1. LCG Monte-Carlo Events Data Base: current status and plans
MCDB team:
S. Belov
L. Doudko
S. Makarychev
A. Sherstnev
S.Belov, JINR, Dubna
on behalf of LCG MCDB group

2. Overview
Motivations
To Provide Configuration, Book-keeping, Documentation, Storage for the Shared Monte-Carlo Event Files
To keep track of the full generation chain, Exploiting the Competences of Monte Carlo Experts and Monte Carlo Authors
CMS MCDB [hep-ph/ ]
Only parton level files; AFS storage; No Searchable; No SQL
LCG MCDB proposal [hep-ph/ ]
Same authors + Additional human resources and technical support
Core software supported by LCG Software Project Infrastructure
MySQL; CASTOR (RFIO); CGI; Perl; Apache 1

3. Terminology
Article – a document describing a set of event samples. The documents are the main Web content of MCDB
Category – a class of articles and physics models concerned a particular type of physical processes. It corresponds to leaves in MCDB Web catalog
Author – an expert in Monte-Carlo generators. (S)he can upload new event samples to MCDB and describe them in corresponding articles
Moderator – a person who has privileges to manage author profiles and moderate any information in the database 2

4. MCDB Scheme Web site Administrator API Moderator Application software
Authors
management
Article
Search in DB
Comment articles
Download
Author registration
Administrator
Metadata DB:
SQL database
Event samples
storage: local
discs, CASTOR,
etc
API
Moderator
Upload
Application
software
Author
End-user 3

5. Ready for tests by end-users
Short MCDB Status
Articles Management (done)
Event Files management (done)
Authors management (done)
Users comments management (done, not tested)
Authorization block (done 95%)
Search engine (done 30%)
Documentation (done 20%)
Ready for tests by end-users 4

6. End-users: browse catalogue, read articles5

7. End-users: Search for articles6

8. End-users: Download event files7

9. End-user: leave comments on articles8

10. Registration as MCDB author9

11. Article management (done)
The article management system provides a clear Web interface to document event samples
Allows to use pre-entered information to describe MC generators, physics models, cuts, etc. in articles
Permits to edit previously created articles
Preview and then publishing documents to the Web
Articles are presented in a very structured way 10

12. Event Files Management (done)
Event files are stored on CASTOR
Upload and download are realized through the Web
MCDB uses server local discs for files cashing (to/from CASTOR)
GRID and API interfaces (in the future) 11

13. Author authentication and access control system
Based on CERN AFS passwords
Checks whether author is registered in system and user’s privilege (author/moderator)
Moderator is able to block author accounts if necessary
Grid-certificates based authorization: in the future 12

14. Some technical details
MCDB was ported to SLC3
- Installation of all nessesary software and packages
- Detailed instruction on MCDB setup from the beginning
Registered MCDB accounts
- CASTOR : mcdbsupp, now 1Tb space on tapes
- lxplus
Savannah project page
Slightly modified SQL tables structure
CVS tree cleanup 13

15. Conclusion: working prototype is ready
We have a working version of MCDB
- Basic Web functionality is supported
- Event files stored on Castor
- Deployed on
(under CERN Scientific Linux)
- system needs “external“ testing 14

16. Future plans Documentation (end-users, developers)
Model conception refining (physical models, generator models, variable parameters, etc.)
Application Package Interface
- API for collaborations software
- Grid interfaces (POOL, Grid users’ certificates)
Development uniform event format (HEPML realization) 15