@@ -13,17 +13,40 @@
 # started 25.08.2026; Sandro Wenzel
 
 import argparse
+import dataclasses
+from dataclasses import dataclass, asdict, fields
 import json
 import os
+import requests
 import statistics
 import subprocess
 import sys
 import urllib.request
 from datetime import datetime, timezone
 
+# hack to find the script with helper functions
+o2dpg_root = os.environ.get("O2DPG_ROOT")
+if o2dpg_root is None:
+  raise EnvironmentError("O2DPG_ROOT is not set in the environment.")
+mc_prodinfo_path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(o2dpg_root, "MC", "prodinfo"))
+sys.path.append(mc_prodinfo_path)
+# FIXME: these should probably be moved to a common script
+from mcprodinfo_ccdb_upload import extract_metadata_blocks_from_CCDB
+
 CCDB_HOST = "http://alice-ccdb.cern.ch"
 
 
+@dataclass(frozen=True)
+class CCDBTimeMachineTS:
+    """
+    struct for CCDB time machine timestamp
+    """
+    LPMProductionTag: str
+    Period: str
+    Pass: str
+    NotAfter: int
+
+
 def alien_json(*args):
     """Run alien.py with -json and return the parsed 'results' list."""
     cmd = ["alien.py", "-json"] + list(args)
@@ -111,7 +134,26 @@ def describe_object(o):
             f"comment=\"{o.get('comment', '')}\"")
 
 
-def get_CCDBTimeMachineTS(year, period, run, passname, samples=9, ccdb_check_path="TPC/Calib/CorrectionMapV2", ccdb_check=True):
+def make_cert_paths(cert_dir="/tmp"):
+    key_path = os.environ.get("JALIEN_TOKEN_KEY")
+    cert_path = os.environ.get("JALIEN_TOKEN_CERT")
+    if key_path == None and cert_path == None:
+       uid = os.getuid()
+       cert_path = os.path.join(cert_dir, f"tokencert_{uid}.pem")
+       key_path = os.path.join(cert_dir, f"tokenkey_{uid}.pem")
+
+    return cert_path, key_path
+
+
+def get_NotAfter(year, period, run, passname, samples=9, ccdb_check_path="TPC/Calib/CorrectionMapV2", ccdb_check=True):
+    """
+    Estimates the CCDBTimeMachine NotAfter timestamp from the output of the production of a given period/run/pass.
+    Cross-checks the estimated NotAfter timestamp vs the creation time of a CCDB object which is currently
+    valid for the given run.
+
+    Returns:
+        int: CCDBTimeMachineTS NotAfter timestamp
+    """
     pass_dir = f"/alice/data/{year}/{period}/{run}/{passname}/"
     print(f"[getCCDBTimeMachineTimestamp] Looking for TF output under {pass_dir}", file=sys.stderr)
 
@@ -137,7 +179,7 @@ def get_CCDBTimeMachineTS(year, period, run, passname, samples=9, ccdb_check_pat
     spread_h = (max(ctimes) - min(ctimes)) / 3.6e6
     print(f"[getCCDBTimeMachineTimestamp] {len(ctimes)} samples out of {len(matches)} TF outputs found; "
           f"span {human(min(ctimes))} .. {human(max(ctimes))} ({spread_h:.1f} h)", file=sys.stderr)
-    print(f"[getCCDBTimeMachineTimestamp] Recommended not-after: {not_after} ({human(not_after)})",
+    print(f"[getCCDBTimeMachineTimestamp] Recommended NotAfter: {not_after} ({human(not_after)})",
           file=sys.stderr)
 
     if ccdb_check:
@@ -161,10 +203,111 @@ def get_CCDBTimeMachineTS(year, period, run, passname, samples=9, ccdb_check_pat
     return not_after
 
 
+def query_CCDBTimeMachineTS(base_url, user, period, passname):
+    """
+    Queries CCDBTimeMachineTS from CCDB for a given period and pass.
+
+    Returns:
+        obtained NotAfter timestamp (int) or None
+    """
+    # Construct user ID-specific cert and key paths
+    cert_path, key_path = make_cert_paths()
+
+    # Build full URL
+    query = f"1/Period={period}/Pass={passname}"
+    user_path = 'Users/' + user[0] + '/' + user
+    url = f"{base_url}/browse/{user_path}/CCDBTimeMachineTS/{query}"
+
+    print(f"[getCCDBTimeMachineTimestamp] Checking if CCDBTimeMachineTS already exists: {url}")
+
+    response = requests.get(url, cert=(cert_path, key_path), verify=False)
+    if response.status_code != 404:
+        meta = extract_metadata_blocks_from_CCDB(response.content.decode('utf-8'))
+        if (len(meta) > 0):
+          def filter_known_fields(cls, data: dict) -> dict:
+            valid_keys = {f.name for f in fields(cls)}
+            return {k: v for k, v in data.items() if k in valid_keys}
+
+          clean_meta = filter_known_fields(CCDBTimeMachineTS, meta[0])
+          print(f"[getCCDBTimeMachineTimestamp] Found object for {clean_meta['Period']}, Pass: {clean_meta['Pass']}, "
+                f"NotAfter: {clean_meta['NotAfter']} ({human(clean_meta['NotAfter'])}), uploaded by LPMProductionTag {clean_meta['LPMProductionTag']}")
+          return clean_meta['NotAfter']
+
+    return None
+
+
+def upload_CCDBTimeMachineTS(base_url, user, keys):
+    """
+    Uploads an empty .dat file as CCDBTimeMachineTS with the corresponding meta data provided by `keys`
+
+    Returns:
+        Response object from the POST request
+    """
+    # Create an empty file
+    empty_file = "empty.dat"
+    with open(empty_file, "w") as f:
+        f.write("0")
+
+    # Construct user ID-specific cert and key paths
+    cert_path, key_path = make_cert_paths()
+
+    # Build full URL
+    query = "/".join(f"{k}={v}" for k, v in keys.items())
+    user_path = 'Users/' + user[0] + '/' + user
+    start = 1
+    stop = start + 1
+    url = f"{base_url}/{user_path}/CCDBTimeMachineTS/{start}/{stop}/{query}"
+
+    print(f"[getCCDBTimeMachineTimestamp] Uploading CCDBTimeMachineTS: {url}")
+
+    # Prepare request
+    with open(empty_file, 'rb') as f:
+        files = {'blob': f}
+        response = requests.post(url, files=files, cert=(cert_path, key_path), verify=False)
+
+    os.remove(empty_file)
+
+    return response
+
+
+def get_CCDBTimeMachineTS(production_tag, year, period, run, passname,
+                          samples=9, ccdb_check_path="TPC/Calib/CorrectionMapV2", ccdb_check=True,
+                          ccdb_url="https://alice-ccdb.cern.ch", username="aliprod",
+                          force_overwrite=False, publish_to_ccdb=True, skip_ccdb_query=False):
+    """
+    Makes a query to CCDB for a CCDBTimeMachineTS for given period and pass.
+    If an object is found, the NotAfter timestamp is returned.
+    If no object is found, the NotAfter timestamp is estimated from the reco output of the given period/run/pass.
+    In case an object is found, a new upload can be forced by setting the argument `force_overwrite=True`
+
+    Returns:
+        int: Either the queried or the estimated NotAfter timestamp
+    """
+    if not skip_ccdb_query:
+        not_after = query_CCDBTimeMachineTS(ccdb_url, username, period, passname)
+    else:
+        not_after = None
+
+    if not_after is not None and force_overwrite == True:
+        print("[getCCDBTimeMachineTimestamp] Existing object will be overwritten")
+
+    if not_after == None or force_overwrite == True:
+        print("[getCCDBTimeMachineTimestamp] Estimating CCDBTimeMachineTS for "
+              f"LPMProductionTag: {production_tag}, Period: {period}, Pass: {passname}")
+        not_after = get_NotAfter(year, period, run, passname, samples, ccdb_check_path, ccdb_check)
+        time_machine_ts = CCDBTimeMachineTS(production_tag, period, passname, not_after)
+        if publish_to_ccdb:
+            upload_CCDBTimeMachineTS(ccdb_url, username, dataclasses.asdict(time_machine_ts))
+
+    return not_after
+
+
 def main():
     parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(
         description="Estimate a CCDB TimeMachine not-after timestamp for a run+pass, "
                     "from AliEn catalog timestamps of that pass's own reco output.")
+    parser.add_argument("--production-tag", default=os.environ.get("ALIEN_JDL_LPMPRODUCTIONTAG"),
+                        help="production tag to mark which production uploads an object (default: $ALIEN_JDL_LPMPRODUCTIONTAG)")
     parser.add_argument("--year", default=os.environ.get("ALIEN_JDL_LPMANCHORYEAR"),
                         help="data-taking year, e.g. 2023 (default: $ALIEN_JDL_LPMANCHORYEAR)")
     parser.add_argument("--period", default=os.environ.get("ALIEN_JDL_LPMANCHORPRODUCTION"),
@@ -178,17 +321,26 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument("--ccdb-check-path", default="TPC/Calib/CorrectionMapV2",
                         help="CCDB path to cross-check the estimate against (default: TPC/Calib/CorrectionMapV2)")
     parser.add_argument("--no-ccdb-check", action="store_true",
-                        help="skip the CCDB cross-check")
+                        help="skip the CCDB cross-check after calculating the NotAfter")
+    parser.add_argument("--publish-to-ccdb", action="store_true",
+                        help="upload the CCDBTimeMachineTS object to the CCDB")
+    parser.add_argument("--skip-ccdb-query", action="store_true",
+                        help="skip CCDB query for existing objects while publishing")
+    parser.add_argument("--force-overwrite", action="store_true",
+                        help="overwrite the current CCDBTimeMachineTS object in the CCDB if one exists")
+    parser.add_argument("--ccdb-url", default="https://alice-ccdb.cern.ch",
+                        help="ccdb host for the upload")
+    parser.add_argument("--username", default="aliprod",
+                        help="username to be used for the upload to CCDB")
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
     missing = [n for n in ("year", "period", "run", "passname") if not getattr(args, n)]
     if missing:
         parser.error("missing required value(s): " + ", ".join(missing))
 
-    not_after = get_CCDBTimeMachineTS(args.year, args.period, args.run, args.passname, args.samples,
-                                      args.ccdb_check_path, not args.no_ccdb_check)
-
-    print(not_after)
+    get_CCDBTimeMachineTS(args.production_tag, args.year, args.period, args.run, args.passname,
+                          args.samples, args.ccdb_check_path, not args.no_ccdb_check, args.ccdb_url, args.username,
+                          args.force_overwrite, args.publish_to_ccdb, args.skip_ccdb_query)
 
 
 if __name__ == "__main__":