Simulation environments management

This page describes how to use Simulation environments in Axiodis and corresponding key points.

Goals

Simulation environment management allows the user to define some dedicated environment in which he can make some simulations (new constraints, new data, new optimization profiles, and so on) without any change within the operational environment.

The system can manage many environments, but the operational environment is always existing and is unique:

• If the current environment is the operational environment, then the system shows all the module according to the license,
• If the current environment is a simulation environment, then the system shows only Data & Constraints and Planning modules,

WEB portal

Once the user is connected, a new combo-box is available within the WEB portal. This combo-box contains all the simulation environments allowed to the current user.

At the first time a user launches the application, this combo-box contains only the operational environment: OPE - Operational environment.

Then, the combo box will be automatically positioned on the last used environment when the user did a logoff.

If none environment is authorized for the currently connected user, then the combo-box will be empty, and the user will not be able to launch the RCP application. He will have to ask an appropriate user in order to give him access to some environments (See Simulation environments management below).

RCP portal

Once the connected user chooses one environment within the WEB portal, then he can launch the RCP platform. According to the type of the chosen environment (Simulation or Operational), the system show more or fewer modules.

 The RCP platform is always open for 1 and only 1 environment. We will see below how to swap from one environment to another.

Also, a new menu within the RCP platform, showing:

• All the environments allowed to the currently connected user: by selecting one environment, the currently connected user can easily swap from one to another
• The option "Save as", if the connected user has at least the authorization to create a new simulation environment (See below in the Administration module),
• The option "Manage environments", if the connected user has at least the authorization to consult the existing environments,

Administration module 

The administration module is available only within the operational environment, according to the authorizations if the current connected user.

Authorizations profiles

Some new authorizations are available, visible according to the license:

• Environments consultation : allows the user to access the environment management window
• Environments creation : allows the connected user to create new simulation environments within the system
• Environments modification : allows the connected user to modify simulation environments
• Environments deletion : allows the connected user to delete simulation environments

Also some new authorizations in order to manage the actions in the Planning module (so-called Tactical Planning module), when the user is connected to a simulation environment (but not for the operational environment).

Tactical actions

According to its authorizations, the connected user can add, modify or delete the standard action for the Tactical Planning module.

User definition

According to its authorizations, the connected user can modify its user scope, in order to use another tactical actions profile.

Environments management window

Accessible by the menu Environments + Manage environments:

This window is enabled only if the connected user has at least the authorization to consult the environments. Then, according to the above authorizations, the connected user can add, modify or delete some environment.

 System forbids to delete the operational environment.

General informations

Some informations are read-only and set by the system when creating the environment:

• Type of environment : Simulation or Operational
• Owner: the user who created the environment
• Creation date: the date the environment was created

Authorizations

Allow listing all the users defined in the system with access to the current simulation. By default, at the creation of a new simulation environment, the owner is part of the list. He can be removed.

 System forbids

• to delete a simulation environment in which a user is connected
• to remove the authorization from one environment for a connected user on which he is connected

Duplication of environment

The system allows the user to duplicate a selected environment. In this case, all the data and constraints (see below) are duplicated from the source environment to the destination environment, but some options (timeline horizon, logistic areas) are available in order to consider or not the operations and the routes.

Duplication options

Definition horizon

The user has to choose the horizon for the operations and the routes. This horizon can be Fixed time horizon or sliding time horizon (days, weeks, months or years).

Logistic areas

The user has to choose the logistic areas to consider for this duplication.

Transport operations

A checkbox allows the user to indicate to the system to duplicate or not the operations, considering the above timeline horizon and logistic areas.

Routes

A checkbox allows the user to indicate to the system to duplicate or not the routes, considering the above timeline horizon and logistic areas.

Important: duplicating routes implies duplicating transport operations.

General rules

 We only duplicate routes with logistic status = In planning or Planned, it means only routes from the planning module

For the operation to be duplicated:

• We select all the operations existing in the system, according to their horizon, and whatever their logistic status
• If such an operation is not on a route, we copy it as it is (eventually, adapt its attributes)
• If such an operation is already on a route
  • If the user does not want to duplicate the routes, then this operation is duplicate and moved to a rejected operation (eventually adapt its attributes)
  • If the user wants to duplicate the routes
    • The route of the operation is in the planning module, then duplicate it as it is
    • The route of the operation is in the execution module, then duplicate it as a rejected operation (eventually adapt its attributes)

 If a route to duplicate contains operations which are not duplicated (out of the horizon for instance), then the system should enforce the duplication of these operations.

 On the contrary, if an operation to duplicate refers to a route not duplicated (out of the horizon for instance), then the system won't duplicate this route but will still duplicate this operation and move it to a rejected operation.

General management rules on Data & Constraints and Tactical planning modules

Displays and filters

Within the Data & Constraint module, filters and displays are only for the currently connected user: there's no publication to other users as it exists within the cockpits.

So for this module, we consider that a connected user is using the same filters and displays, whether in a simulation environment or in an operational environment.

If he creates one filter or display in any environment (simulation or operational), then it will be available in all the other one.

User-defined informations

Within the Data & Constraints module, a connected user on a simulation environment is using the same definition of user-defined informations as defined in the operational environment, and cannot define some new user-defined informations, nor delete an existing one.

That means that, if he needs new user-defined information, he should first switch to the operational environment, and then create new user-defined information, according to its habilitations.

Note: Same behavior within the cockpit tactical planning

Authorizations profiles

For the Data and Constraints module, the authorizations considered within a simulation environment are those defined by the operational environment.

The authorizations are the same, whether in a simulation environment or in an operational environment.

Data & Constraints module

Usage cases:

• Case (1) (eg Alerts) 
  • Data from the operational environment (according to the user habilitations) is only editable in the operational environment
  • Data from the operational environment is visible in simulation environments (according to the user habilitations) and disabled (Gray, Italic, and read-only),
  • No specific data for a simulation environment
• Case (2) (eg logistic sites, trucks, trailers, optimization profiles) 
  • Data from the operational environment (according to the user habilitations) is only accessible from the operational environment 
  • Specific data dedicated for each simulation environment,
• Case (3) (eg logistic profiles, legislation profiles)
  • Data from the operational environment (according to the user habilitations) is available on all simulation environment, with Read-Only access
  • Specific data dedicated for each simulation environment,

Tactical planning module

All the view are the same as defined for the planning module, according to the view profiles associated with the currently connected user.

All the available actions are those defined in the Administration module, menu Tactical / Actions

www.maplink.global