/*
* ALMA - Atacama Large Millimiter Array
* Copyright (c) European Southern Observatory, 2013
*
* This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
* modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
* License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
* version 2.1 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
*
* This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
* but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
* MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU
* Lesser General Public License for more details.
*
* You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
* License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
* Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA
*/
package alma.acs.monitoring.blobber;
import alma.ACSErrTypeCommon.wrappers.AcsJNoResourcesEx;
/**
* The MonitorPointExpert encapsulates detailed knowledge about
* specific monitor points that is needed by the generic upper layers of the blobber.
* <p>
* The implementation must be provided by the lower blobber layers (outside of ACS)
* via the BlobberPlugin.
*/
public interface MonitorPointExpert {
/**
* Checks if the given monitor point is multi-valued.
* We must distinguish the following cases:
* <ul>
* <li>The corresponding baci property is not of a sequence type.
* This means we read a single value from it at a given time.
* Then this method should return <code>false</code>.
* <li>The property is of a sequence type, and the sequence should be interpreted
* as multiple values of a single property taken at a given time.
* Then this method should return <code>true</code>. <br>
* Note that this concept has also been referred to as "unique monitor point"
* in the sense of single monitor point (but multiple values).
* <li>The property is of a sequence type, and the sequence should be interpreted
* as values coming from multiple logical monitor points
* that each have a single value at a given time.
* Then this method should return <code>false</code>.
* </ul>
* @param propertyName The fully qualified name of the property.
* @return <code>true</code> if the given monitor point
* @throws AcsJNoResourcesEx If the property information needed to answer this question cannot be loaded.
*/
public boolean isMultivaluedMonitorPoint(String propertyName) throws AcsJNoResourcesEx;
}