The DAQ program is called Phoenix. It typically writes one 4.6MB file per day containing the profiles for one event, and a smaller amount of summary data for the profiles for all the events of the day into the database.
It also writes a logfile named logfile.'dateformat1'_'dateformat2' dateformat1 is "seconds in epoch", typically something like "1330958633" dateformat2 is "yearmonthdayhourminutesecond", typically something like "20120305154353" So a typical logfile is named something like "logfile.1330958633.20120305154353"
The DAQ, if unattended, can and will use up its file quota. From time to time you should copy off the .root event files. The log files are useful for debugging problems, but are not otherwise used.
You must be on the sudoers list for emudcops. So far this only includes James Bellinger, Xiaofeng Yang, and I think Oleg Prokofiev.
The DAQ takes about 15-20 minutes to initialize the system. It starts in IDLE state and you must tell it to RUN
OR
OR
The dim dns service does not come back automatically after a reboot.
The bypass2 program allows much more detailed control of the DAQ than DCS.
From time to time (at least once a month) copy the .root profiles to some offline location and delete them from the online area. I have been putting these in /afs/cern.ch/cms/CAF/CMSALCA/ALCA_MUONALIGN/HWAlignment/Endcap/profileData
On each new event the bypass2 program writes a summary of what it knows about what failures it knows about for all the SLMs and transfer lines. 0 is good. It does not have any useful information until after it receives an event, so don't panic if you see lots of problems on startup. Each SLM or transfer line has 2 lasers, so there are two sets of numbers for each SLM.
For example, if the MAB low voltages are off, the middle 4 columns in each of the XFRn blocks of numbers will be full of 6's. This does not diagnose bad profiles, merely readout issues.
If you do not get any response from the DCS or the bypass2, the dim dns service is probably not running. See the instructions at Starting DIM DNS above.
Check to see if the DAQ is active:
DAQ update at 1330962681 05-Mar-12 04.51.21 PM status=1=> current=1 target=0For your purposes the interesting part is the date. If it is the current date, then the DAQ is not hung, and will respond to PAUSE or other commands.
The terminal server is not 100% reliable, and sometimes a port will lock up. No futher readouts on that port are possible until the terminal server has been rebooted. PAUSE the DAQ and wait until the event is finished reading out.