WithintheATLASexperimentTrigger/DAQandDCSarebothlogicallyandphysicallyseparated.Neverthelessthereisaneedtocommunicate.TheinitialproblemdefinitionandanalysissuggestedthreesubsystemstheTrigger/DAQDCSCommunication(DDC)projectshouldsupporttheabilityto:1.exchangedatabetweenTrigger/DAQandDCS;2.sendalarmmessagesfromDCStoTrigger/DAQ;3.issuecommandstoDCSfromTrigger/DAQ.Eachsubsystemisdevelopedandimplementedindependentlyusingacommonsoftwareinfrastructure.AmongthevarioussubsystemsoftheATLASTrigger/DAQtheOnlineisresponsibleforthecontrolandconfiguration.Itistheglueconnectingthedifferentsystemssuchasdataflow.level1andhigh-leveltriggers.TheDDCusesthevariousOnlinecomponentsasaninterfacepointontheTrigger/DAQsidewiththePVSSIISCADAsystemontheDCSsideandaddressesissuessuchaspartitioning,timestamps,eventnumbers,hierarchy,authorizationandsecurity,PVSSIIisacommercialproductchosenbyCERNtobetheSCADAsystemforallLHCexperiments,ItsAPIprovidesfullaccesstoitsdatabase,whichissufficienttoimplementthe3subsystemsoftheDDCsoftware,TheDDCprojectadoptedtheOnlineSoftwareProcess,whichrecommendsabasicsoftwarelife-cycle:problemstatement,analysis,design,implementationandtesting.Eachphaseresultsinacorrespondingdocumentorinthecaseoftheimplementationandtesting,apieceofcode,InspectionandreviewtakeamajorroleintheOnlinesoftwareprocess,TheDDCdocumentshavebeeninspectedtodetectflawsandresultedinaimprovedquality.AfirstprototypeoftheDDCisreadyandforeseentobeusedatthetest-beamduringsummer2001.
