A decade of NSTX operations using collaborative software

Abstract

Since the beginning of the National Spherical Torus Experiment's (NSTX) research activities in 1999, open-source and collaborative software have been used extensively for experimental operations. The software included Experimental Physics and Industrial Control System (EPICS) and the Model Data System plus (MDSplus). This paper will begin with a retrospective of ten years of integrated computing, control, and data analysis on NSTX. A variety of practical issues will be reviewed such as: system reliability, availability, and maintainability; using open source software with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware; obsolescence and remaining current. Recent improvements, current status, and emerging issues will be presented. Numerous proposals for NSTX upgrades have been made that will extend the performance and operating lifetime of NSTX. In light of this, a collective strategy for improving NSTX's collaborative software model for a new decade of operations will be examined.