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Operations Management System j5 OMS is a broad range of hardened web applications that manage, control, organize & log the Operating Processes in industrial sites. Click here for more information... |
| j5 Logbook |
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The pure Web Server version!! Make operator logs work for you! Industrial, proven, configurable. Oracle, SQL Server, Access web-server based. Click here for more information... |
| j5 HandoverBook |
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The j5 HandoverBook is an electronic tool designed to effectively manage the information flow between outgoing and incoming shifts. Click here for more information... |
| J5 in the Particle Accelerator Industry |
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1. The ESRF and it's control room 10. EVOLUTION OF THE ELECTRONIC LOGBOOKS AT ESRF (PPT)
Evolution and Status of the Electronic Logbooks at the ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility)
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Abstract
In 2004 the ESRF moved to electronic logbooks. Such logbooks should be configurable enough to be used in several situations: document management, exchange of technical information and, in the Control Room, as a powerful tool for storing and retrieving information at a glance. The St James Software (Pty) Ltd company developed such a product which met our constraints and which is easy to configure. Moreover, this product can be tailored and evolved with time by its users and allows automatic access to control system parameters. After gaining experience with several logbooks using the old Version 4 system, a new more user-friendly version which offers extensive customization possibilities has been launched. This new version, J5, has already been interfaced to the ESRF control system (Tango) through a Python binding. This allows automatic triggering of records on specific events and the generation of automatic reports from the history database system. J5 can use an LDAP server for security management.
1. THE ESRF AND IT'S CONTROL ROOM
ESRF: A brief description.
The European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF) is an X-ray source of the third generation.
The accelerator complex is composed of a Linear accelerator (e- 200 MeV), a synchrotron (300 meters – 6 GeV) and a Storage Ring (844 meters). The ESRF accelerators have been in full routine operation for over 14 years. The source delivers 5600 hours of X-ray beam to 43 beam lines simultaneously.
The Control Room.
The Control Room is managed by one Operator accompanied by another technically competent person. When the beam is delivered, the Operator must ensure that the beam quality meets the specifications.
The Operator has many diagnostics tools at his disposal. Should a problem occur, the Operator is in charge of solving it or at least, in charge of coordinating the finding of a solution. Many technical and decision-assisting procedures have been set up. Of course, the crew on shift is fully responsible for documenting all their observations, actions and problem solving.
2. INTRODUCTION OF THE E-LOGBOOKS AT THE ESRF
Old Paper Logbook System |
Most of our procedures were written in a template format and classified in a file or stored on the intranet system of specific groups. In the Control Room, all events on the accelerators were hand-written in logbooks which represented about 6000 pages/year! The worst disadvantage of this archaic system: it was impossible to retrieve easily any stored information when needed. Although we knew that an e-logbook project had to be done in several steps, we decided that we would start only if we were sure that the technology exists to reach the last step on an ideal logbook meeting all our thorough specifications. |
Before 2004:
This archaic way of gathering the information had obviously many disadvantages, the worst one being that it was almost impossible to retrieve easily any old information when needed.
In 2004, we started to define the specifications of the ideal electronic logbook for the Control Room. Although we knew that the evolution of such a project had to be done in several steps, we decided that this project would start only if we were sure that the technology exists to reach the last step of an ideal logbook with many functions.
2004 - 2008:
First experiences with a commercial e-logbook software.
Several institutes developed their own e-logbook and offer the possibility to others of sharing it. Some of these products fulfilled some of our specifications but none of them corresponded to all of our requirements. We considered that the structure was too rigid for us. At the ESRF, allocating 2 permanent staff members for the development of an in-house e-logbook for 1-2 years would have had consequences on the remaining day-to-day priority tasks.
At that time, we discovered the software called JLogBook developed by the St James Software company based in South Africa (www.sjsoft.com)[1]. This software has been developed to log the events from a control room running around the clock in an industrial environment. It was powerful and easy to configure to the user's requirements without going into any code, features which appealed to us immediately and led us to make a thorough study of its abilities. Moreover, it met most of our requirements, either directly in the off-the-shelf version or with relatively minor enhancements to the product. Any authorized user can access and add to a log or procedure from anywhere on the site. (And if authorized, even remote from the site.)
jLogbook uses a standard database (Access, MySQL, SQLServer, PostGreSQL or Oracle) which can be accessed from anywhere within the Company. The only software that needs to be installed is on the server and every authorized PC can connect to the server with any standard browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari or other browsers). The system provides a system of floating licenses (not licenses tied to a seat) which means it is economical and easy to maintain. The software is extremely easy to customize to meet any particular requirement and anyone who understands the fill in the form procedure can do it without having to resort to coding. Virtually any kind of document can be attached to a log (e.g. pdf, graphic files like jpeg, png, bmp or videos, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files) and these attachments can be displayed immediately from the log. The same software can be used to create a whole spectrum of applications like logbooks, shift reports, document repositories and applications like work permits etc.
The software layout is intuitive (See below) and logical which means there is no requirement for special training.
 The first logbook was created to store all the Control room procedures |
Enhancements added to the system to meet the ESRF Special Requirements:
No off the shelf software application will ever be a perfect fit for every user. The true worth of an application often lies in its ability to be economically and efficiently customizable to very different requirements. The following special features were added to the application so that it met the specific requirements of the ESRF operation group:
- ESRF required a powerful filtering and searching capability (see the diagram below) so that it became possible to quickly locate a given log by selecting options from multiple fields and even locating specific text within the attached pdf files. As an example: A user may want to display all "failures" ('event' field) from the "klystron" ('sub-equipment' field) of the "Radio-frequency" system ('equipment' field). Or display all "failures" ('event' field) from any equipment and sub-equipment for the last days.
- Special composite logs were created that provided a clear structure for experts to add replies to logs that have been entered by operators. For example, an operator describes an event in the main field. The form also contains a message field called 'reply' in which an expert will answer or react to the log which was entered by the operator.
- An enhanced User Permission system was created to give fine grain control down to the field level for the management of who can and who cannot perform an operation. For example, an expert may add to a log but not delete it.
- Multi-key combo options were added so that a user can accurately describe situations that cover multiple overlapping areas.
- Special enhancements were required for the management of screen shots that were captured during an upset or shutdown. A gallery of screen shots was added to the application and thumbnails of the screenshots were shown in each log.
- A powerful and flexible emailing system was added to the system. An email or an sms (with the complete details of the log) can be sent out to a selected group of recipients when either (i) the conditions in the log meet a configured condition (e.g. the "Priority = 'EMERGENCY'), (ii) if an operator deems the log should be seen by a selected list of recipients, or (iii) the email can be sent out at a scheduled time during the day. (For example, shift reports can be sent out at the end of the shift.)
 It's very simple to retrieve any procedure or documents using simple but powerful cross filtering capacity |
 A logbook can easily be configured to exchange and store technical information within a group. |
 Snapshots can be attached in a click and will appear as a thumbnail in the logbook |
 A predefined list of people or any other email address or using any predefined conditions which will automatically trigger the mail once the log is entered. In this case Jens Meyer will get all logs for which the "Beam Line" is 'ID14-3' and the "Keyword" is 'software' |
 All users can be assigned different rights on different logbooks according to their needs... for example, when they connect, all the Control Room operators are automatically forced to read first the "Instruction in progress" thanks to a predefined initial filter which is applied for these people only. |
