Kestrel

The Kestrel client/server is a way of sending your optimization job to be solved via the NEOS Server from within your modeling environment and receiving results that can be interpreted directly by your modeler.

Modeling Environment	Currently available versions of Kestrel
AMPLÞ	linux	solaris	windows
GAMS	linux	solaris	windows
ÞTested on Red Hat Linux 6.0, Solaris 7, Windows NT and Windows 98

In order to track interest in Kestrel, we ask that you provide your email address before proceeding to the download site. We will mail you about substantial changes in future releases.

A complete users guide to Kestrel is available in PostScript and PDF. A more general description is also available in PDF.

To determine which solvers are available for KESTREL_AMPL and KESTREL_GAMS, check the server help facility for a list of all solvers.

Short guide to using the Kestrel AMPL client

AMPL Installation:

Kestrel Installation:

• Download the Kestrel binary for linux or solaris to the file kestrel.gz. Your browser may automatically decompress the file for you and save it as kestrel. Otherwise, unzip the file with gunzip. Give the file execute permission with chmod +x kestrel and make certain the binary is in your execution path.
• Download the Kestrel binary for Windows to the file kestrel.zip. Your browser may automatically decompress the file for you and save it as kestrel.exe. Otherwise, decompress the file to create a file named kestrel.exe. Move the file to a folder in your search path, such as the folder where you have ampl.exe.

Within the AMPL Environment:

• Design your model as you normally would. When choosing options, everything should remain as per usual with the following exceptions.
  • Choose option solver kestrel; instead of the usual solver name.
  • Choose the solver you want with
    option kestrel_options 'solver=<solverName>';
  • If you do not know what solvers are available via Kestrel, submitting a job (see below) with a nonexistent solver will return a list of enabled solvers.
• When your kestrel_options are set, submit the job to the NEOS Server by typing solve;.
• If you are somehow disconnected from the Kestrel server during your job execution, you can specify
  option kestrel_options 'job=<jobNumber> password=<password>';
  and ask kestrel to
  solve;
  If your job is still in progress, your AMPL session will resume waiting. Otherwise, your results will be retrieved. Jobs are removed from the NEOS Server after some length of time (usually two days), so you will not be able to retrieve your job this way after that time. To resume normal kestrel solver operation type
  option kestrel_options 'solver=<solverName>';

Short guide to using the Kestrel GAMS client

Installation:

• Copy the zip file to the directory on your system where GAMS is installed.
• Run gamsinst to install the solver.

Using Kestrel with GAMS:

• Create an options file called kestrel.opt.
• In that file, specify the solver on the NEOS Server that you want to use with
  kestrel_solver <solverName>
  The options file should also contain any options specific to your chosen solver.
• If you do not know what solvers are available via Kestrel, submitting a job (see below) with a nonexistent solver set will return a list of enabled solvers.
• When you run your GAMS job on the command line, set your solver to kestrel and set optfile=1. The Kestrel solver accepts all model types.
• If you are somehow disconnected from the Kestrel server, you can retrieve the results for your already submitted job by setting the option
  kestrel_job <jobnum>
kestrel_password <password>
  when running the job on the command line. If your job has already finished on the NEOS Server, the results will be returned to you immediately; otherwise, the call will not return until those results are retrieved.