Course Timetabling Solver
Screen description
In the Solver screen, you can load input data to the solver and run the solver in different configurations and modes. The operations available to you and the amount and kind of information displayed will depend on the status of the solver (the first item of the Solver section).
Solver not started
Solver
Status
Current status of the solver
Solver configuration
Configuration - see Solver Configurations for more information
Solver mode
Options: Initial - creates a new timetable; MPP - continues working on the loaded timetable, trying to find a better timetable with as few differences from the loaded one as possible
When finished
Choose what to do when the time-out limit on the solver is reached
Allow breaking of hard constraints
Allow breaking of required/prohibited times/rooms. This is useful to be able to assign a prohibited time or room to a class using the Suggestions page while making interactive changes.
Student course demands
Student course demands that are used during the timetabling to avoid student conflicts
Last Like Student Course Demands
Real student course enrollments from the last-like semester
Source of demands: XML import
Weighted Last Like Student Course Demands
Real enrollments weighted so that the courses are filled with students
Example: When there were 15 students in a course last year and this year the course has a limit of 20, the last-like students in that course are multiplied by 20/15
Source of demands: XML import and class limits
Projected Student Course Demands
Projected demands calculated from the last-like student course demands using the projection rules from the Curriculum Projection Rules screen
Source of demands: XML import and Projection Rules
Unlike with Last Like Student Course Demands and Weighted Last Like Student Course Demands, in this case it is important to import students and their properties (academic areas, majors, and classifications), this XML import prior to importing last like student course demands.
Curricula Course Demands
Course demands calculated from curricula
Source of demands: Curricula and/or XML import
Curricula Last Like Course Demands
A combination of curricula and (projected) last-like student course demands - the curricula help with course demands for new courses (and mandatory courses etc.) while the last-like information provides data about courses across curricula that the students took together
Use case: curricula only contain information about mandatory and elective courses, demands for optional courses are taken from last-like enrollment data. Last like data are also used to better estimate joint demands between courses.
Source of demands: XML import and Curricula
Student Course Requests
Real requests as entered by students
Source of demands: either requests entered by students through the Student Scheduling Assistant (Student Course Requests) or an XML import
Enrolled Student Course Demands
Real enrollments of students for this semester that is being timetabled (used mainly for testing)
Source of demands: XML import
Student final sectioning
Solver will perform student sectioning as a final stage of solving the problem (i.e., when a complete solution is found for Check configuration or upon time-out for the other configurations) to have more accurate information about student conflicts
Owner
The solver group for which you want to create a timetable
Host (admin)
Select server you want to run the solver on (setting "auto" means that the least occupied solver will be used, this is the default behavior for non-administrator users)
Operations
Load
Load all input data necessary to create a timetable (instructional offerings, rooms, instructors, distribution preferences, last like semester student enrollments, ...) to the solver. If one or more timetables have been selected on the Timetables page, their assignments will be loaded into the solver as well.
Start
Load all necessary data and start creating a timetable
Refresh
Refresh this screen
Loading input data
During the loading phase, input data and student information is loaded and the classes which have only one required room and one required time will get them assigned.
Solver
Input data loaded
Time stamp from the time when the latest load of input data started
For the rest, see above
Current Timetable
An initial timetable is created as soon as you start loading data. Only classes with one required time and one required room get there assignments at this point.
See Solution Properties for the description of the items in this part of the screen.
Operations
Refresh
Refresh this screen
When loading is done, new buttons will appear
Awaiting commands
Operations
Start
Start the solver which will create/improve a timetable
Student Sectioning
Run student sectioning (this will try to change assignments of students between alternative classes of a course in order to minimize student conflicts)
Reload Input Data
Reload input data while keeping the current timetable
The assignments that are no longer valid due to the change in the input data will be unassigned (see the Not-Assigned Classes screen for their list)
Unload
Unload all data and the timetable from the solver
Export Solution
Export the solution in the CSV (comma separated values) format
Refresh
Refresh this screen
Solving problem
Solver
See above
Operations
Stop
Stop the solver
Refresh
Refresh this screen
Solver stopped
Best Timetable Found So Far
During the automated timetabling (when the solver is running), the best timetable found so far is saved here. It is the timetable that is presented to the user when he/she stops the solver or when the time-out is reached.
When the user interacts and makes changes, he/she can save intermediate results as "Best Timetable Found So Far" and later come back to this timetable if the current one is not good.
Operations are self-descriptive
Save
Replace the timetable that was loaded originally with this new one
Displayed only if a saved timetable was loaded
Save As New
Save as a new timetable (do not replace the loaded one)
Save & Commit
Replace the loaded timetable with a new one and commit it
Save As New & Commit
Save as a new timetable and commit it
Current Timetable
When solver is stopped, the Best Timetable Found So Far is the same as the Current Timetable. From that moment, any manual changes made by the user are applied to the Current Timetable.
Operations
Restore From Best
Discard the current timetable and start again from the best timetable found so far
Save To Best
Overwrite the Best Timetable Found So Far with this current timetable (when you consider the current one better and want to store it temporarily)
Problems
The list of warnings appears if any problem occurred during the data load. If there is a problem during solving, there will be an error message (such as Error: FATAL).
Hint: See Solver Warnings to see a detailed list of warnings and errors that may be produced by the solver. If you see a FATAL message, keep the solver in the memory and use Contact Us (located in Help menu) page to report a problem.
Operations
Start
Restart the solver from the current timetable
Student Sectioning
Perform student sectioning on the current timetable
Reload Input Data
Reload the data from the Input Data section without loosing the current time/room assignments in the current timetable; only prohibited assignments will be lost if breaking hard constraints is not allowed
Unload
Unload both the input data and the timetable from memory (any timetable will be lost unless saved in the Best Timetable Found So Far section or in the Timetables screen)
Export Solution
Export the current solution as a comma separated values (CSV) file
Refresh
Refresh this screen
