At CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are preparing to resume research early in 2015 following a major programme of maintenance and upgrading to prepare the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) to run at almost double the energy.
This will enable researchers to open a new chapter in probing the underpinning structure of the universe in search of the basic constituents of matter and to gain insights into the fundamental laws of nature.
Software AG’s in-memory data management software BigMemory has helped provide maximum support system availability since the launch of Control and Monitoring Platform (C2MON), which provides realtime information concerning the multiple support systems that maintain an optimal operating environment for the LHC.
CERN must ensure that nothing compromises the efficacy of the LHC and monitor a non-stop stream of massive amounts of data produced from more than 94 000 sensors creating over 1,5-million non-redundant events per day.
Using Software AG’s Terracotta In-Memory Data Management platform, featuring BigMemory, engineers and operators can receive, analyze and act in real-time on the sensor data.
Everything from the power supply, temperature levels, airlocks status, ventilation systems, and many other key systems are continuously monitored to sustain better than 99,99984% C2MON availability (which translates into less than one second a week downtime).
Matthias Bräger, CERN software engineer, says: “At CERN, there is little room for error and system availability is a critical factor that can determine success or failure. Giving engineers and operators up-to-date information, in real-time and without interruption means that if and when the smallest deviation occurs, they can act upon it immediately and avoid any unintended consequences.”
What can be invaluable is the scientific research that will come from CERN and its impact on the lives of millions. Particle physics experiments have provided many advances in medicine and industry including: cancer therapy, medical and industrial imaging, radiation processing and electronics.
Millions of people each year undergo diagnosis with the use of radiopharmaceuticals for an ever-growing list of medical conditions. A well-known form of this is the Positron Emission Tomography, or PET scanners, which were developed in the 1970s by CERN in collaboration with the Geneva Cantonal Hospital.
Philippe La Fornara, chief operating officer: Southern & Eastern Europe & Latam at Software AG, comments: “As well as high-performance throughput, BigMemory provides automatic failover for C2MON, and the ability to add system upgrades without interrupting monitoring services. This ensures that the engineers and operators can survey infrastructure systems without significant downtime.”
