theoperator can specify operation information of theaccelerator components to be concerned. The RemoteConsole System composes a request message associatedwith the operator's choice. The packet includes a list ofcomponents and time information to be concerned. Then,the Remote Console sends the request message to theproxy server on the UNIX workstation using a socket
communication, and waits for a reply from the proxy
server. Upon receiving the request, the proxy server
relays it to the server on the VAX/VMS, inquiring status
information on theFig1. A screen shot of the Remote Console System

Fig. 2 A screen shot of a menu of the Remote ConsoleSystem.

accelerator components. After authenticating thecontents of the request, the server at the VAX/VMS
fetches operational information and control data fromthe control systems, for example, the control system forthe synchrotron radiation beam lines [1][2].
The server replies to the proxy server by transmitting
the operation information to the proxy server. The proxy
server finally relays it to the Remote Console System.
The Remote Console System can display the operationaland control information on the WWW browser as theconsole screen. For security reasons, the proxy server
accepts a request from PCs that have been registered toaccess.
The Remote Console System also allows the operator
to access the database on the control computer [3] inorder to diagnose the accelerator when a failure occurs.
Since a WWW browser on a lap-top computer can also
invoke the Remote Console System, it is possible todiagnose the accelerator at any place in the field throughthe network. The Remote Console System provides
functionality of consoles either in the control room or, ifa failure occurs in the accelerator, the operator candiagnose the accelerator in the vicinity of the faulty
accelerator component, making it possible to reduceshutdown time caused by the malfunctioned accelerator
component.
Access to the database is carried out almost in thesame way as normal access to the accelerator
components, except for the role at the proxy server side.
When the operator specifies operation information of theaccelerator components to be concerned, the Remote
Console System composes a request message associatedwith the operator’s choice. The packet includes a list ofcomponents and time information to be concerned. The
Remote Console System sends a request to the proxyserver. The Remote Console on the browser is waiting
for the reply from the proxy server. Upon receiving arequest, the server executes SQL statements to connect
the on-line Oracle database running on the VAX/VMS.
The communication between the two servers is done
through an SQL*Net driver.
Once a connection is established, the server executes
SELECT statements associated with the request
submitted by the Remote Console. After retrieving andcollecting operational data of the accelerator
components from the Database, the server transmits theoperational information to the proxy server. After acompletion message is sent back to the Remote Console
from the proxy server, it finally displays the operation
information of the accelerator.
The Java environment is still evolving and growing
rapidly. We have implemented the Remote Console
using the Java Applet. The VAX/VMS will be replaced
by a UNIX workstation.

2 CONCLUSIONThe Remote Console System for accelerator components
using Java Applet for high-energy accelerator
components has been discussed. The system can obtain
operational information of the accelerator components toallow inspecting the faulty accelerator component not
only in the control room but also in the field.

3 ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
The authors wish to express their gratitude to the staff ofthe Photon Factory Light Source Division for operating
the beam liens and the storage ring.

4 REFERENCES
[1]

[2]

[3]

N.Kanaya, S.Sato, S.Asaoka, T.Koide and H.Maezawa,"Operational Experience with the Distributed Control System for
Synchrotron Radiation Beam Lines at the Photon Factory", Particle
Accelerators, Vol.29,pp.227-232,1990.
N.Kanaya, S.Asaoka and H.Maezawa, "A Generic Model forMonitoring Operational Parameters of Accelerators byHeterogenesous Multiprocesses at the Photon Factory," Proc. ofHigh Energy Accelerator Conference 1992, Hamburg, Germany,1992.
N.Kanaya, S.Asaoka and H.Maezawa, "Operational Logging
System Using the Database for the Synchrotron Radiation BeamLines at the Photon Factory," Proc. of Particle Accelerator
Conference 1997, Vancouver, Canada, Mar. 1997.