- Adding first working version of the McStas SICS connection to cvs
SKIPPED: psi/polterwrite.c
This commit is contained in:
koennecke
@ -10,13 +10,12 @@ Hardware is configured into the SICS system by executing special hardware
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configuration commands from the server initialisation file. These commands
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are described here. Much SICS hardware is hooked up to the system via RS-232
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interfaces. The SICS server communicates with such devices through a serial
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port server program running on a Macintosh PC. All such devices require on
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port server program running on the instrument computer All such devices require on
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initialisation the following parameters:
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<ul>
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<li><b>hostname</b> The name of the macintosh computer.
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<li><b>hostname</b> The name of the instrument computer.
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<li><b>port</b> The port number where the serial port server program is
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listening for requests. It is given on the Macintosh screen when the serial
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port server is running. It is usually 4000.
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listening for requests. It is usually 4000.
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<li><b>channel</b> The number of the RS-232 interface on the Macintosh. 0 is
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the standard Macintosh modem port, 1 is the standard Macintosh printer port,
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2 is the first connector on the interface extension box. This leads to much
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@ -146,6 +145,10 @@ accessible as object name. Failrate is the per centage of invocations
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at which the counter will generate a random failure for testing error
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treatment code. If failrate is less then 0, there are no
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failures. This can be used in a instrument simulation server.
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<dt>MakeCounter name mcstas
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<dd>Creates a counter which interoperates with a McStas simulation. Please note,
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that the McStas module mccontrol must have been initialized before this initialization
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can work.
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<DT>MakeCounter name EL737 host port chan
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<DD>This command creates a single
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counter name, using an EL737 driver. The counter is at host host, listening
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@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ Go to:
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<li> Advice about <a href=hwini.htm> hardware </a> configuration.
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<li> A description of <a href = command.htm> command </a> initialisation.
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<li> Managing the SICS <a href="helpman.htm"> help </a> system.
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<li> Connecting SICS to <a href="mcstas.htm">McStas</a> Simulations.
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</ul>
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</p>
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<!latex-on>
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@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ which is described elsewhere.
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%html hwini.htm 1
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%html command.htm 1
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%html helpman.htm 2
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%html mcstas.htm 2
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%html special.htm 1
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%html serial.htm 2
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%html status.htm 2
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140
doc/manager/mcstas.htm
Normal file
140
doc/manager/mcstas.htm
Normal file
@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
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<HTML>
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<HEAD>
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<TITLE>The McStas SICS Interface</TITLE>
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</HEAD>
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<BODY>
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<H1>The McStas SICS Interface</H1>
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<P>
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It is useful to drive a simulation of an instrument with the same interface as is used at
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the original instruments. One of the better packages for performing simulations of neutron
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scattering instruments, including samples, is McStas. This section describes SICS
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interface to McStas simulations. The interface consists of three parts:
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<ul>
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<li>A McStas controller module which controls the actual simulation.
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<li>A McStas reader which is responsible for reading simulated data into
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SICS counters and histogram memories.
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<li>Counter and histogram memory drivers which redirect their actions to the
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McStas controller module.
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</ul>
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The general ideas is that all parameters are handled through the normal SICS simulation
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drivers. The counting operations, however, are linked with the McStas simulation. In order
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to be portable, many aspects are controlled by scripts. These scripts are configured at the
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McStas Controller. Several scripts must be defined:
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<dl>
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<dt>startmcstas
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<dd>This script will be invoked when counting starts and has to collect the necessary
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settings from SICS, construct a McStas command line and start the simulation. As a return
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value this script has to return the PID of the started mcstat process.
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<dt>mcstastest pid
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<dd>Tests if the McStas simulation is still running.
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<dt>mcstasdump pid
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<dd>Has to send a signal to McStas which causes it to dump its data without terminating.
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Current versions of McStas do this on receiving the USR2 signal.
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<dt>mcstasstop pid
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<dd>Stops the McStas simulation.
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<dt>mcstasread
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<dd>Reads the McStas simulation output and transfers monitor and histogram memory data
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into the appropriate SICS objects.
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</dl>
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</p>
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<h2>McStas Requirements and SICS Requirements</h2>
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<p>
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In order for the McStas SICS interface to work the McStas simulation has to be configured
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in a certain way:
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<ul>
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<li>All parameters which have to pass between SICS and McStas have to be declared as
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simulation parameters in the DEFINE INSTRUMENT section of the instrument definition file.
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Alternatively SICS can write the data to be passed to McStas into a file. But then this
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file must be read in the INITIALIZE section of the instrument definition and values must
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be assigned to the appropriate McStas variables.
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<li>McStas must dump its data into a single file: use the <b>-f filename</b> option.
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The format must be <b> --format=XML</b>.
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<li> In order to count on monitor, a modified PSD_monitor component MUST be used in the
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simulation. This component writes the collected total counts into a file. This file is
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the read by SICS in order to determine the control monitor. Evaluating the McStas XML dump \
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file each time proved to be to inaccurate. The name of the file containing the monitor
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must be configured through: mccontrol configure mcmonfile name-of-file.
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<li>The mcstas simulation executable must be declared with allowexec in order to be able
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to start with the Tcl exec command.
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</ul>
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</p>
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<h2>The McStas Reader</h2>
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<p>
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In order to enable trasnfer from McStas result files into SICS objects a reader object is
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needed. This module supports only XML formatted McStas files, with the output dumped into
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one file. The McStas options to achieve this are: <b>-f filename --format="XML"</b>
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This module supports the following commands:
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<dl>
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<dt>mcreader open filename
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<dd>Opens a McStas simulation file for reading.
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<dt>mcreader close
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<dd>Closes a McStas file after use.
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<dt>mcreader insertmon path object monitornumber
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<dd>This transfers a monitor value from a previously opened McStas file into a SICS
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monitor field. The McStas field read is the values tag belonging to the component. The
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parameters:
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<dl>
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<dt>path
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<dd>The path to the correct values field in the simulation file. The format is the same
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as the path format for NXopenpath in the NeXus-API (which will internally be used). For
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groups, the name attribute is used a path component.
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<dt>object
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<dd>The counter object into which the monitor is read. This is a limitation, with the
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this McStas interface only counters can store monitors.
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<dt>monitornumber
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<dd>Monitornumber is the monitor channel into which the value is to be stored.
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</dl>
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<dt>mcreader inserthm path hmobject
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<dd>Inserts array data stored under path in the histogram memory array of hmobject which
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must be a valid SICS histogram memory object. The path is the same as given for insertmon,
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but of course the data part of the detector must be addressed.
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</dl>
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</p>
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<H2>The McStas Controller</h2>
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<p>
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The actual control of the "counting" operation of the McStas simulation is done by the
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McStas controller module in SICS. Internally this module implements the routines for
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counting virtual neutrons. Towards the SICS interpreter, an interface is exhibited which
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allows to configure and test the McStas controller. The McStas Controller delegates many
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tasks to script procedures written in SICS's internal Tcl scripting language. This is done
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in order to achieve a degree of generality for various types of instruments and in order
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to allow easier adaption to differing demands. This is the SICS interface implemented:
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<dl>
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<dt>mccontrol configure mcstart startscriptname
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<dd>Configures the script which starts the McStas simulation. Startscriptname is the name
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of a Tcl procedure which collects the necessary information from SICS, builds a command
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line and finally starts the simulation. This script is expected to return either an error or
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the PID of the started process. Startscriptname will be called with the parameters mode and
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preset which represent the counting characteristics.
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<dt>mccontrol configure mcisrunning runtestscriptname
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<dd>Configures the name of a script which tests if the McStas process is still running.
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Runtestscriptname is called with the PID as a parameter. This returns 0 in the case the
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McStas simulation was stopped or 1 if it is still running.
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<dt>mccontrol configure mcdump dumpscriptname
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<dd>Configures the name of the script which causes McStas to dump intermediate results.
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The script will be called with the PID of the started McStas process as a parameter.
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<dt>mccontrol configure mckill killscript
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<dd>Configure the name of a procedure which kills the current McStas simulation
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process. KillScript will be called with the PID of the McStas simulation as a parameter.
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<dt>mccontrol configure mccopydata copyscript
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<dd>This configures the name of a script which has the task to read the results of
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a McStas simulation and assign values to SICS monitors and histogram memories.
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<dt>mccontrol configure update updateintervallinseconds
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<dd>This configures the minimum time between McStas dumps in seconds. The idea is that
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SICS buffers values during a simulation run and does not interrupt the McStas process to
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often.
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<dt>mccontrol configure mcmonfile filename
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<dd>This configures the file which mccontrol is going to read in order to watch the
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simulation control monitor.
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<dt>mccontrol list
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<dd>Prints a listing of the configuration parameters.
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<dt>mccontrol run scriptkey
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<dd>Invokes one of the scripts configure for testing purposes. scripkey can be one of:
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mcstart, mcisrunning, mcdump, mckill and mccopydata.
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</dl>
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Standard scripts for many of the script routines required are provided for the unix
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environment in the file mcsupport.tcl. Please note, that all system executables called
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from scripts must be registrered with SICS using the allowexec command.
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</p>
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</BODY>
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</HTML>
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