GENERALIZED PARAMETRIC OPTIMIZATION ARCHITECTURE AND FRAMEWORK

• US 20090063213A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Benayon, Jay William, Leung, Humie, Lau, Kui Yan
• Granted Patent: US 8,260,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management

Abstract

A computer implemented method, data processing system, and computer program product for providing an optimization solution comprising an open, generalized and reusable parametric optimization framework and architecture which enables rapid deployment of optimization solutions to any tool or program that builds on an integrated development environment platform. In the optimization framework, a core optimization plugin is provided which comprises an internal optimization model and a set of optimization tools. The optimization framework also comprises pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors external to the core optimization plugin. The core optimization plugin receives configuration information from a user. The information enables the core optimization plugin to interact with a user data model in a plurality of different user data models. The information also enables the core optimization plugin to interact with providers selected from the plurality of providers and descriptors based on a format of the user data model.

Claims

1. A data processing system for providing a non-proprietary parametric optimization solution, the data processing system comprising:

an integrated development environment platform;

an optimization framework and architecture built on top of the integrated development environment platform, comprising;

a core optimization plugin comprising an internal optimization model and a set of optimization tools; and

a plurality of pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors external to the core optimization plugin,

wherein the core optimization plugin receives configuration information from a user,

wherein the configuration information enables the core optimization plugin to interact with a user data model in a plurality of different user data models, and

wherein the configuration information enables the core optimization plugin to interact with providers selected from the plurality of pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors based on a format of the user data model.

2. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the core optimization plugin loads the internal optimization model and the set of optimization tools, creates and initializes the internal optimization model with fundamental data, initializes the set of optimization tools, loads the pluggable and configurable component providers and descriptors, validates the pluggable and configurable component providers and descriptors to ensure that the pluggable and configurable component providers and descriptors conform to the optimization framework and architecture, and initializes the pluggable and configurable component providers and descriptors.

3. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors comprise at least one of an optimization engine provider, a simulation engine provider, a user interface widget factory provider, or input/output variable descriptors.

4. The data processing system of claim 3, wherein the configuration information enables the core optimization plugin to interact with a particular optimization engine provider or a particular simulation engine provider in the plurality of pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors, wherein the configuration information specifies the particular optimization engine provider or particular simulation engine provider registered by a user, and wherein the configuration information specifies the particular optimization engine provider or particular simulation engine provider to be initialized by the core optimization plugin.

5. The data processing system of claim 4, wherein the particular optimization engine provider or particular simulation engine provider is registered in an extensible markup language document.

6. The data processing system of claim 3, wherein the configuration information enables the core optimization plugin to interact with input/output variable descriptors, wherein the input specifies access descriptors, retrieve descriptors, and update descriptors for each defined variable.

7. The data processing system of claim 6, wherein the core optimization plugin interacts with the input/output variable descriptors to manipulate a particular user data model in the plurality of different user data models.

8. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the internal optimization model comprises a core model, a context model, and a runtime model.

9. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the set of optimization tools comprises at least one of an optimization graph, optimization editor, or optimization facilities.

10. The data processing system of claim 9, wherein the set of optimization tools comprise user interfaces having a common look and feel.

11. The data processing system of claim 1, wherein the set of optimization tools enables a user to edit optimization profile settings and visualize optimization results independently of the pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors or user data model in use.

12. The data processing system of claim 11, wherein the optimization profile settings include simulation input control variables, output control variables, and optimization constraints.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the core optimization plugin loads the internal optimization model and the set of optimization tools, creates and initializes the internal optimization model with fundamental data, initializes the set of optimization tools, loads the pluggable and configurable component providers and descriptors, validates the pluggable and configurable component providers and descriptors to ensure that the pluggable and configurable component providers and descriptors conform to the optimization framework and architecture, and initializes the pluggable and configurable component providers and descriptors.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors comprise at least one of an optimization engine provider, a simulation engine provider, a user interface widget factory provider, or input/output variable descriptors.

16. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the configuration information enables the core optimization plugin to interact with a particular optimization engine provider or a particular simulation engine provider in the plurality of pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors, wherein the configuration information specifies the particular optimization engine provider or particular simulation engine provider registered by a user, and wherein the configuration information specifies the particular optimization engine provider or particular simulation engine provider to be initialized by the core optimization plugin.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 15, wherein the configuration information enables the core optimization plugin to interact with input/output variable descriptors, wherein the input specifies access descriptors, retrieve descriptors, and update descriptors for each defined variable.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 17, wherein the core optimization plugin interacts with the input/output variable descriptors to manipulate a particular user data model in the plurality of different user data models.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the set of optimization tools enables a user to edit optimization profile settings and visualize optimization results independently of the pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors or user data model in use.

13. A computer implemented method for providing a non-proprietary parametric optimization solution, the computer implemented method comprising:

providing an integrated development environment platform;

providing an optimization framework and architecture built on top of the integrated development environment platform which comprises a core optimization plugin comprising an internal optimization model and a set of optimization tools, and a plurality of pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors external to the core optimization plugin,

wherein the core optimization plugin receives configuration information from a user,

wherein the core optimization plugin interacts with a user data model in a plurality of different user data models using the configuration information, and

wherein the core optimization plugin interacts with providers selected from the plurality of pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors based on a format of the user data model using the configuration information.

20. A computer program product for providing a non-proprietary parametric optimization solution, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code tangibly embodied thereon, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code for providing an integrated development environment platform;

computer usable program code for providing an optimization framework and architecture built on top of the integrated development environment platform which comprises a core optimization plugin comprising an internal optimization model and a set of optimization tools, and a plurality of pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors external to the core optimization plugin;

computer usable program code for receiving configuration information from a user at the core optimization plugin;

computer usable program code for enabling the core optimization plugin to interact with a user data model in a plurality of different user data models using the configuration information; and

computer usable program code for enabling the core optimization plugin to interact with providers selected from the plurality of pluggable and customizable component providers and descriptors based on a format of the user data model using the configuration information.