Purpose and prerequisites

Explains what to do in this tutorial and where to find the files.

OPL supports the CPLEX solution pool feature for mixed integer programming (MIP) models. The solution pool is a way of generating and keeping more than one solution to a MIP problem. This allows you to evaluate and explore alternative solutions. For example, you might prefer a solution which also meets a secondary objective over the incumbent.

Prerequisites

The tutorial assumes that you know how to work with projects in the IDE. If this is not the case, read Getting Started with the IDE first.

What you are going to do

Working with various run configurations of the warehouse project based on different models, you will:

  1. Learn how the IDE supports the solution pool for MIP projects. See The solution pool in the IBM ILOG CPLEX Optimization Studio IDE. You will:

    1. learn about the default pool of feasible solutions

    2. obtain more non-optimal solutions

    3. set some solution pool options

  2. Learn about solution filters and add a range filter. See Filtering the solution pool.

  3. Use the IBM ILOG Script API, instead of OPL settings. See Flow control script and solution pool. You will:

    1. populate the solution pool and use the solutions

    2. add a range filter to control which solutions are kept in the pool

Where to find the files

The tutorial is based on the warehouse project available at the following location:

<Install_dir>\opl\examples\opl\warehouse

where <Install_dir> is your installation directory.

The warehouse location problem is described in Warehouse location problems in the Samples manual.

Note:

You will open this OPL project and all projects in these tutorials using the New Example wizard, which allows you to open and work with a copy of the distributed example, leaving the original example in place. If you need a reminder of how to use the New Example wizard, see Opening distributed examples in the CPLEX Studio IDE.