Control and monitoring of on-line trigger algorithms using a SCADA system

LHCb [1] has an integrated Experiment Control System (ECS) [2], based on the commercial SCADA system PVSS [3]. The novelty of this approach is that, in addition to the usual control and monitoring of experimental equipment, it provides control and monitoring for software processes, namely the on-line trigger algorithms. Algorithms based on Gaudi [4] (the LHCb software framework) compute the trigger decisions on an event filter farm of around 2000 PCs. Gaucho [5], the GAUdi Component Helping Online, was developed to allow the control and monitoring of Gaudi algorithms. Using Gaucho, algorithms can be monitored from the run control system provided by the ECS. To achieve this, Gaucho implements a hierarchical control system using Finite State Machines. In this article we describe the Gaucho architecture, the experience of monitoring a large number of software processes and some requirements for future extensions.