Software technologies for a prototype ATLAS DAQ

Abstract The ATLAS collaboration has defined a set of user requirements for the back-end software subsystem within the context of the data acquisition and event filter prototype “−1” project. Based on these requirements, a number of evaluations have been performed on candidate technologies and techniques in the areas of configuration data storage (Objectivity ODBMS; Rogue Wave Tools.h++ for C++ object persistence), inter-process communication (Corba; MPI), dynamic object behaviour (Harel StateChart generator), graphical user interfaces (cross-platform GUI builder; Java AWT) and software integration (ACE operating-system interface). This paper describes the important requirements which lead to the selection of these technologies, the results obtained from the evaluations and how we intend to apply them to the design and implementation phases of the project.