Common DFOS tools:
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dfos = Data Flow Operations System, the common tool set for DFO |
make printable | New: | see also: | ||||||||
v2.4: v2.5: v2.5.5: |
workflow tool; tips and links under 'Operations'
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topics: description | workflow (overview) | date list | execution: NORMAL TIMEOUT FORCED | output | logs | usage | config | operational hints |
This tool is the standard wrapper tool providing the automatic, incremental daily dfos workflow. It provides automatic processing of CALIB data, all the way from detection of new data down to processing and scoring.
The tool calls ngasMonitor to search for new CALIB data. If nothing is found, it exits. If new CALIB data are found, the tool creates new ABs, executes them, ingests QC1 parameters, creates QC reports and scores, and finally updates any new HC report found by scoreQC. This strategy ensures that at the end of execution all HC plots are properly updated. Typically the tool is called as cronjob, once per hour. Since it works on new data only, it processes the data in an incremental way, providing an up-to-date feedback on the HC monitor and at the same time a good load balance.
The tool can be started externally from the HC monitor pages, using a php script. This mode is called "forced" mode and is designed for PSO staff to launch an upgrade of the HC monitor when they need urgent feedback and don't want to wait for the cronjob to start.
The tool supports the BADQUAL workflow of calChecker, by adding new ABs for TODAY to the list of offered ABs on the calChecker BADQUAL list (see there).
Workflow. This is the workflow of autoDaily:
check for new fits files
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download and processing | updating new HC jobs | ||||
autoDaily | ||||||
calling ... | scoreQC (as part of QC reports) |
execHC_TREND [trendPlotter] | ||||
ngasMonitor | createReport | createAB | createJobs + processAB + processQC | |||
finding ... | new fits files | new QC1 parameters | new HC jobs |
Date list list_data_dates. autoDaily reads a file $DFO_MON_DIR/list_data_dates . This file is filled by ngasMonitor with processing dates. autoDaily loops over that date list. In incremental mode, that list usually contains only the current date, unless there is a delivery backlog (the data transfer is disturbed) and files are delayed. With the configuration key FLASHBACK=NO you can avoid the date list having dates which are older than two days.
You can also edit the date list to contain a custom set of dates (e.g. for reprocessing). Then you call the tool as 'autoDaily -D' from the command line.
Execution flow. The tool then executes the following steps:
I. Normal execution mode:
for each DATE in $DFO_MON_DIR/list_data_dates :
II. Execution if previous session has not yet finished ($OTHER_TIMEOUT): the tool checks for another session still being executed. This could happen if many ABs have been created and are still executing. Then, the tool goes into a "wait" loop and checks every 60 sec for the other autoDaily session being finished, until a total configurable TIMEOUT time has elapsed after which it terminates (notification email is sent).
With this strategy, it is guaranteed that autoDaily will always keep the HC reports up-to-date within 1 hour, no matter if it is executed under
See also the workflow table.
Since autoDaily is called again after 1 hour, the timeout parameter should not be longer than 60 minutes (actually a maximum value of 50 minutes is hard-coded).
III. Forced execution: the tool can also be called from the HC monitor, with a php form that starts a password-protected dialog. If confirmed, the user can set a trigger which is recognized by a cronjob on the operational machine and used to start an autoDaily session with the usual functionality decribed above. (For security, there is no direct access from the web server to the operational machine.) The external user can follow the log file and also receives mails with the start and finish information. The intention of this mode is to allow Paranal staff to launch a refresh of the HC monitor on a short notice, e.g. when they have created new calibration data and wait for quick feedback on the HC monitor.
For the forced mode to work properly, the following components are needed:
what | provided by |
1. php interface on www.eso.org/qc/<instr>/reports/php | autoDaily (uploaded every time upon execution) |
2. cronjob to check for trigger set by php script | dfosCron -t autoDaily (to be run once per minute) |
3. execute the forced mode | autoDaily -F |
Cases of conflict between forced and scheduled instances of autoDaily:
Case |
Behaviour |
forced autoDaily, without scheduled autoDaily interfering | nothing special, just like a command-line call |
forced autoDaily runs into a scheduled autoDaily session | forced autoDaily will be terminated (since its ultimate goal is already being achieved by the scheduled instance); email about termination sent to originator |
scheduled autoDaily runs into forced autoDaily session | scheduled instance goesin wait loop, just like for any other pre-existing instance. |
forced autoDaily session runs into another forced session | second session waits until $TIMEOUT is reached, then it terminates, email sent to originator. |
Output. The tool returns, for all processed dates:
The next steps in the daily workflow (certifyProducts and moveProducts for CALIB) are manually launched from the dfoMonitor since they require interaction and decisions.
Execution log. The execution log is found under $DFO_MON_DIR/AUTO_DAILY. This log file mainly consists of the merged log files of all participating dfos tools. Since its full execution may take hours, the log file is kept temporary during runtime, as $TMP_DIR/autolog. After termination, it is written into the final AD_<execution date>.log. During execution, the temporary log file can be watched on the dfoMonitor (click the red button, or the 'log' link on the right top part). In forced mode, the log file can be followed on the browser window.
The autoDaily logs are kept separate from the cronjob logs (under CRON_LOGS) since otherwise it might become difficult to find them.
The tool creates another type of log file, the AB creation log, as ABL_<date>.log, also under $DFO_MON_DIR/AUTO_DAILY. It list each single AB created, with the creation timestamp. This is useful for the incremental mode and helps checking
Outdated log files (2 years or older, by year) are auto-deleted.
Type autoDaily -h for on-line help, and autoDaily -v for the version number.
The standard way of calling the tool is as cronjob.
You can also call the tool from the command line, or via the php interface linked to the HC monitor.
Call 'autoDaily -D' if you want the full execution of a custom date list $DFO_MON_DIR/list_data_dates.
The tool confguration file (config.autoDaily) defines:
USER | giraffe | needs to be set for cronjob enabling |
DISK_SPACE | 95% | stop if disk space occupation exceeds $DISK_SPACE |
OTHER_TIMEOUT | 50 | timeout parameter for waiting for other dfos tools (in minutes); should be 50 or less! |
PGI_PREPROC | pgi_fork | optional, user-provided plugin script to manipulate the workflow in a non-standard way |
FLASHBACK | NO | YES|NO: if YES, tool will backwards-process dates older than 2 days if they were incomplete and ngasMonitor reports a new file (default: NO; evaluated only if ENABLE_INCREM=YES) |
Dates to execute (incremental mode for fast data transfer). For all Paranal instruments, the data are delivered in near-real time. They appear in the archive continuously. This is the standard pattern. The data list usually contains only one date, the current one. autoDaily is called once per hour. Any new file will be used for creating and processing ABs. This approach ensures the optimal timescale for QC feedback (one hour or less) which is the operational committment.
Suggested autoDaily cronjob pattern is once per hour after calChecker (say 10 minutes): e.g. " 24 * * * * " (24 minutes after every hour; arbitrary offset to avoid simultaneous queries from all dfo machines). Minimum pattern is once per hour during daytime calibrations, in order to have calChecker, CALIB products results and HealthCheck plots up-to-date within one hour.
For the forced mode of autoDaily to work properly, you need an additional line in your cronjob file, with a cadence of one minute (!). See the dfosCron page for more.
Last update: March 6, 2024 by bwolff |