Year
2011
Abstract
This talk describes how LLNL is using virtual technology in the Nuclear Materials Accountability Program as a way to preserve the operating environment of the measurement equipment required for non-destructive assay of nuclear materials. The PC's that operate these measurement devices like, calorimeters, isotopic counters, neutron multiplicity counter and PAN shufflers, are specially configured and calibrated for their individual use. These systems are often, very expensive to replace and run out dated, unsupported, non-patched operating systems. Many of these systems are operating on older PC's that are well beyond their manufactures service life, making them the most vulnerable part of measurement operations. LLNL is implementing virtual technology to capture these, certified, calibrated environments to operate on redundant hardware and can further retain these environments on other media for the life span of the measurement equipment. LLNL has identified and remediated the most vulnerable component of nuclear measurement equipment. This methodology can, and is being implemented in many other areas, such as the LLNL plasma laboratories or anywhere where's there's a PC as the single point of failure in a production environment.