The Fermilab Lattice Information Repository

Over the years, it has become increasingly obvious that a centralized lattice and machine information repository with the capability of keeping track of revision information could be of great value. This is especially true in the context of a large accelerator laboratory like Fermilab with six rings and sixteen beamlines operating in various modes and configurations, constantly subject to modifications, improvements and even major redesign. While there exist a handful of potentially suitable revision systems - both freely available and commercial - our experience has shown that expecting beam physicists to become fully conversant with complex revision system software used on an occasional basis is neither realistic nor practical. In this paper, we discuss technical aspects of the FNAL lattice repository, whose fully web-based interface hides the complexity of Subversion, a comprehensive open source revision system. The FNAL repository has been operational since September 2004; the unique architecture of Subversion has been a key ingredient of the technical success of its implementation.