Basic AIMMS Cloud Workflow

Basic Usage

In its most basic form, the AIMMS Cloud Platform allows you to dispatch an optimization request from within a PRO client application to a server-side AIMMS session, which the Cloud Platform schedules for execution. By default, the PRO client library transfers the application state between client- and server-side sessions using AIMMS case files, causing the server-side session to start from exactly the same state as where the request was made. When the server-side session finishes, the output results are stored for the client session to retrieve, and the client session is notified that the request has completed. The end-user can then load the output results via the Request Manager dialog that is part of the PRO GUI library.

Other Workflows

The AIMMS PRO framework allows you to implement other workflows between client- and server-side sessions. The additional features for controlling that interaction are described in Advanced AIMMS Cloud Workflows.

Modify Procedures

Any procedure you want to execute in a server-side session instead of the client session must be modified by adding specific PRO-related code at the top of the procedure. Typically, such procedure calls involve optimization of a mathematical program, since a PRO client session does not support optimization. In its most basic form, add the following code at the top of the procedure you want to execute server-side:

if pro::DelegateToServer then
    return 1;
endif;

The behavior of this function varies depending on whether it is running client-side or server-side.

Client-side Behavior of pro::DelegateToServer

When the pro::DelegateToServer statement is encountered, behind the scenes it:

  • Creates a case of type AllIdentifiers containing the current application state and sends it to the Cloud backend.

  • Prepares a message containing the name of the procedure and all its arguments, and sends it to the Cloud backend. This triggers a complete re-execution of the procedure in the server-side worker session.

  • Returns the numeric value 1, since it is running client-side. Because this value is used in the if condition with return 1 on the true branch, the statements after DelegateToServer are not executed in the client session.

Server-side Behavior of pro::DelegateToServer

When the Cloud backend receives the request, it queues the job and eventually starts a server-side instance of the project. That session loads the case and executes the same procedure call that contained the pro::DelegateToServer statement on the client side. On the server side, pro::DelegateToServer returns 0, causing the original content of the procedure to be executed. When the procedure finishes, the Cloud backend creates a case file containing the values of AllIdentifiers and notifies the client that the job is done.

Displaying the Request Manager

The final modification required in your AIMMS model is to add an action somewhere (for example, a button on a page or toolbar) that opens the Request Manager from the PRO GUI library. Call the procedure guipro::OpenRequestManagement to open the Request Manager as a dialog. This allows end-users to see an overview of all running and finished tasks, download results of finished jobs into the current session, terminate running jobs, and delete finished jobs.

Create a .aimmspack File and Publish

After making the above modifications, create a .aimmspack file of the project and publish it via the Portal. For full details on publishing via the Portal, see Apps (AIMMS Application Management).