1. WinCC-OA Upgrades
in LHCb

2. Control System Scope Different Scope Different Requirements?
Detector Channels
Front End Electronics
Readout Boards
High Level Trigger (Farm)
Storage
Trigger
Experiment Control System
DAQ
Detector & General Infrastructure (Power, Gas, Cooling, etc.)
External Systems (LHC, Technical Services, Safety, etc.)
TFC
Monitoring

3. Control System Architecture
INFR.
TFC
LHC
ECS
HLT
LV Dev1
LV Dev2
LV DevN
DCS
SubDetN DCS
SubDet2 DCS
SubDet1 DCS
SubDet1 LV
SubDet1 TEMP
SubDet1 GAS …
DAQ
SubDetN DAQ
SubDet2 DAQ
SubDet1 DAQ
SubDet1 FEE
SubDet1 RO
FEE Dev1
FEE Dev2
FEE DevN …
Status & Alarms
Commands
Legend:
Control Unit …
Device Unit
Some Stats:
~ datapoints
~ datapoint elements
~8 000 Control Units
~ Device Units

4. Control System Deployment
WinCC-OA:
~170 projects
Distributed over ~150 PCs All virtual machines All Linux
+ Driver Machines
Only Drivers and/or Scattered Managers
~30 Windows (ccpc/USB boxes of 4)
~15 Linux (ccpc/Specs boxes of 2)
1 DIP Machine

5. Control System Deployment
Some deployment details
Projects in “/localdisk”
“/group” (G: in windows) visible everywhere
“GlobalProject” in Config of All Projects, ex:
pvss_path = "/opt/WinCC_OA/3.11"
proj_path = "/group/velo/pvss/fwComponents_VEECS1"
proj_path = "/group/online/ecs/PVSSShortcutProjects311/GlobalProject"
proj_path = "/localdisk/wincc/VEECS1"
Operation via “Shortcuts”
Automatically generated, for Windows and Linux, ex:
pvss_path = "C:/Siemens/Automation/WinCC_OA/3.11"
proj_path = "G:/online/ecs/PVSSShortcutProjects311/CentralRepository"
proj_path = "G:/online/ecs/PVSSShortcutProjects311/VELO/VELORepository"
proj_path = "G:/velo/pvss/fwComponents_VEECS1"
proj_path = "G:/online/ecs/PVSSShortcutProjects311/GlobalProject"
proj_path = "G:/online/ecs/PVSSShortcutProjects311/VELO/VEECS1_W“
Repositories (containing panels and libs) generated every night
Created from FwComponents => Per sub-detector => LHCbRepository

6. Control System Tools “Shortcut” Project
“Database” of ALL Projects, allows:
Generate and manage Shortcuts
Generate repositories
Execute scripts or import DPs on any group of projects

7. Upgrading… Requirements/Wishes: HW and/or Operating System
Do everything centrally
As transparent as possible for all types of users
Developers, Operators, etc.
As fast as possible
HW and/or Operating System
Normally comes with new WinCC-OA version
-> See later

8. Upgrading… WinCC-OA patches WinCC-OA Major Versions
Try to agree with users to do all in one go (but can be negotiated):
Done by Sys-admins:
Stop projects (Linux service) -> Install Patch RPM -> ReStart projects
WinCC-OA Major Versions
Depends on “Upgrade” procedure…
Worst case example: (move to virtual machines, slc6, windows to linux and 3.8 to 3.11 at once)
Extracted ALL DPs to project's dplist dir
Copied all Projects to a central area
Prepared a script: create new project, import DPs, copy back folders (in the process fix Windows paths and WinCC-OA novelties)
Sys-admins created the machines and installed WinCC-OA
Run the script for all projects
Ask sub-detectors to check if everything still worked

9. Upgrading… Framework Components LHCb Components
Dump new files (panels, scripts, libs) in “GlobalProject”
Import DPs to relevant projects, if needed
If necessary restart managers or project (either transparently or in agreement with users)
JCOP Framework Components
Same as above, but:
Need to prepare LHCb FW based on JCOP FW
Merge LHCb changes: Trending, Alarm Handling
Verify carefully all changes…
In general we don’t use the Installation tool except to create New projects and for tests

10. JCOP FW Upgrades Requests:
Please do not load new libraries in the config file Always use #uses
Please do not overwrite settings in the dpl file, ex:
fwTT_TrendTree.root _FwTreeType "" 0x …
_AESProperties_fwAes.Alerts.FilterTypes.AlertSummary _AESProperties 2
If a post-install script is needed for an upgrade would be nice to write it in the release notes
If the dpl files have changed would be nice to write it in the release notes
Would be nice to have an fwInstallation dpl file or to understand exactly when the DPs are upgraded

11. JCOP FW Upgrades Other “features”:
Normally the time of a new FW release and the time window to install it before start up is very short.
So by the time I understand all new “features” and how to merge them with LHCb, there is no time to wait for a new version.
So I end up “fixing” my local copy and after is done, I forget to report it back… Until the next release…
This applies mainly for fwTrending and Alarm Screen
But also for example I changed the “Corporate Color” (I think in 3 different places), plus it’s against the guidelines
Ok(ish) for DeviceEditorNavigator (development tool)
But not for AlarmScreen (an operation tool), completely different look and feel from all other LHCb Operation panels

12. JCOP FW Upgrades Other “features”: DB Schemas FwConfigurationDB schema
We only find out that the schema needs upgrading long after installation…And very close to LHC startup
Then we need to open the ConfDB panel and upgrade each schema (once per sub-detector)
The upgrade always fails for some schemas-> need Piotr’s help
Oracle Archive schema
Every new version brings new problems of compatibility between standard API/CERN API/patch level, etc.

13. JCOP FW Upgrades Other “features”: And Notes:
Problem with WCCOAascii Since WinCC-OA 3.11 and all Linux
Ascii Manager never starts while the project is running
FATAL, , ASCII export cannot be started, WinCC OA project start possibly in progress. Please try again later.
Need to stop project and start only main managers
Why? Need help…
And Notes:
We do use occasionally fwInstallation (without DB)
So we need to keep it functional
We also use the fwSystemOverview tool for upgrades
To stop/restart projects, To restart selected managers, etc.

14. Upgrading… Applications Why do we do it like this? Continuous Process
Modify files in /localdisk (or better in a test project)
Test
When happy move them to FwComponents (central area)
Backups are there for “mistakes”…
Why do we do it like this?
While DCS part is quite stable
DAQ projects change every day…
No way (for me) to keep up with proper components
So couldn’t impose it on the others…
I think fwInstallation needs proper/stable components