PVDB

PREX Main << Weekly Analysis Coordinator

Parity Run Database (also called PVDB) stores run related information using mysql. DB is running on cdaqdb1 (alias of cdaqfs1) and mirrored over to hallcdb (read-only slave of the cdaqdb1 master). There are a-rcdb and c-rcdb for Hall A and Hall C, respectively. It utilizes existing rcdb framework that has been developed and used for Hall D. While we keep the same schema from the rcdb, we added some parity conditions such as helicity and spin rotator information. For questions, please contact sanghwa@jlab.org.

General information

• Hall A rcdb home page: https://hallaweb.jlab.org/rcdb/ (accessible on-site and off-site)
• PVDB git repository: https://github.com/JeffersonLab/pvdb
• RCDB git repository: https://github.com/JeffersonLab/rcdb

Run information is filled at the Start/End of each run as well as after the prompt analysis.

A wrapper script is located at:
~adaq/scripts/addRunStart2pvdb
~adaq/scripts/addRunEnd2pvdb

Instruction for users

• Connection:

One can access the DB copy from any jlab network computer as rcdb. No password required.
In your script, set a hard coded connection string, for example:

con_str="mysql://rcdb@hallcdb.jlab.org:3306/a-rcdb"
db = rcdb.RCDBProvider(con_str)

Or, from non adaq machine (aonl, farm, ..)

> setenv RCDB_CONNECTION mysql://rcdb@hallcdb.jlab.org:3306/a-rcdb

• Note for connection from adaq machine:
  

RCDB_CONNECTION is set on adaq machines to the master DB by default in order to fill run conditions into the DB.
Please do NOT connect to the master DB. Editing the DB contents should be done through Sanghwa Park except for run QA conditions done by the WAC (see below for WAC DB Tools).
If one needs to access DB from adaq machines, set the connection string separately through a hard coded string in a script.

How to read from the DB

• using CLI:

To see available options:
PLEASE DO NOT USE "write" or "replace" without talking to Sanghwa

> rcnd -h

Print total number of runs and last run number as well as condition names

> rcnd 

List condition names (with description)

> rcnd --list

Get a condition value for a given run:

> rcnd run# condition_name
ex) > rcnd 2461 run_type

• Using python script
  • https://github.com/JeffersonLab/pvdb/tree/master/prex/examples

How to add/modify comments for the DB

on the adaq machines, type:

> slcomment

- Type Run Number and click "OK"
- Existing comment will appear on the box below. If there is nothing, it means there was no comment before.
- Add your comment and click "SAVE AND EXIT"

WAC DB TOOL

on the adaq machines, type:

> pvdb_edit

- Type Run Number and click "Connect"
- Run type and Run flag currently stored in the DB will be shown. You may not see nothing for "Run flag" if this is the first time you are updating the condition.
- Select new "Run type" and "Run flag".
- Click "SAVE" to store the new conditions into the DB

Make a run list from DB

• Example script: https://github.com/JeffersonLab/pvdb/blob/master/prex/examples/make_run_list.py

You can run it from any jlab subnet as far as environment variables are set properly. Things are set in aonl machines already.

• From aonl as apar:

1) log in

> ssh apar@aonl#

2) Copy the script to your working directory

> cp ~/pvdb/prex/example/make_run_list.py <your_directory>

3) How to use, available options

> python make_run_list --help

Expert tools

Deployment log

• May 2019:

- pvdb successfully tested with the parity DAQ. The wrapper scripts are integrated into halogRunStart_parity and halogRunEnd_parity.

- Modified login script to set the environment variables for the connection string and pvdb home on adaq machines.

• June 10, 2019

- After the transition from hcrcdb to cdaqdb1, we set up the database again. Now the database name is a-rcdb.

Login as root: (if you don’t know the password and you think you have a reason why you need it, contact Sanghwa Park, Brad Sawatzky.

DB user ‘pvdb’ created with access granted from jlab subnet. Granted all privileges on a-rcdb:

> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON `a-rcdb`.* TO ‘pvdb’@’%.jlab.org’;
> SHOW GRANTS for pvdb@’%.jlab.org’;

- adaq user account already exists (apcoda - no pw, apar - pw required). Granted ALL privileges on a-rcdb.

- DB structure created:

 1) Use get_started.py
 To create both default rcdb condition types and parity default types (defined in parity_rcdb)
 > python get_started.py
 Check with rcnd command:
 > rcnd (should print conditions)

 2) To add new conditon types:
 Use add_condition_type.py
 Using CLI (rcnd):
 >rcnd --create my_value --type string --description "This is my value"
 ConditionType created with name='my_value', type='string', is_many_per_run='False

- Added condition type "experiment"

• June 11, 2019
  

- Added "sl_comment" condition and created gui script for WAC. Alias set as "slcomment" and available from any adaq machines.
- script: ~/scripts/guis/pvdblog.tcl (use edit_comment.py)

• June 13, 2019
  

- Added "good_charge" and "run_flag" conditions
- replace comment gui script with a new one: ~/scripts/gui/wac_comment.py

Other info

• connect to the master DB (recommended only for authorized ppl):
  

> mysql -h cdaqdb1 -u <user_name> -p

• use pvdb database for test and development. Do it by setting the connection string accordingly.

• a-rcdb accounts:
  • pvdb (access from jlab subnet, pw required), granted all privileges on a-rcdb, pvdb
  • apar (access from adaq subnet, pw required), granted all privileges on a-rcdb, pvdb
  • apcoda (access from adaq subnet, no pw required), granted all privileges on a-rcdb, pvdb. Used to push run information from adaq.

• To modify rcdb_home:

location: /groups/halla/www/hallweb/html/rcdb_home
First, set the primary group to harcdb

> sg harcdb

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