The BE-CSS Infrastructure & System Administration (ISA) section is responsible for the computing platforms needed to develop and run the controls software systems and operate the accelerator complex.
Concerning physical computing infrastructure, the scope of ISA’s responsibility includes: the CERN Control Centre (CCC), in terms of the operational consoles and fixed displays; the CERN Accelerator Data Centre (CCR), with the servers used to run critical software from the CSS group and other teams throughout the Accelerator & Technology Sector (ATS); technical consoles distributed across the accelerator complex. ISA is responsible for the specification, procurement, integration testing, operational installation and support of: high-performance and high-availability server platforms and storage systems for use in the CCR; operator workstations and video distribution in the CCC and other control rooms; the technical consoles distributed across the complete CERN accelerator complex, from the LINAC machines to the LHC.
From a system administration perspective, ISA is responsible for the selection, installation and administration of the Linux operating systems running on the aforementioned computing platforms. ISA also administers the real-time Linux operating system running on the computers used to remotely control accelerator devices, which are deployed throughout the CERN complex by the BE-CEM group. ISA provides a comprehensive virtualised infrastructure service to ATS, configuring both virtual machines for developers as well as Remote Operational Gateways (ROG), based on underlying platforms managed by the IT department. To complete the system administration aspects, ISA is directly responsible for user account management, solutions for process management and complete monitoring of both hardware and software, as well as computing security and networking aspects.
The ISA section takes a leading role to ensure that the accelerator controls computing infrastructure evolves in a scalable, fault-tolerant and maintainable manner. This includes initiatives such as leading the move towards an orchestrated container-based environment and responsibility for the control system Kubernetes platform, both in terms of its infrastructure and the supporting associated software development and deployment workflows.
ISA is responsible for the control system Java platform, delivering guidance and consulting to developers and tools and services to support the platform’s software engineering lifecycle as well as providing the core Java distribution. The section organises regular user meetings for the Java developer community to encourage best practices and coordinate migrations to newer iterations of the platform and associated components.
ISA stakeholders are spread across ATS, including CSS development teams, Operations teams and equipment specialists. ISA works in close partnership with the IT Department whose services help underpin a variety of ATS computing needs. As such, ISA has a coordinating role to represent ATS requirements towards the IT department and help ensure the evolution of IT services is adapted in-line with the accelerator schedule and ATS needs.