PRODUCTS

ILOG CP Optimizer is an integral part of ILOG’s Optimization Decision Management System

Classic CP engines, however, require you to provide both the problem model and the search strategy for solving it. The new ILOG CP Optimizer 1.0 does away with this by providing a much simpler “model and run” development process similar to what is offered with ILOG CPLEX, the market-leading MP product.

ILOG CP Optimizer comes with a robust solution search engine that automatically finds a feasible solution and improves it until a better one cannot be found. For the first time ever, developers and OR professionals can use CP technology to solve complex problems without having to program search instructions, delivering the same ease of use offered by ILOG CPLEX.

ILOG CP Optimizer provides a wide range of modeling constructs, and takes advantage of the efficiency of constraint propagation to find feasible, and then optimal, solutions to common business problems such as resource allocation, production sequencing, timetabling and staff scheduling. And it does this at astonishing speeds, as its solution search engine adapts to the specific data and model characteristics of a problem to provide excellent response times in deployed applications.

Full development system
ILOG CP Optimizer is part of ILOG OPL-CPLEX Development System. CP models built in the ILOG OPL integrated development environment (IDE) can be tested, debugged and tuned alongside ILOG CPLEX models. ILOG CP Optimizer models built in the IDE can also be rapidly turned into interactive decision-support applications using ILOG Optimization Decision Manager. Firm-specific staff scheduling applications can be built more easily than ever before.

ILOG CP Optimizer also provides advanced programming interfaces (APIs) for C++, Java and C#. Developers can create a model, run the engine and write custom propagator functions and search controls using any of these languages.

Learn more about ILOG CP Optimizer by visiting http://cpoptimizer.ilog.com.

ILOG Transport PowerOps interface Click to enlarge (opens a new window)

ILOG Transport PowerOps 3.0
Go even farther at less cost
Logistics planners require a tremendous degree of flexibility to assemble and direct shipments in an unrelenting quest to achieve critical time and cost savings. The new ILOG Transport PowerOps (TPO) 3.0 gives shippers and their service providers far greater flexibility through enhanced functionality that includes more detailed order grouping and inventory modeling.

ILOG TPO provides a unique combination of modeling and optimization features with an interactive user interface and what-if scenario management. The comprehensive transportation planning and scheduling application supports private and dedicated fleets, for-hire carriers and various combinations of truck-based distribution for inbound, outbound and mixed multifacility operations.

At its core, ILOG TPO uses a user role metaphor to define the individual operational requirements of different lines of business or distinct decision-taking steps. This makes ILOG TPO ideal for large corporations as well as service companies that need to isolate planning responsibility for legal or logical entities. It also gives ILOG TPO the flexibility to match companies’ unique business processes to automate decision making in areas where it can make the greatest fiscal impact with the lowest process reengineering burden.

ILOG TPO 3.0 extends the application’s ability to model and solve the toughest shipping problems:

• Order groups Shipments can be bundled together to increase their chances of traveling together. Shipments can be in multiple groups for nested priority.
• Inventory modeling The number of alternative shipments can be limited to periodic inventory amounts (number per shift, day, week, etc.).
• Enhanced compatibility Fleet-to-product and fleet-to-region rules are easier to use.
• Many more interactions:
  • Insert unassigned shipments at first feasible route or best route
  • Select alternate shipment sites
  • Change cross-dock assignment to best other cross dock or manually select

Innovative approach to shipping
ILOG TPO natively handles multilegged journeys by modeling the generic paths separately from the individual shipments. This allows the system to dynamically associate a particular path with a shipment, varying the potential assignments as needed but always selecting the best.

ILOG TPO excels at achieving the proper balance between service and cost by allowing line-item level of control over hard time windows and appointment times. Learn more about ILOG TPO at http://tpo.ilog.com.

SAP NetWeaver certification
SAP has given “Powered by SAP NetWeaver” certification to ILOG TPO, ILOG Plant PowerOps and ILOG Optimization Decision Manager. The certification enables customers to more easily integrate ILOG’s optimization-based applications with their SAP solution-based working environment.

Learn more about SAP and the certification at www.sap.com.

ILOG JViews Demos Click to enlarge (opens a new window)

The editors of Dr. Dobb’s Journal announced the winners during the award ceremony at CMP Technology’s Software Development West 2007 Conference and Expo. The journal’s judges gave the awards to the products they considered the industry’s most advanced, innovative and trendsetting.

“This year was an exceptionally exciting year for our judges, since there were so many strong contenders in every category,” says Rosalyn Lum, conference and events manager for Dr. Dobb’s Events, at the Jolt Awards website (www.joltawards.com). “The winners reflect that innovation is still alive: It was especially satisfying to see leaders still leading the way and at the same time, newcomers changing how developers work by giving them great new products that reflect the changing software development landscape.”

ILOG JViews was among the Productivity Winners in the Libraries, Frameworks and Components category, which the Jolt site defines: “Whether you’re a single targeted component that is indispensable to build your application, or a multipurpose library of methods or framework for components, you should be a vital ingredient in any developer’s tool chest.”

Learn more about ILOG JViews
Visit our website to find out what’s new with ILOG JViews. Go directly to ILOG JViews at http://jviews.ilog.com. For the latest product demos, visit http://jviewsdemos.ilog.com. We’re constantly adding new resources to the website.

ILOG JRules 6.5 can now be used in English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Simplified Chinese. Each version includes localized graphical user interfaces for ILOG’s Rule Team Server Web-based rule management environment, online help and verbalizers for rule authoring in the local language.

For the Asian languages, selected portions of the documentation has also been translated, including “About ILOG JRules,” “Getting Started,” “Creating Rule Projects” and “Writing Rules.”

Learn more about ILOG JRules at http://jrules.ilog.com.