A Model Based Interactive Graphical Scheduler

Advanced Process Combinatorics, Inc. 提出了一种交互式调度系统，它将基于模型的优化与电子甘特图集成在一起。该系统（SMART /IGS）将是基于面向对象模型的优化调度系统SMART（调度和材料资源计时）的新组件。因此，IGS 将与 RCSPec（一种用于描述调度问题的现有语言）和 MILP（一种现有的面向对象混合整数程序优化器）集成。 IGS 的主要定义特征是将电子甘特图与基于底层模型的优化算法相结合。用户将能够使用图形用户界面向日程表添加各种约束。通过在甘特图中的任务上单击鼠标，用户将能够确定执行时间或任务在序列中的位置。优化器将完成计划，围绕用户已指定的部分构建优化的计划。除了用户友好性的明显优势之外，这还为用户提供了对优化算法的详细控制。添加约束（部分调度规范）将使优化问题更小，从而更容易解决。这种用户引导的问题简化可以被利用作为使难题变得可解决的方法。这一点以及优化算法和更快的计算机的进步带来了希望，即利用基于严格模型的优化的交互式调度将在未来几年内成为可交付的商业产品。

Advanced Process Combinatorics, Inc., proposes an interactive scheduling system which integrates model based optimization with an electronic Gantt chart. This system (SMART++/IGS) will be a new component for the object-oriented model based optimization scheduling system, SMART++ (Scheduling and Material Resource Timing). As such, IGS will be integrated with RCSPec, an existing language for describing scheduling problems, and MILP++, an existing object-oriented mixed integer program optimizer. The main defining feature of IGS will be the coupling of the electronic Gantt chart to the underlying model based optimization algorithms. Users will be able to add a wide variety of constraints to the schedule using the graphical user interface. By clicking the mouse on a task in the Gantt chart the user will be able to fix the execution time, or the place of a task in a sequence. The optimizer will complete the schedule, building an optimized schedule around the pieces already specified by the user. In addition to the obvious advantages of user friendliness, this provides the user with detailed control over the optimization algorithm. The addition of constraints (partial schedule specification) will make the optimization problem smaller and thus, easier to solve. Such user guided problem simplification may be exploited as a method of rendering difficult problems solvable. This and advances in optimization algorithms and faster computers offer hope that interactive scheduling which utilizes rigorous model based optimization will be a deliverable commercial product in the next few years.