Description
In addition to the well-known challenges of computing and data handling at LHC
scales, LHC experiments have also approached the scalability limit of manual
management and control of the steering parameters ("primary numbers") provided to
their software systems. The laborious task of detector description benefits from
the implementation of a scalable relational database approach. We have created and
extensively exercised in the ATLAS production environment a primary numbers database
utilizing NOVA relational database technologies. In our report we describe the
architecture of the relational database deployed for the storage, management, and
uniform treatment of primary numbers in ATLAS detector description. We describe the
benefits of the ATLAS software framework (Athena) on-demand data access
architecture, and an automatic system for code generation of more than 300 classes
(about 10% of ATLAS offline code) for primary numbers access from the Athena
framework. Integration with the LHC Interval-of-Validity database infrastructure,
measures for tighter primary numbers database input control, experience with ATLAS
Combined Testbeam geometry and conditions payload storage using NOVA technologies
integrated with the LHC ConditionsDB implementation, methods for application-side
resource pooling, new user tools for knowledge discovery, navigation and browsing,
and plans for new primary numbers database developments, are also described.
Primary authors
A. Vaniachine
(ANL)
D. Malon
(ANL)
K. Bernardet
(CPPM)
P. Nevski
(BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY)
S. Baranov
(Freiburg University)
