Data Aquisition

Computer and Networking

BNL computing resources provided to ATF users

• BNL Computing Accounts (Windows, Microsoft Exchange, UNIX)
  Application needs to be made through BNL ITD. Applicant needs to have a current BNL appointment and life/guest number and have completed BNL training.
• BNL Visitor Wireless Network
  ATF users can connect to the visitor wireless network ("Corus") which provides access to the Internet and select internal BNL hosts. (Note: Wireless access is *not* provided to the ATF internal networks.)

ATF computing resources provided to ATF users

• Access to ATF internal control system network
  Users who are members of a fully approved experiment and who have completed the requisite BNL and ATF-specific training requirements are permitted access to the ATF internal control system network. This includes:
• Workstations on the ATF internal network accessible from the main control room, the experiment hall and the mezzanine.
• Workstations on the BNL public network which provides access to the Internet and BNL internal hosts.
• Access to ATF-networked instrumentation (e.g., oscilloscopes, video frame grabbers, motion controllers, etc.) and data collected from those instruments.
• Ability to connect user-supplied equipment to the ATF internal network (e.g. personal laptops, oscilloscopes, custom data acquisition equipment, etc.)
• Devices to be connected to the ATF network must comply with DOE, BNL and ATF requirements as detailed in the user's training, including (but not limited to) ATF-specific training, cybersecurity, information security awareness and up-to-date virus scanning tools.
• A local 16-core computational node is also available for simulation and data processing.

Users should detail all needs for ATF control system access as part of their proposal and obtain concurrence from the ATF operations coordinator prior to arrival.

• Network connections to the ATF control system databases. Approved users can access the ATF control system via:
  • Regular operator displays
  • Application programs prepared by ATF but made available to users
  • User-written applications which connect via network sockets to the database. For user-written applications, details of the ATF communications protocol are available on request. Applications can be written in any language which supports TCP/IP socket connections. ATF provides supporting libraries for applications written in C/C++, Matlab, Mathematica, Expect, Mathcad and Python. All such user-written applications need to be approved by the ATF operations coordinator prior to use.
• Technical interface with BNL ITD
  ATF staff will assist users with special requirements which require specific approvals from BNL's Information Technology Division (e.g., requests to temporarily open BNL external network firewall ports for data linkage back to home institute.)
• ATF technical assistance
  ATF staff will assist users in implementing computing/data acquisition. Users are encouraged to contact the ATF operations coordinator as early as possible to be certain their needs can be met and what users can/can not expect from ATF.

The primary point of contact for ATF computing is the ATF operations coordinator who will review all requests and then advise the relevant ATF staff.

The information provided above is subject to change in response to requirements of the US DOE, BNL, and/or ATF.