Introduction to EVLA Software Bryan Butler. 2006Dec05/06EVLA M&C Transition Software CDR2 EVLA Computing (Terse) History The original EVLA Phase I proposal

Introduction to EVLA Software

Bryan Butler

2006Dec05/06 EVLA M&C Transition Software CDR

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EVLA Computing (Terse) History

• The original EVLA Phase I proposal had only M&C software under direct project control (budgeted), other software was to be “supplied” by the DM Division.

• After dissolution of the DM Division, the EVLA project took responsibility for all software elements (though post-processing was still somewhat separate in the CASA group). Some project contingency was redirected to support new staff in previously unfunded areas (SSS).

• New e2e Operations Division will now take responsibility for some common elements (Portal, PST, AAT, Pipelines, post-processing).


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EVLA Computing Organization


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EVLA High Level Design

• Most major subsystems have a direct counterpart in current VLA software

• We have a significant amount of experience in what is needed for those subsystems

• Electronic storage and passage of information between subsystems, and therefore the ability to do much of this automatically, is the new part

• Subsystems are loosely coupled; information (the models) is stored in databases and accessed independently by the subsystems, or passed via queries


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EVLA High Level Design

DATAFLOW


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ObservationPreparationTool (OPT)

Ast

rono

mer

or

Staf

f

Project EVLA ObservingHeuristics

Program Block(Set of Scheduling Blocks for one Program)

Proposal SubmissionTool (PST)

To Observation Scheduling Tool

EVLA High Level Design (1)

Portal

Proposal HandlingTool (PHT)

Proposal

Au

then

tica

ted

Ast

rono

mer

or

Staf

f


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ObservationSchedulingTool (OST)

Executor

Next SBExecutionState

Equipment State

Metadata to DCAF

Operator

Environment

From OPT

Results from TelCal

Sequence of ConfigurationsAntenna Delays

Archive

Archive

Operator

Heuristics

Metadata to DCAF

To AMCS& CMCS

From AMCS& CMCS


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Hardware M&C

AMCS

CMCS

RF EVLA Antennas

FOTS Receiver

Station, Baseline Boards Lag Frames

CBE

State Counts

Raw Vis

Equipment State, Data Addressing Info, Messages, Alerts, etc.

From Executor

FF

To Archive & TelCal

To DCAFTo DCAF


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SDM

Data Capture AndFormat (DCAF)

From CMCS

TelCal

SDM

From AMCS& CMCS

To ExecutorAnd Archive

To Archive

Quick LookPipeline

(QLP)

Astronomer orOperator

ObservationMonitoring

Tool (OMT)

M&CArchive

Portal

AuthenticatedAstronomer or

OperatorM&CArchive

To Archive (?)

TelCalResults


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From DCAF

DataPost-Processing

(DPP)

ImageCubes

VO Astronomer

Default ImagePipeline (DIP)

Cubes (?)

From CMCS


Archive

Archive Access Tool(AAT)

Astronomer

Portal

AuthenticatedAstronomerReprocessed

ProprietaryProducts

Existing ProprietaryProducts

OpenProducts

OpenProducts

Trigger


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The main flow of information (and processes; the “workflow” or “dataflow”) is:

Major Elements (“Models”)

Proposal

Project(s)

Program(s) Schedule(s)

Commands

A Scheduling Block (SB) is an atomic unit of observing. It is made up of a sequence of scans; a scan is made up of source(s), resource(s) (hardware definition - both Front End and Back End), timing information, and a “mode”. The mode defines the subscan(s), which are comprised of a single source, resource, and timing information.

Data


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Timescale and Major Releases

Now

Release Date Event Comments

A Q1 2008Arrival Prototype Correlator 4 SBs, 1 BB

B Q2 2009Arrival Production Correlator 16 SBs, 16 BBs

C Q2 2010Commissioning More complex observing

D Q2 2011Shared-risk Observing Standard modes supported

E Q2 2012Full Operation End of EVLA construction


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Transition Software• The Phase I proposal stated that the VLA would continue

to operate during EVLA construction: “A key goal for the implementation of the Ultrasensitive Array is to impact as little as possible the scientific viability of the VLA”.

• Our Visiting and Users Committees have reinforced this point strongly - if the VLA has significant down time (years), we run the risk of shutting off the supply of young astronomers interested in using the EVLA.

• We therefore need software to operate the combined VLA/EVLA instrument during this transition period, with various combinations of hardware from both.

• As a side note, we use the transition system software as a testbed for the final EVLA system - as prototypes from which we learn


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Transition Software Broad Requirements

• The EVLA Monitor and Control system must support simultaneous operation of the old VLA antennas and the EVLA antennas during the transition phase, using the VLA correlator (note that there is no requirement to incorporate VLA antennas into observations using WIDAR)

• Array down time shall be minimized as much as possible during the transition phase,

• Transition operations using any part of the VLA shall be possible using VLA OBSERVE files (to maintain backward compatibility with VLA antennas while they exist)

• From a software resource perspective, transition-specific software (throw-away) code must be minimized


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Transition Software Crude Schedule

• Support for EVLA antenna hardware development• Participation of EVLA antennas in VLA scientific

observations• The monitor and control of VLA antennas by the

EVLA Monitor and Control System• The monitor and control of the VLA correlator by

the EVLA Monitor and Control System, coupled with the distribution of VLA correlator output within the EVLA Monitor and Control System

• The formation and writing of VLA format archive records by the EVLA Monitor and Control System

• A period of parallel operation and testing

Documents

Introduction to EVLA Software Bryan Butler. 2006Dec05/06EVLA M&C Transition Software CDR2 EVLA Computing (Terse) History The original EVLA Phase I proposal