The DatabaseServer - ISISComputingGroup/ibex_developers_manual GitHub Wiki

Wiki > The Backend System > System components > The DatabaseServer

The DatabaseServer is a Channel Access Server (CAS) written in Python using the PCASpy module.

The DatabaseServer serves the following information from the instrument database:

  • Details about the IOCs
  • Names of all the "interesting" PVs for the currently running IOCs
  • Names of the sample and beamline parameter PVs.

It is also updates the database if the run status of an IOC changes.

The names of the beamline and sample parameter PVs are read from a database.

Channel Access Commands

To dehex and decompress see "Reading a Compressed Hex PV": https://github.com/ISISComputingGroup/ibex_developers_manual/wiki/Running-IOCs

Read Commands

BLOCKSERVER:IOCS

    Command: caget -S %MYPVPREFIX%CS:BLOCKSERVER:IOCS
    Returns a dictionary of IOCs, their statuses and their available macros/pvsets as compressed and hexed JSON (CHAR waveform). 
    The pattern field of a macro gives the regex of allowed values for that macro.
    Example JSON (dehexed and decompressed):
        '{"TPG300_01": 
            {"running": False,
			"macros": [
				{"name": "COMPORT", "description": "Port used to communicate", "pattern": "COM[0-9]+", "hasDefault": "NO"},
				{"name": "TESTMACRO", "description": "A macro I invented for testing", "pattern": ".*", "defaultValue": "someValue", "hasDefault": "YES"}]
			"pvsets": [
				{"name": "Motor Limits", "description": "Motor high and low limits"},
				{"name": "Test Set", "description": "An example pv set"}]
			},
          "SIMPLE": 
            {"running": True,
			"macros": [
				{"name": "TESTMACRO", "description": "A macro I invented for testing", "pattern": ".*", "hasDefault": "UNKNOWN"}]
			"pvsets": [
				{"name": "Test Set", "description": "An example pv set"}]
			},
         }'

BLOCKSERVER:IOCS_NOT_TO_STOP

    Command: caget -S %MYPVPREFIX%CS:BLOCKSERVER:IOCS_NOT_TO_STOP
    Returns a list of the IOCs that cannot be stopped as compressed then hexed JSON (CHAR waveform)
    Example JSON (dehexed and decompressed):
        '[
            "INSTETC", "PSCTRL", "ISISDAE", "BLOCKSVR", "ARINST", "ARBLOCK", "GWBLOCK", "RUNCTRL"
         ]'

BLOCKSERVER:SAMPLE_PARS

    Command: caget -S %MYPVPREFIX%CS:BLOCKSERVER:SAMPLE_PARS
    Returns the names of the sample parameters as compressed then hexed JSON (CHAR waveform)
    Example JSON (dehexed and decompressed):
        '[
            "PARS:SAMPLE:AOI", "PARS:SAMPLE:GEOMETRY", "PARS:SAMPLE:HEIGHT", "PARS:SAMPLE:NAME",
            "PARS:SAMPLE:PHI", "PARS:SAMPLE:THICK", "PARS:SAMPLE:WIDTH"
         ]'

BLOCKSERVER:BEAMLINE_PARS

    Command: caget -S %MYPVPREFIX%CS:BLOCKSERVER:BEAMLINE_PARS
    Returns the names of the beamline parameters as compressed then hexed JSON (CHAR waveform)
    Example JSON (dehexed and decompressed):
        '[
            "PARS:BL:A1", "PARS:BL:A2", "PARS:BL:A3", "PARS:BL:BCX", "PARS:BL:BCY", "PARS:BL:BEAMSTOP:POS",
            "PARS:BL:CHOPEN:ANG", "PARS:BL:FOEMIRROR", "PARS:BL:JOURNAL:BLOCKS", "PARS:BL:L1", "PARS:BL:SDD"
         ]'

BLOCKSERVER:PVS:INTEREST:HIGH

    Command: caget -S %MYPVPREFIX%CS:BLOCKSERVER:PVS:INTEREST:HIGH
    Gets the details for PVs with an interest level of "HIGH".
    Returns a compressed and hexed JSON list of interesting PVs.
    Example JSON (dehexed and decompressed):
        '[
            ["IN:DEMO:SIMPLE:VALUE1", "ai", "A description", "SIMPLE"],
            ["IN:DEMO:SIMPLE:VALUE2", "ai", "Another description", "SIMPLE"]
         ]'

BLOCKSERVER:PVS:INTEREST:MEDIUM

    Command: caget -S %MYPVPREFIX%CS:BLOCKSERVER:PVS:INTEREST:MEDIUM
    Gets the details for PVs with an interest level of "MEDIUM".
    Returns a compressed and hexed JSON list of interesting PVs.
    Example JSON (dehexed and decompressed):
        '[
            ["IN:DEMO:SIMPLE:VALUE1", "ai", "A description", "SIMPLE"],
            ["IN:DEMO:SIMPLE:VALUE2", "ai", "Another description", "SIMPLE"]
         ]'

BLOCKSERVER:PVS:ACTIVE

    Command: caget -S %MYPVPREFIX%CS:BLOCKSERVER:PVS:ACTIVE
    Gets the details for PVs in running IOCs with an interest level of "HIGH".
    Returns a compressed and hexed JSON list of interesting PVs.
    Example JSON (dehexed and decompressed):
        '[
            ["IN:DEMO:SIMPLE:VALUE1", "ai", "A description", "SIMPLE"],
            ["IN:DEMO:SIMPLE:VALUE2", "ai", "Another description", "SIMPLE"]
         ]'

BLOCKSERVER:PVS:ALL

    Command: caget -S %MYPVPREFIX%CS:BLOCKSERVER:PVS:ALL
    Gets the details for all with an interest level.
    Returns a compressed and hexed JSON list of PVs.
    Example JSON (dehexed and decompressed):
        '[
            ["IN:DEMO:SIMPLE:VALUE1", "ai", "A description", "SIMPLE"],
            ["IN:DEMO:SIMPLE:VALUE2", "ai", "Another description", "SIMPLE"]
         ]'

BLOCKSERVER:INTERESTING_PVS:ioc:level

    Command: caget -S %MYPVPREFIX%CS:BLOCKSERVER:INTERESTING_PVS:*ioc*:*level*
    Gets the details for PVs within the ioc *ioc* and with an interest level of *level*.
    Returns a compressed and hexed JSON list of interesting PVs.
    Example JSON (dehexed and decompressed):
        '[
            ["IN:DEMO:SIMPLE:VALUE1", "ai", "A description", "SIMPLE"],
            ["IN:DEMO:SIMPLE:VALUE2", "ai", "Another description", "SIMPLE"]
         ]'
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