The LHC Sequencer

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN is a highly complex system made of many different sub-systems whose operation implies the execution of many tasks with stringent constraints on the order and duration of the execution. To be able to operate such a system in the most efficient and reliable way, the operators in the CERN control room use a high level control system: the LHC Sequencer. The LHC Sequencer system is composed of several components, including an Oracle database where operational sequences are configured, a core server that orchestrates the execution of the sequences, and two graphical user interfaces: one for sequence edition, and another for sequence execution. This paper describes the architecture of the LHC Sequencer system, and how the sequences are prepared and used for LHC operation.