| User's Guide to RunControl &minus Selecting a RunConfiguration |
The final step before initiating a run is to select a RunConfiguration. A RunConfiguration contains all the settings and a list of the crates to be included for a given run. The RunControl user may either select a predefined RunConfiguration, or create a brand new one. To access RunConfigurations, use the Parameter pull-down menu, as shown below.
Select Run Configuration
Detector experts and operations managers create a variety of predefined RunConfigurations for the user to choose. Choosing the Select Run Configuration pops up a selection window as shown below. The RunConfigurations are organized into various directories or folders according to their function. The top level configurations are for use by the ShiftCrew during colliding beam operations. The Calib and Cosmic folders contain calibration and cosmic ray configurations, respectively. Subdirectories from the Calib directory are organized by calibration type. The Ace folder is intended for use by the ShiftCrew DAQ Ace. DaqTest folder contains component-specific runs not normally performed by the ShiftCrew. The Private directory is for general users' own personal configurations, with no restrictions on content.
Click on the above link to enter the world of RunSettings.
Print Run Configuration
To view a text version of the bulk of the current RunConfiguration, choose the Print Run Configuration option. The text window that appears can be saved to a file and printed, if need be.
Add Comment to e-Log and Run Database
Nothing is important enough to do that isn't important enough to document. The Add Comment to e-Log and Run Database allows a quick and easy way to attach an informative text comment to the current run (or any other run). The comment will be entered int he RunSummary database and viewable via the RunSummary web pages. The comment will also be sent to the current ShiftCrew e-Log page. A comment box will appear automatically at the beginning and end of each run. See below for an example.
For colliding-beams data, an extra piece of the RunComment box will show up at the end of a run that requires the user to select Potentially Useful, send to offline farms or Definitely Bad, do not send to farms. The user must exercise judgement in conjunction with the CDF shift crew and operations managers to make this decision. When in doubt, choose Potentially Useful.
Refresh from Hardware Database
Selecting Refresh from Hardware Database will initiate an incremental update of the Hardware Database image stored locally in RunControl. All changes since the last refresh or the start of RunControl will be updated in memory. If changes in the hardware database have been made, and it is urgent to load them, use this option. Note that the Hardware Database will be refreshed at each Partition and Config or Setup transition, so explicity selecting this option is not normally necessary. The RunControl session log will show the incremental changes.
Validate Veto
At the beginning of each Partition and Config or Setup transition, a validation procedure is run on the current RunConfiguration. If there are errors or warnings, an informative text box will appear. Warnings (not necessarily fatal) do not impede the transition flow; errors will prevent the transition from continuing, and the user must correct the problem before issuing the transition again. In case of emergencies, it may be necessary to disable this feature in order to continue running; turing off the Validate Veto option will allow transition to continue in spite of errors. This action should be taken only under expert guidance.
TurboHRR
The TurboHRR hidden transition allows a subset of Halt/Recover/Run actions to be taken in a much faster time period than the full Halt+Recover+Run sequence. This option is not available at this time, but may be reënabled in the future.
AutoShepherd
Automatic front-end crate shepherding is initiated by the ErrorHandler when it encounters a predefined error condition occurring in a crate. Currently only TDC_GLOBAL_NOT_DONE errors will generate automatic shepherding, but the list may be expanded in the future. In case of problems with this feature, it may be disabled via this option, and RunControl will reject all future automatic shepherding requests from the ErrorHandler.
Reset Luminosity
Normally the AcnetMonitor program running on the node cdfacnet.fnal.gov provides an interface between the Accelerator's AcNet information system and the CDF Data Acquisition system. AcnetMonitor tells the CLC crate, via a SmartSockets message, when luminosity should start and stop counting. If this mechanism goes awry, the user may have to reset the luminosity counters by hand with this option.
Stop Luminosity
Like the Reset Luminosity option, the AcnetMonitor program provides a stop time for the CLC crate's luminosity accounting. The signal can be generated by hand with this option.
Manually Override State Mgr Condition
All StateManagers in RunControl require crates and clients to reply with a successful acknowledgement before leaving a transition and entering the target state. In very limited expert situations, it may be necessary to continue out of the transition and into the target state regardless of whether the clients have returned successful acknowledgements. Use this option to force the StateManager to continue into the next state. Normally this option is only used when debugging RunControl or client software.