#acl ClemensLange:read,write,admin All:read
This is a small summary of the DCS database access tools I found.

<<TableOfContents(4)>>

=== Official documents ===

https://edms.cern.ch/file/684959//PVSS-COOL.pdf

=== Webpages ===

 * https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/PixelDCSSoftware
 * https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/CoolDCS
 * https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/InDetConditionsDB
 * https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/PixelDBOracleHowTo
 * https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/viewauth/Controls/PVSSFolkLore
 * https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/IDOfflineDCSMonitoring

=== Existing tools ===

==== PVSS2COOL Monitoring ====

Tool that checks if PVSS2COOL writing worked and monitoring the data, requires Athena to be set up:

 * Produces webpage (http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/DATABASE/project/catrep/cooldcsana/dcsana.html)
 * sends mails if there are errors
 * documentation: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/CoolNightlyTasks#COOL_DCS_data_monitoring

Note that this tool (CoolDCSAna.py) just uses AtlCoolCopy.exe to write the database information into a root file.

Comment: Tool accomplishes the COOL access part of what we probably want.

General PVSS2COOL business:

 * Entry point: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/Pvss2Cool
 * ATLAS DCS Database Interfaces: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/DcsDb
 * websvn: https://svnweb.cern.ch/cern/wsvn/atlastdaq/DAQ/online/pvss2cool

==== dumpDCS ====

Tool by Sascha Mehlhase, can dump DCS content using root classes. Standalone C++ tool.

 * Documentation: [[Projects/Pixel/DCSSoftware]]
 * code: http://isscvs.cern.ch/cgi-bin/cvsweb.cgi/Pixel/mehlhase/?cvsroot=atdesyz#dirlist
 * uses root SQL extensions

Comment: Code is pretty neat and probably easily extendable. Might have to move from root sql queries to Oracle API.

==== PVSS Data Viewer (PDV) ====

Java tool by Dirk Hoffmann to graphically display a range of PDEs

 * Documentation: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/PvssDataViewer
 * FAQ: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/PdvFaq
 * Manual: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/PdvManual
 * Plug-in for Pixel available

Comment: Java might not be the right thing for a quick scan, but the code might be interesting.

==== Oracle/PHP Interface for ATLAS PvssDb ====

php scripts by Dirk Hoffmann. Outdated and only partly functional, but might be a good starting point. He recommends using PDV.

 * webpage: http://dirk.web.cern.ch/dirk/PvssDb/
  * PvssDb systems (http://dirk.web.cern.ch/dirk/PvssDb/Systems.php): taken from PvssDb, as it is faster than  described in Paul's PVSS Folklore.
  * PvssDb history tables (http://dirk.web.cern.ch/dirk/PvssDb/)
  * DPE value lists (http://dirk.web.cern.ch/dirk/PvssDb/DpeValues.php): navigate through the schema::system::dpe tree and display one day of raw data

Note: Offline database access seems to work, online doesn't.

Comment: If I manage to get hold of the scripts, the code might be interesting.

==== DCS DB Explorer ====

Tool originating from the TRT community that is able to graphically explore PVSS archive and COOL database.

 * webpage: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/TrtDcsDB
 * additionally explore MAPPING database which contains Hardware, Logical and Detailed view of the TRT sub-detector.
 * Tool also ported to SCT: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/SctDbExplorer

Comment: If I get rid of the graphical part, the database access methods might be want we need.

==== Inner Detector DCS Web Viewer ====
General multi-purpose tool for all subdetectors. Webbased display of basically everything there is in the offline database and mailing of results in text format.

 * Documentation: https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/IdeDcsWebViewer
 * Interface: https://atlas-ide-dcs.web.cern.ch/atlas-ide-dcs/IdeDcsWebViewer/Interface/interface.html

Comment: Tool seems a bit overloaded but can do a lot of things. However, probably not suited for our purpose.

=== Outdated pages ===

 * http://atlas.web.cern.ch/Atlas/GROUPS/DAQTRIG/DCS/CONDDB/CondDBhome.html - COOL Conditions Database for PVSS v3.1
 * https://twiki.cern.ch/twiki/bin/view/Atlas/PixelDBTaskForce - contains some more links
 * http://atlas-france-afs.in2p3.fr/Activites/Informatique/Pixel/app_dpes.php
 * https://lemonweb.cern.ch/sls/history.php?id=phydb_ATLR&more=availability

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CategoryDCSProject