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AccTesting - Accelerator Testing Framework

Motivation

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN requires many systems to work closely together to allow reliable operation and at the same time ensure the correct functioning of the protection systems required when operating with large energies stored in magnet systems and particle beams. They are validated individually and integrated together during a yearly hardware commissioning campaign, and after certain type of interventions during the normal operations of the accelerators, that require further validations. In the commissioning campaign of 2021, more than 24000 tests have been performed on 1587 superconductive circuits.

The Accelerator Testing Framework (AccTesting) is the key solution enabling the commissioning activity. It is responsible for planning, scheduling and tracking the execution and analysis of the numerous commissioning steps for a multitude of accelerator components
(Magnet, Quench Protection System, Power Converter, Beam Interlock System, etc.).

AccTesting in a nutshell

AccTesting is a solution implemented with a n-tier architecture. AccTesting Architecture

A central AccTesting server orchestrates other services to run commissioning tests and to analyse test results. It allows numerous users with different roles to take part in the definition of the test campaign, the execution, analysis or signature of tests, or the extraction of data.

AccTesting Test Plan

A scheduler is responsible to ensure the fluidity of the test executions, respecting some constraints with regard to their ordering or concurrency.

AccTesting Scheduler

Technologies

  • Java and Spring for the framework implementation
  • Swing for the Graphical User interface
  • Flyway and Oracle databases for the storage solution
  • ELK and Grafana for the monitoring
  • Embedded Domain Specific Language in Java for selft documented analysis descriptions
  • Akka actor model

See also the list of publications and presentations on the topic.