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Submitting tags

As a HepSim user, you can submit your detector description and the simulation/reconstruction chain to HepSim using “tag” files.

All detector simulations in HepSim are created using the concept of tags, which are small (<5 MB) files that include necessary information to convert truth-level files to final reconstructed events. All tags can be found in this page. In many cases we call them “reconstruction” tags, but, generally, they include Geant4 simulation and reconstruction steps.

A reconstruction tag is associated with the file with the name rfull[XXX].tgz, where [XXX] is a number. Fast simulations have tags with the name rfast[XXX].tgz.

The tag files are used for:

  • archiving the detector geometry
  • creating the web page with the detector description
  • archiving calibration files etc.
  • defining the used software
  • defining the tag name to be used for downloading events
  • defining the workflow of the simulation-reconstruction steps
  • creating the necessary files for event visualization using Jas4pp (only for slic/lcsim complied software)
  • feeding the HPC and grid jobs for simulation and reconstruction (for dockers & singularity images).

Reconstruction tags have unique names. There can be several reconstruction tags corresponding to a single detector, since simulation and reconstruction can be done using different software. They are small files that are sourced by reconstruction software on grid or HPC. A file rfull[XXX].tgz has everything you need to create LCIO/ROOT files with reconstructed events.

Structure of tags

In most cases, the directory inside rfull[XXX].tgz has this structure (for a detector called “sifcch7”):

A_RUN     # main script to process events (free form)
TEST      # script for testing (optional)
source.sh # setup script (optional)
.....     # other required files if needed
sifcch7   # the directory with detector geometry    (always required!)
    - compact.xml     # main detector geometry file (always required, but can be a dummy)
    - other.xml ...   # some other XML files with detector components -> optional
    - sifcch7.heprep  # some converted files, if needed -> optional file
    - sifcch7.lcdd    # file for event displays -> optional file
    - sifcch7.pandora # file for Pandora        -> optional file
    - sifcch7.json    # geometry JSON file      -> optional file
    - sifcch7.root    # geometry file (use to make 3D display) -> optional file
    - sifcch7.html    # HTML description                       -> required file
    - view1.png       # main image to view the detector (440x480 px, Y-Z) -> required for HepSim page
    - view2.png       # 2nd image to view the detector (440x480 px, X-Y)  -> optional file
    - some config files

To see what is inside, download “rful009.tgz” from http://atlaswww.hep.anl.gov/hepsim/taginfo.php?id=rfull009.

Such files include the detector geometry. In addition to the detector geometry, the tag files include the settings needed for creation of events. Generally, the form of this file is free, as long as it includes sufficient information to create reconstructed events. In many cases, the tag file has several scripts : A_RUN (to make a complete reconstruction chain) and TEST (to test on a few events). The software to run these scripts should be fully specified, and it is up to the author to make sure that one can use such files to run over events on a dedicated computing resource.

Note that the simulation and reconstruction software should not be put inside rfull[XXX].tgz files. This file size limit of 5 MB is important to keep a low network bandwidth when the tag files are sourced by reconstruction software on each node on HPC or grid, which are assumed to contain the needed software used in combination with rfull[XXX].tgz files.

You should create the reconstruction tag if:

  • detector geometry was changed. In this case, use a different detector name inside rfull[XXX].tgz
  • detector geometry is the same, but configuration files and setup scripts were changed.

HepSim provides a mechanism for uploading rfull[XXX].tgz files. After upload, HepSim automatically extracts the detector from rfull[XXX].tgz and builds an information detector page. Then you will see two entries:

As mentioned before, we leave the authors with the liberty to design the rfull[XXX].tgz files. The only strict requirement is that they should have the directory with the detector description, a PNG image and the HTML description, since such populate the information page with the detector in HepSim. The simulation and reconstruction scripts can include all the required workflow to work together with the installed software (git, makefiles, wget commands etc).

A tag file should have a directory with the detector name, and the compact.xml file inside this directory. This structure helps automatically extract the detector for inclusion in HepSim. Please add compact.xml even if it is a dummy file not used for detector description.

After a tag file is uploaded, HepSim performs the following operations with this file:

  • Moves the file to the standard location, so it can be used as a source on computing nodes
  • Extracts the detector, and makes a zip file for download
  • Builds a web page with the detector information (uses included HTML, view1.png, compact.xml and other available files)
  • For the SiD derived software, prepares a zip file with detector description for Jas4pp to view the detector inside the Wired4 display

How to submit detector tags

First, request the account HepSim login page. Then, go to HepSim and look at the yellow menu “Admin info” and then “Tag manager”. Use the submit panel to upload the tag file. HepSim does some basic checks that your tag file has the required structure, and updates the tag description and the detector page.

Sergei Chekanov 2017/08/12 21:58