8/3/2015

2ProjectDefinition:Purpose,Benefits,ScopeandObjectives

[Next][Previous][Top]
JavaControlsAPIProjectDefinitionReport

2ProjectDefinition:Purpose,Benefits,Scope
andObjectives
2.1Purpose
2.2Benefits
2.3Scope
2.3.1Functionality
2.3.2Applicability
2.3.3ModelStandardisation
2.3.4ImplementationScope
2.3.5DataSubscription
2.3.6JavaApplicationPrograms
2.4Objectives

2.1Purpose
TheoverallpurposeofthisprojectistodevelopaJavapackageorpackageswhichwillprovideaninterface
betweencontrolsapplicationswrittenintheJavalanguageandthePSandSLaccelerators.Oneaspectof
thisworkwillbetodevelopalanguageindependantobjectorientedmodeltotheacceleratordevices.

2.2Benefits
TheJavalanguageprovidesmanyadvantagesoverpreviouscomputerlanguagesusedinaccelerator
controls.Inparticular,itisastronglytypedlanguage(moreerrorsarecaughtearlyindevelopment),it
providesautomaticgarbagecollection(reducingruntimeerrorsandeliminatingprogrammertimespent
manuallytrackingallusesofmemory),anditprovidesarichsetoflibraries(furtherincreasing
programmerproductivity).
Bymovingintothisnewlanguageincollaboration,thePSandSLcontrolsgroupswilleliminate
considerableduplicationofeffortandarguablyproduceabetterproductintheprocess.
TheJavapackage(s)developedinthisprojectwillprovidethefirstsoftwareplatformuponwhichto
developonlineacceleratorapplicationswhichcanbeusedbybothdivisions.Thiscommonplatformhas
shortrangeadvantagesintheareaofreducingduplicationofeffort,andlongrangeadvantagesinallowing
theentirecomplexofacceleratorstobemanipulatedasasinglesystem.Thisisexpectedtobeanimportant
aidincommissioningLHC.
Asignificantbyproductofthisdevelopmentactivitywillbeacommonviewofthecontrolsystemand
increasedcommunicationbetweenthe2controlsgroups.
Thedevelopedpackagesshouldalsoallowoneapplicationprogramtocommunicateswithequipment
distributedonbothcontrolsystems(e.g.PStoSPStransferline).

2.3Scope
https://projpssl.web.cern.ch/projpssl/projects/javapi/pdr/APIPDR3.html

1/3

8/3/2015

2ProjectDefinition:Purpose,Benefits,ScopeandObjectives

2.3.1Functionality
Thescopeforthisprojectwaslistedinamemorandumfromtheparentconvergenceteam.The
functionalityistoinclude:

deviceaccess(signalI/Oandstatus)includingasynchronousandeventdrivencapability
timingandsynchronizationsupport
virtualacceleratorsupport(PPM,PLS,etc.)
referencevaluesforallcontrolpointsandpossiblymeasurementpoints
namingconventionsasappropriate
capabilityofsupportingpseudodevices,suchasmanipulatingthetuneofaring
devicediscoveryandotherfeaturesneededbygenericapplications

2.3.2Applicability
ThisJavaAPIwillbeusedbyapplicationdeveloperswithinthePSandSLcontrolsgroupsandwithin
othergroupswithinthedivisionswhocustomarilyprovideapplicationsoftwareforthesemachines.
ItisexpectedthatthisJavaAPIwillalsobeusedinthefuturefordevelopingLHCapplications.
ItispossiblethatthisJavaAPIcouldbeusedbyothergroupsinSTandtheresearchsectorforhardware
controlapplications,ifintheirevaluationtheirrequirementsaresufficientlysimilartothoseofthe
acceleratorsector.
Similarly,itispossiblethatthisAPIcouldfindapplicabilityoutsideCERNatotherresearchlaboratories.

2.3.3ModelStandardisation
ThespecificationofthisAPImustincludethedefinitionofacommonmodelthatcanbeappliedtoany
physicalorlogicaldevice.Thiscoversthedefinitionofgenericclasseslike"Device",or"Property",as
examples.
ThespecificationofthisAPIwillNOTincludeastandardizationofthespecificequipmenttypes.Inother
word,thestandardizationofclasseslike"PowerSupply","Magnet"or"BeamPositionMonitor"isnotwithin
thescopeofthisproject.

2.3.4ImplementationScope
Theimplementationproducedbytheteamshouldinitiallysupport3environments:

PScontrols,insupportoftheADproject
SLcontrols(eitherSPSorbeamlines)
https://projpssl.web.cern.ch/projpssl/projects/javapi/pdr/APIPDR3.html

2/3

8/3/2015

2ProjectDefinition:Purpose,Benefits,ScopeandObjectives

a100%Javaenvironment,withtheabilitytorunonanyJavaplatform,includingPCs,thatdon't
havethePSorSLcontrolsoftwareinfrastructureandprovidingaccesstobothPSandSL
equipment.
Thethirdenvironmentmayutilizeagatewayor
andthecontrolsystembeingaddressed.

passerellebetweentheJavaapplicationorapplet

2.3.5DataSubscription
Furtherclarificationsonscopewerealsogiven:
"WhileitisimportantthattheAPI(applicationprogramminginterface)defineadatasubscription
capability,thisprojectwillnotberesponsibleforimplementingtheunderlyinginfrastructuretosupport
thiscapability.Anotherteamwillbecommissionedwiththistask,withrequirementsdrivenby(1)this
API,(2)additionalrequirementsproducedbytheJavaAPIteam,and(3)additionalrequirementsgathered
bythedatasubscriptionteam.
"Withtheexceptionofdatasubscription,thisJavaControlsAPIteamisresponsibleforanyimprovements
orintegrationeffortsneededtoconnecttheJavaAPItotheunderlyingsystems."

2.3.6JavaApplicationPrograms
Userdocumentationandvalidationprocedurewillincludesometestprograms.However,theproductionof
JavaprogramsusingthisAPIandthemigrationofexistingJavaprogramsusingadifferentAPIareNOT
withinthescopeofthisproject.

2.4Objectives
Developasetofsoftwarerequirementsdetailingthecapabilitiestobesupported,specifying
whichcapabilitiesareessentialforthefirstversion,andwhicharedeferrabletoalaterversion.
ThesecapabilitiesshouldbeconsistentwiththosecontainedintheauditperformedbyW.
Watson,"ComparativeAnalysisoftheCERNAcceleratorControlSystems".
DefinebyJune1998ahighlevelmodeloftheacceleratorcontrol.
DefinebyJune1998acommonacceleratorcontrolsapplicationprogramminginterfaceforJava
whichsatisfiestherequirementsandwhichimplementsthemodel.
ImplementbyAugust1998aprototypeofthebasiccapabilitiesforusebythePS/ADproject.
Producesuitableuserdocumentationtoaccompanythisfirstrelease
ImplementbyJune1999thefullcapabilitiestosupportthe3environmentsdescribedin
Section2.3.4,"ImplementationScope"asclarifiedinSection2.3.5,"DataSubscription"
Producesuitableuserdocumentationforthese3environments
Developasoftwaremaintenanceplan
[Next][Previous][Top]
https://projpssl.web.cern.ch/projpssl/projects/javapi/pdr/APIPDR3.html

3/3