This file lists the changes in Cadcorp SIS Workload Modeller 9.0.3006.
- Route cost databases can now be built from OSRM data.
- Two separate route cost databases can now be used in Turnout and Predict. The first is used to determine which appliance should be mobilised; the second is used to provide the journey time for the mobilised appliance.
- Sort order extended for callouts in Turnout to remove all ambiguity where callouts have same assigned time. This means that larger models on SQL Server were not repeatable due to callouts at the same time being returned in a different order for each model
- Primary key from ART table (RecordId) now added to MO table so model output can be joined to appliance requests by callout
- Under some circumstances the average speed option was not retrieving all callouts from SQL Server. This meant that some callouts could have no route costs when building a Route Cost database.
- The check for Appliance on Shift now has an error margin to accommodate SQL Server datetimes 'rounding errors'
- It was not possible to run Turnout Models with Cover Moves in some circumstances when historic callsigns (string values) were used rather than just id numbers (long values).
- To improve performance of running models, a separate DataReader has been introduced for use during TurnOut solely to read callout requests from the SQL Server database
- The attendance analysis results are now loaded initially as a cached overlay from SQL Server to ensure all rows in view are read
- Turnout now reads the name of the named period in a resource set from the correct field
- An error in creating predicted callouts with ‘assigning appliances at Callout times’ option where there are more callouts for an incident than existed in the historic data has been resolved by altering the SQL to return the average of dates as a date type rather than a float to cater for difference between zero-base for SQL Server and OLE Automation dates.
- Creating a new Workload Modeller database or schema on SQL Server now also creates the dual staffing shift required to set up dual staffing. Databases loaded into SQL Server from Access already included the dual staffing shift.
- Predict could fails with the option Station ground becasue 'sub-views' were being created which SIS could not load as a spatial overlay from SQL Server. On SQL Server these are now being created as a view of the source tables rather than a view of a view of the source tables.
- If the station ground overlay is used, this is now checked to verify it does contain area items attributed with the station name.
- To allow 64-bit Workload Modeller to be used with 32-bit Office and vice-versa the following new optional parameter AccessForce32or64bit is added to the settings.txt file
- AccessForce32or64bit = 32 use 32-bit Access driver (JET)
- AccessForce32or64bit = 64 use 64-bit Access driver (ACE)
- Any other value, or if the parameter is omitted, Workload Modeller will use the driver to match its number of bits
- Connections to SQL Server has been re-engineered to work with Azure SQL databases - note the following:
- Workload Modeller cannot create a database on Azure SQL, but can create schemas in an existing database
- The user has to type in the database name on Azure SQL as Workload Modeller cannot interrogate the server’s schema to see what databases exist
- Workbook comparison now adds complete ‘All Targets’ lines to Stations, Vehicle Classes and Districts worksheets (Brigade and Appliance sheets already have this).
- Testing has been performed on a fully hosted environment using SIS Desktop in the Cloud and Azure SQL.
- Route Cost calculations in SQL Server are now performed with reduced transaction isolation level to prevent possible deadlocks.
- The Access database has been updated to prevent possible errors when creating Attendance Targets.
- The new Limit option in Attendance Analysis is now also included in the title page of Compare workbooks.
- Some excel options in settings.txt did not update without restarting SIS Desktop.
- When using a bds that contains no non-topographic items the Route Costs calculation could stall.
- Export to SQL Server could create an invalid dataset so the temporary table now includes a spatial index and primary key constraint.
- A new method to calculate Route Cost databases more quickly and efficiently has been implemented.
- A Route Cost database can now be built in SQLite or Microsoft SQL Server.
- Calculations runs in the background using SIS ActiveX control.
- Route Cost databases can now be built based on OS Highways Average Speed data as an alternative to user-defined expressions.
- A new option in Attendance Analysis can limit results to incident with > or < N attendances.
- Date pickers in Set Filters and Unit Utilisation day chart are now region safe.
- Setting a spatial mask when using Microsoft SQL Server now actually sets the spatial include/exclude flag on incidents.
- Under some circumstances, exporting from Access could result in of empty results.
- The option to Add Historic Appliances to Resource set will now work if the vehicle class contains apostrophes.
- When changing the location from which Workload Modeller Settings are read it is no longer necessary to restart SIS Desktop for the change to take effect.
- When using Access only, upgrade of very-old-style shifts would fail if a shift entry straddled midnight, e.g. 19:00 – 07:00
- When using Access only, set spatial mask would error if none of the incidents were outside the mask
- The Predict operation did not always work when running against SQL Server Express or SQL Server
- The Clean schema button on SQL Server now clears all temporary Workload Modeller tables and views
- Additional database upgrade checks are performed to determine if a column already exists in a table on SQL Server
- When using SQL Server, the New option will now clear out any existing tables and views in the specified schema. This allows for ‘overwrite’, i.e. start anew in an existing schema, with the user asked before this is done.
- When using SQL Server, the New option has the ability to load data from an existing WLM Access database or use an xml file (now included with the installer) to create basic starting data
- Tooltip added to the edit original incident code filter so a long category name can be seen in full by hovering over it
- It is now possible to set exceptions to dual staffing for individual appliances in the resource set
- It is now possible to set Operational Availability in a resource set by optionally adding a named period to an appliance. This allows appliances to be retired at some point within the duration of the model.
- A new District option has been added to the Attendance by Targets analysis which collates benchmark performance within spatial areas, e.g. incoming performance
- In a scenario, the mean value for a target with no values is now left blank
- Two versions of the installer for Workload Modeller have been created:
- Cadcorp Add-In Workload Modeller SQL Server 9.0.2378.32.exe and Cadcorp Add-In Workload Modeller SQL Server 9.0.2378.64.exe include SQL Server Express. They also create user and databases in SQL Server Express allowing the functionality to be used immediately.
- Cadcorp Add-In Workload Modeller 9.0.2378.32.exe and Cadcorp Add-In Workload Modeller 9.0.2378.64.exe will just install Workload Modeller
- Workload Modeller version number now output to audit file (Workload Modeller add-ins run side-by-side will both create audit files so this means you can tell which audit file was written by which add-in)
- Shift name is now added as a schema column to attendance pass/fail overlays
- When retrieving previous parameters from options database, Export was adding spatial containers to the form’s grid more than once
- The comparison of attendance analysis workbooks at appliance level now handles appliance IDs, which changed from being integers to free text in the initial release of Workload Modeller 9
- The Turnout Model could record appliances in the wrong location. The base information in the model resource table was incorrect for appliances supplying cover when the model finished.
- Workload Modeller now supports the use of SQL Server for its database. Access databases are still supported and can be imported into SQL Server if required.
- A number of dialogs and options have been updated to support the use of SQL Server.
- The database structure for Access has been consolidated and is the same as the structure in SQL Server. An important difference between using Access and SQL Server support is that point output in the SQL Server database uses the Geometry data type, whereas in Access this is stored using X and Y only.
- The Workload Modeller installer now includes SQL Express 2019 and SQL Server Management Studio, which can both be optionally installed. ALternatively, an exisiting SQL Server instance (locally or on the network) can be configured for use during installation.
- The Workload Modeller dialog Set up/Stations has a new Capacities button which enables a checkbox list of all stations at which capacities can be set.
- The Editing Station (Base) parameters can now also be set through a dedicated dialog within Workload Modeller.
- A new type of Rolling shift can be defined. A Rolling shift is like a Weekly shift except it can be based on any number of days which continually roll over, the days are numbered 1 – N rather than named after weekdays and it has a start date for day 1.
- Appliance callsigns in resource sets are no longer based on the order of the grid but now use a centralised Callsign text value which can be used across different models.
- The Set Filters dialog has gained a new option to Check Filters, which works on both historic data or model output.
- Incident Categories can now have a colour assigned to the bars in unit utilisation day charts using either RGB values or html colour names.
- The Include Travel Distances in Database option has been removed from the Route Cost Database options dialog as this is always now calculated.
- The Route Cost options for snapping to the Nearest Node... or Nearest Point on Nearest Link... have been removed as they were introduced as a workaround no longer required.
- When editing a resource set, station IDs are now checked to see if they are valid.
- Turnouts of dual staffed appliances were not including the reaction time of the staffing appliance.
- Dual staffing now allows exceptions and some of the older messages have been reworded slightly to reflect this.
- The Set up forms for Appliances and Incidents now have a ‘Clear Grid’ button to make it easier to reset the Vehicle – Incident Mapping rules.
- Workload Modeller now checks that SIS Desktop is version 9.0.2240 or higher.
- The dialog to open SQL Server schema now has a maintenance option to clear out Workload Modeller’s temporary tables.
- Add-in now has a ‘launch button’ which allows the user to change where the config files are read from (settings.txt & DatabaseTemplate.mdb).
- This version will appear in SIS as ‘Workload Modeller Beta’ and can run alongside the currently released Workload Modeller
- Both add-ins read previously entered parameters from the options database so, for example, setting a filter in one add-in will effectively set the values to be recalled for the other add-in too. Luckily, the exception to this is ‘database’ so the add-ins will independently remember the database they were using.
- The Beta version of Workload Mdeller will upgrade/restructure a pre-beta Access database (it does create a backup first) so the two add-ins should not be used on the same .mdb file
- Workload Modeller version number now output to audit file (Workload Modeller add-ins run side-by-side will both create audit files so this means you can tell which audit file was written by which add-in)
- Shift name is now added as a schema column to attendance pass/fail overlays
- When retrieving previous parameters from options database, Export was adding spatial containers to the form’s grid more than once
- The comparison of attendance analysis workbooks at appliance level now handles appliance IDs, which changed from being integers to free text in the initial release of Workload Modeller 9
- The Turnout Model could record appliances in the wrong location. The base information in the model resource table was incorrect for appliances supplying cover when the model finished.
- Workload Modeller now supports the use of SQL Server for its database. Access databases are still supported and can be imported into SQL Server if required.
- A number of dialogs and options have been updated to support the use of SQL Server.
- The database structure for Access has been consolidated and is the same as the structure in SQL Server. An important difference between using Access and SQL Server support is that point output in the SQL Server database uses the Geometry data type, whereas in Access this is stored using X and Y only.
- The Workload Modeller installer now includes SQL Express 2019 and SQL Server Management Studio, which can both be optionally installed. ALternatively, an exisiting SQL Server instance (locally or on the network) can be configured for use during installation.
- The Workload Modeller dialog Set up/Stations has a new Capacities button which enables a checkbox list of all stations at which capacities can be set.
- The Editing Station (Base) parameters can now also be set through a dedicated dialog within Workload Modeller.
- A new type of Rolling shift can be defined. A Rolling shift is like a Weekly shift except it can be based on any number of days which continually roll over, the days are numbered 1 – N rather than named after weekdays and it has a start date for day 1.
- Appliance callsigns in resource sets are no longer based on the order of the grid but now use a centralised Callsign text value which can be used across different models.
- The Set Filters dialog has gained a new option to Check Filters, which works on both historic data or model output.
- Incident Categories can now have a colour assigned to the bars in unit utilisation day charts using either RGB values or html colour names.
- The Include Travel Distances in Database option has been removed from the Route Cost Database options dialog as this is always now calculated.
- The Route Cost options for snapping to the Nearest Node... or Nearest Point on Nearest Link... have been removed as they were introduced as a workaround no longer required.
- When editing a resource set, station IDs are now checked to see if they are valid.
- Turnouts of dual staffed appliances were not including the reaction time of the staffing appliance.
- Dual staffing now allows exceptions and some of the older messages have been reworded slightly to reflect this.
- The Set up forms for Appliances and Incidents now have a ‘Clear Grid’ button to make it easier to reset the Vehicle – Incident Mapping rules.
- Workload Modeller now checks that SIS Desktop is version 9.0.2240 or higher.
- The dialog to open SQL Server schema now has a maintenance option to clear out Workload Modeller’s temporary tables.
- Add-in now has a ‘launch button’ which allows the user to change where the config files are read from (settings.txt & DatabaseTemplate.mdb).
- The Turnout Model could record appliances in the wrong location. The base information in the model resource table was incorrect for appliances supplying cover when the model finished.
- Workload Modeller now supports the use of SQL Server for its database. Access databases are still supported and can be imported into SQL Server if required.
- A number of dialogs and options have been updated to support the use of SQL Server.
- The database structure for Access has been consolidated and is the same as the structure in SQL Server. An important difference between using Access and SQL Server support is that point output in the SQL Server database uses the Geometry data type, whereas in Access this is stored using X and Y only.
- The Workload Modeller installer now includes SQL Express 2019 and SQL Server Management Studio, which can both be optionally installed. ALternatively, an exisiting SQL Server instance (locally or on the network) can be configured for use during installation.
- The Workload Modeller dialog Set up/Stations has a new Capacities button which enables a checkbox list of all stations at which capacities can be set.
- The Editing Station (Base) parameters can now also be set through a dedicated dialog within Workload Modeller.
- A new type of Rolling shift can be defined. A Rolling shift is like a Weekly shift except it can be based on any number of days which continually roll over, the days are numbered 1 – N rather than named after weekdays and it has a start date for day 1.
- Appliance callsigns in resource sets are no longer based on the order of the grid but now use a centralised Callsign text value which can be used across different models.
- The Set Filters dialog has gained a new option to Check Filters, which works on both historic data or model output.
- Incident Categories can now have a colour assigned to the bars in unit utilisation day charts using either RGB values or html colour names.
- The Include Travel Distances in Database option has been removed from the Route Cost Database options dialog as this is always now calculated.
- The Route Cost options for snapping to the Nearest Node... or Nearest Point on Nearest Link... have been removed as they were introduced as a workaround no longer required.
- When editing a resource set, station IDs are now checked to see if they are valid.
- Turnouts of dual staffed appliances were not including the reaction time of the staffing appliance.
- Dual staffing now allows exceptions and some of the older messages have been reworded slightly to reflect this.
- The Set up forms for Appliances and Incidents now have a ‘Clear Grid’ button to make it easier to reset the Vehicle – Incident Mapping rules.
- Workload Modeller now checks that SIS Desktop is version 9.0.2240 or higher.
- The dialog to open SQL Server schema now has a maintenance option to clear out Workload Modeller’s temporary tables.
- Add-in now has a ‘launch button’ which allows the user to change where the config files are read from (settings.txt & DatabaseTemplate.mdb).
- The licencing dll now targets the latest supported version of .NET (3.5) to avoid licence conflicts with Risk Modeller
- Updates to Add-In to support SIS 9 including updated icons and internal product level changes
- The Workload Modeller Add-in now has a ‘Launch Button’ which allows the user to change where the config files are read from (settings.txt & DatabaseTemplate.mdb)
- There is a new option when creating prescribed callout sets - ‘Assigning Appliances at Incident Start Time’. Previously, assignments were based on callout times only.
- A new dialog has been added in Resource Set Creation to allow ‘Historic Appliance Equivalents’ to be added to a resource set which should make creating resource sets less time-consuming.
- Visual changes to the datasets were not always being displayed imnmedialtely when filters were applied.
- In the Attendance dialog, the Coalesce option would not work unless one of the Apply targets options was ticked.
- Updates to Add-In to support SIS 9 including updated icons and internal product level changes
- The Workload Modeller Add-in now has a ‘Launch Button’ which allows the user to change where the config files are read from (settings.txt & DatabaseTemplate.mdb)
- There is a new option when creating prescribed callout sets - ‘Assigning Appliances at Incident Start Time’. Previously, assignments were based on callout times only.
- A new dialog has been added in Resource Set Creation to allow ‘Historic Appliance Equivalents’ to be added to a resource set which should make creating resource sets less time-consuming.
- Visual changes to the datasets were not always being displayed imnmedialtely when filters were applied.
- In the Attendance dialog, the Coalesce option would not work unless one of the Apply targets options was ticked.
