Significance of a Comprehensive Relational Database System for Modern Accelerator Controls

The advantages of a central ‘data warehouse’ that holds relevant project data are obvious. Due to their flexibility and given functionalities professional Relational Data Base Management System (RDBMS) (like ORACLE) seem to be better suited for this purpose than Object Oriented Data Base Systems (OODBS) that are optimized for speed and structural sophistication. In modern accelerator control diverse but multiply connected data areas have to be maintained: Classical DB applications provide the static data necessary to activate real time DBs for hardware control and data acquisition. Recently generic high level software tools have come into use that need complex configuration data. Theoretical models and their connections to operational procedures can be put into a reference framework due to the centralized storage of design data, calibration factors, geometries etc. On the technical side active nodes are increasingly distributed on large (multi-layered) networks. Different computer systems, each optimized for its designed task, provide services different in scope and multiplicity and require appropriate description and configuration data. RDBM systems support an excellent environment to control data flow and maintenance. Transaction tools allow to import data from genuine sources while conserving ownership and responsibilities. Programmed clients automatically propagate RDBM changes and help to maintain global system consistency. WEB gateways to the RDBM give platform independent and structured access to the data, thus providing high DB transparency. Todays RDBM properties even allow to consider archiving system performance monitor data (‘logging’) with reasonable update frequency.