JAS for Babar Online
Status

December 2nd 1999

Tony Johnson

(tonyj@slac.stanford.edu)

Introduction

JAS is designed for Offline Data Analysis

With impetus from Babar has been adapted for online monitoring use

Interface for server to communicate with arbitrary data source

Added HTML page display with embedded plots

Added ability to specify plot style/content in XML

Added ability to dynamically create slices/projections

Ability to send commands from client to server

Added capability for “CustomOverlays”

- customized plot rendering for specialized displays (e.g. scalers)

Changes in JAS itself are not Babar specific

Current Issues (that I know about)

Printing

Currently limited by JDK 1.1 -> switch to JDK 1.2 imminent

Much higher quality plots

Scalable and Rotatable

Added support for printing multi-page HTML documents

Print preview - single click printing to default printer

Still an issue with Solaris

Memory leaks

Some objects not being released when histograms are cleared.

Custom Overlay broken during last release

Interactive Slices broken during last release

Misc. Comments

Need to get better communication about bugs

Use JAS bug report form

http://www-sldnt.slac.stanford.edu/jas/bug_reports.htm

Complain more!

One central server (at least for testing)??

Manpower limited

Prioritize required extensions

JAS source code is now in CVS

http://www-sldnt.slac.stanford.edu/jas/source.htm

Pure java build system imminent

We want to make this work!

Run coordinator Issues

no multiple diagnostic windows open during routine operation

??

start/stop/reset histogram accumulation: control from dedicated buttons on the JAS window or from a second window dedicated to JAS control; in normal conditions one should not worry about directories etc. but just interact with the program from these two windows.

Should be easy to add buttons to JAS menu. Start/stop/reset is Babar server issue.

synchronization with Run Control to optionally have histograms accumulated during given periods (runs, fills, ...)

Babar server issue

saving sets of histograms for reference should allow setting up easily up-to-date multiple references (physics data taking, backgrounds data taking, cosmics, ...)

Mostly Babar issue.

the comparison of histograms with reference, as it is now, does not allow to have both histograms simultaneously on the screen; it should be possible to have them superimposed.

JAS supports overlaying histograms. Must come from same “Job”. Histograms in javahist format might be useful.

automatic comparisons with reference should be implemented wherever possible.

Auto overlay feature would make this easier.

Ambient Data Issues

Online Monitoring

Multiple scalers plotted on the same time axis

Already supported

Multi-color pens to support the above feature

Already supported

Alarm levels displayed in the plots.

Only problem is how alarm levels are sent to display

User-selectable update frequency

Babar server issue? - Per plot or global?

"Zooming" on the time axis.

Already supported by JAS - not by DHP

Offline Analysis

Access to the ambient database via begin/end time requests

??

Correlation plots (ambient data and ambient vs. event data)

??

Seamless presentation of data across the cache and database (this is more an issue for the data servers, but JAS would have to know how to plot data coming from two different sources.)

??

An analysis should be "scriptable”

??


JAS is designed for Offline Data Analysis
With impetus from Babar has been adapted for online monitoring use
	Interface for server to communicate with arbitrary data source
	Added HTML page display with embedded plots
	Added ability to specify plot style/content in XML
	Added ability to dynamically create slices/projections
	Ability to send commands from client to server
	Added capability for “CustomOverlays”
		- customized plot rendering for specialized displays (e.g. scalers)
Changes in JAS itself are not Babar specific


Printing
	Currently limited by JDK 1.1 -> switch to JDK 1.2 imminent
		Much higher quality plots
		Scalable and Rotatable
		Added support for printing multi-page HTML documents
		Print preview - single click printing to default printer
		Still an issue with Solaris
Memory leaks
	Some objects not being released when histograms are cleared.
Custom Overlay broken during last release
Interactive Slices broken during last release


Need to get better communication about bugs
	Use JAS bug report form
		http://www-sldnt.slac.stanford.edu/jas/bug_reports.htm
	Complain more!
One central server (at least for testing)??
Manpower limited
	Prioritize required extensions
	JAS source code is now in CVS
		http://www-sldnt.slac.stanford.edu/jas/source.htm
		Pure java build system imminent
We want to make this work!


	no multiple diagnostic windows open during routine operation
		??
	start/stop/reset histogram accumulation: control from dedicated buttons on the JAS window or from a second window dedicated to JAS control; in normal conditions one should not worry about directories etc. but just interact with the program from these two windows.
		Should be easy to add buttons to JAS menu. Start/stop/reset is Babar server issue.
	synchronization with Run Control to optionally have histograms accumulated during given periods (runs, fills, ...)
		Babar server issue
	saving sets of histograms for reference should allow setting up easily up-to-date multiple references (physics data taking, backgrounds data taking, cosmics, ...)
		Mostly Babar issue.
	the comparison of histograms with reference, as it is now, does not allow to have both histograms simultaneously on the screen; it should be possible to have them superimposed.
		JAS supports overlaying histograms. Must come from same “Job”. Histograms in javahist format might be useful.
	automatic comparisons with reference should be implemented wherever possible.
		Auto overlay feature would make this easier.


Online Monitoring
	Multiple scalers plotted on the same time axis
		Already supported
	Multi-color pens to support the above feature
		Already supported
	Alarm levels displayed in the plots.
		Only problem is how alarm levels are sent to display
	User-selectable update frequency
		Babar server issue? - Per plot or global?
	"Zooming" on the time axis.
		Already supported by JAS - not by DHP
Offline Analysis
	Access to the ambient database via begin/end time requests
		??
	Correlation plots (ambient data and ambient vs. event data)
		??
	Seamless presentation of data across the cache and database (this is more an issue for the data servers, but JAS would have to know how to plot data coming from two different sources.)
		??
	An analysis should be "scriptable”
		??