The evolution of the control system for the electromagnetic calorimeter of the compact muon solenoid experiment at the large hadron collider

This paper discusses the evolution of the Detector Control System (DCS) designed and implemented for the Electromagnetic Calorimeter (ECAL) of the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) as well as the operational experience acquired during the LHC physics data taking periods of 2010 and 2011. The current implementation in terms of functionality and planned hardware upgrades are presented. Furthermore, a project for reducing the long term software maintenance, including a year-long detailed analysis of the existing applications, is put forward and the current outcomes which have informed the design decisions for the next CMS ECAL DCS software generation are described. The main goals for the new version are to minimize external dependencies enabling smooth migration to new hardware and software platforms and to maintain the existing functionality whilst substantially reducing support and maintenance effort through homogenization, simplification and standardization of the control system software. (authors)