From: SLCW47::LUCHINI 28-MAY-1999 10:16:06.80 To: ron CC: %smtp%"uli@slac.stanford.edu",mws,luchini Subj: goal file proposal Ron, I would like to propose that we begin keeping the BIC goal files in CMS on the Alpha. This new CMS directory for goal files would allow access for operators as well as software developers, as it now is for operators who modify SCP panels. The operator would reserve a goal file, make their changes and then replace the file back into CMS using CMP, or a CMP based script similar to editpnl. As part of putting the goal file in production, the operator would be asked if they wished to rpc it over to the gateway. If the answer was NO, the new goal file would not be copied to the gateway, but would still be placed into CMS. In addition a simple test function would be available. This would run from the command line (on mccdev) and check the goal file for syntax errors. Currently, testdbgen is provided after editing a database file, so this is comparable but much more simple. A "C" function that checks goal file syntax currently exists on unix and can be easily ported to the Alpha. Since the gateway does not currently have separate accounts for all users, but rather group accounts such as epicsscp and cddev, and keeping usage low on the gateway is important, editing a goal file on the gateway is not a viable solution. Also, since these goal files are already rpc'ed from the gateway to mcc, edited and the new copy rpc'ed back to the gateway directly after changes have been make, it seems logical that keeping the goal files on mccdev to start would simplify the process plus provide some advantages. One of the advantage of keeping the goal files in CMS is that we can archive goal files. This is not currently done, and in fact the gateway is the only copy kept for goal files. This could cause problems if the goal files are lost or corrupted on the gateway. Currently, the remedy might be to retrive the goal files from the gateway backup. This method would take more time than simply taring the CMS'ed goal files to the gateway. Retrieving goal files from a backup would not prevent the loss of goal files, or goal file changes made since the last backup was performed. In addition the operators usually want to copy an existing file and make simple changes for a new fill pattern. Currently, this is not easily done, but would be trivial if the goal files were on the Alpha in CMS. Using CMS also provides the operators more flexibility to use whatever editor they want to when making changes to a goal file, and to make those changes at their own leisure before putting changes into production. As an aside, since we are just reading the goal files from a pepii ioc, we could nfsMount the CMS goal directory on the ioc instead of RPC'ing the goal files via CMP and then nfsMount'ing a mirrored CMS directory on the gateway. However, Ken Fairfield was concerned that this may cause problems if the nfsMount failed. Ken said that nfsMount points on the gateway do not failover to another machine. - Kristi