Large-Scale Corba-Distributed Software Framework for Nif Controls

Abstract

The Integrated Computer Control System (ICCS) is based on a scalable software framework that is distributed over some 325 computers throughout the NIF facility. The framework provides templates and services at multiple levels of abstraction for the construction of software applications that communicate via CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture). Various forms of object-oriented software design patterns are implemented as templates to be extended by application software. Developers extend the framework base classes to model the numerous physical control points, thereby sharing the functionality defined by the base classes. About 56,000 software objects each individually addressed through CORBA are to be created in the complete ICCS. Most objects have a persistent state that is initialized at system start-up and stored in a database. Additional framework services are provided by centralized server programs that implement events, alerts, reservations, message logging, database/file persistence, name services, and process management. The ICCS software framework approach allows for efficient construction of a software system that supports a large number of distributed control points representing a complex control application.