Computer and network infrastructure of the National Spherical Torus Experiment

Abstract

The National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) began acquiring data in February 1999. From the beginning it utilized a heterogeneous collection of computer platforms for control, data acquisition, analysis and. security. Computer processing, data acquisition and storage, and network capacity have been subsequently increased. The variety of platforms used for data acquisition and analysis, as well as the number of protocols used on the Ethernet, have also increased. Network capacity has been added to support a growing load of Ethernet-based data acquisition hardware, to handle increased firewall traffic, and to provide bandwidth for visualization of analysis results. Networked video provides broadcast views of the control room and meetings. Four-party video conferencing in the control room allows communication among the members of the national team.