Data warehouse on the Web for accelerator fabrication and maintenance

A data warehouse grew out of the needs for a view of accelerator information from a lab-wide or project-wide standpoint (often needing off-site data access for the multi-lab PEP-II collaborators). A World Wide Web interface is used to link legacy database systems of the various labs and departments related to the PEP-II Accelerator. In this paper, we describe how links are made via the 'Formal Device Name' field(s) in the disparate databases. We also describe the functionality of a data warehouse in an accelerator environment. One can pick devices from the PEP-II Component List and find the actual components filling the functional slots, any calibration measurements, fabrication history, associated cables and modules, and operational maintenance records for the components. Information on inventory, drawings, publications, and purchasing history are also part of the PEP-II Database. A strategy of relying on a small team, and of linking existing databases rather than rebuilding systems is outlined.