TIMES cloud Service TIMES/MIRO App Frederik Fiand, GAMS

1. GAMS Development Corp. GAMS Software GmbH www.gams.com
I. A TIMES CLOUD SERVICE
II. A TIMES/MIRO APP
Frederik Fiand
ffiand@gams.com

2. 2
1. A TIMES Cloud Service
Participating Partners:
• Frederik Fiand & Michael Bussieck & Franz Nelissen (GAMS),
• Gary Goldstein (DWI),
• Amit Kanudia (KanORS-EMR)
2. A TIMES/MIRO App
Participating Partners:
• Frederik Fiand & Michael Bussieck (GAMS)
• Evangelos Panos (PSI)
• Markus Blesl (IER)
• Gary Goldstein (DWI)
Two Proposals

3. GAMS Development Corp. GAMS Software GmbH www.gams.com
A TIMES Cloud Service

4. 4
We have been asked for a solution allowing
• occasional/new TIMES users to solve TIMES models
• without the need to purchase a GAMS/Solver license
• without limitations imposed by free services such as NEOS
(academic use only, resource restrictions)
• existing TIMES users to outsource heavy computations to
powerful hardware
→ GAMS suggests a TIMES Cloud Service
• that allows to solves TIMES models “in the cloud”
• that is convenient to access
• that uses state of the art cloud technology (GAMS Engine)
Cloud Service - Motivation

5. 5
Cloud Service – Roles & Components
Users
Service Admin(s)
Hardware
Software
Request
access/support
Provide
access/support
Veda
Access through clients.
Request resources as needed (RAM, #cores, time, …)
…
…

6. 6
Cloud Service – Roles & Components
Users
Service Admin(s)
Hardware
Software
Request
access/support
Provide
access/support
Veda
Access through clients.
Request resources as needed (RAM, #cores, time, …)
…
…
…
…
…
Fit for the future:
Upscaling is
possible!

7. 7
Connecting to the Cloud Service – From GAMS Studio
[…]
*** Status: Normal completion[LST:777]
--- Job demo12run.gms Stop 10/21/20 11:22:34 elapsed 0:00:00.289
updating: demo12run.gms (200 bytes security) (stored 0%)
updating: demo12run.g00 (200 bytes security) (deflated 10%)
--- switch to Engine
.demo12rundemo12run.lst[LS2:"C:UsersuserDocumentssupportTIMES_Demomodeldemo12run/demo12r
un.lst"]
TOKEN: 1fdc2c55-7ab3-485b-92ac-bfc7761293b2
--- Job demo12run.gms Start 10/21/20 09:22:35 32.2.0 rc62c018 LEX-LEG x86 64bit/Linux
[…]

8. 8
Connecting to the Cloud Service – From VEDA
Various APIs for GAMS Engine available to access the Cloud Service
(Python, Java, .NET, etc.)
→ Allow to send jobs to the cloud service from VEDA

9. 9
Connecting to the Cloud Service – From Engine Web UI
• User management
• Model management
(e.g. register different
TIMES versions)
• TIMES source on
server
• Upload .RUN and
.dd files
• Job Management
• Job Queue
• Show job statistics
• Download job files
• Submit jobs

10. 10
MIRO Server
MIRO Desktop
Web User Interface
GAMS Studio
Other APIs
(Python, Java, .NET etc.)
Connecting to GAMS Engine - Overview
MIRO (App/Front end to a model)
and Engine work nicely together
but also independently
Veda
TIMES
Cloud Service

11. 11
1. Hardware, Software Licensing, Maintenance € 22,300 p.a.
a) Server (€ 1,300 p.a.)
e.g. Hetzner, 12 Cores, 128 GB RAM, ~4TB SSD
b) Software Licensing (€ 16,000 p.a.)
GAMS/BASE, GAMS/CPLEX, GAMS/Conopt, GAMS/Engine
c) Maintenance (€ 5,000 p.a.)
Server Maintenance & User Management
2. Interfacing with VEDA € 8,000
Connect VEDA to GAMS Engine via OpenAPI
3. Documentation and Teaching Material € 6,000
User guide, Video Tutorial, Webinar
Project Duration 2 years → Total funding requested: € 58,600
Work Package Overview and associated costs
Year 2021 2022 2023 …
Cost € 36,300 € 22,300 Service can be continued

12. 12
• Cloud Service will be available from day 1 of the contract
• WP2/3 will be finished at an early stage of the project
Project Schedule

13. GAMS Development Corp. GAMS Software GmbH www.gams.com
An open-source TIMES/MIRO App

14. 14
• TIMES source code published under an open-source license in Dec 2019
• GAMS MIRO published under an open-source license in Apr 2020
• GAMS MIRO is a deployment framework for GAMS models
• A MIRO App is a front-end to a model
• Open Modelling Trend
• Many Energy Models implemented in GAMS are published open-source
(such as TIMES)
• Certain models rely on GUIs - no open-source TIMES GUI available so far
• (Potential) TIMES users that operate on a tight budget…
• … have a need for a low-cost/free Graphical User Interface (GUI) to their
TIMES Model
• … have a need for a low-cost/free GAMS/Solver licensing option
• Dissemination of a TIMES model (e.g. to allow others to reproduce
results)
→The TIMES/MIRO App…
• … is open-source and published on GitHub (https://github.com/GAMS-
dev/TIMES_ MIRO
Background
TIMES/MIRO App - Motivation

15. 15
What is GAMS MIRO?
A Deployment framework to turn GAMS models into interactive
(web) applications
✓ Annotation of existing GAMS model to define
GAMS Symbols shown in the interface
✓ Configuration mode with a broad set of
predefined charts, maps, widgets, etc.
✓ Support for custom renderers
✓ Comes with a database to save/load scenarios
✓ Hypercube Mode to generate scenario batch runs
✓ Scenario comparison mode
✓ Deployment of MIRO App in a single self
contained *.miroapp file
✓ Gateway for optimizing in the cloud (read more)

16. 16
TIMES/MIRO App Prototype
https://github.com/GAMS-dev/TIMES_MIRO
Run Configuration
Data import from *.dd files

17. 17
TIMES/MIRO App Prototype
https://github.com/GAMS-dev/TIMES_MIRO

18. 18
TIMES/MIRO App Prototype
https://github.com/GAMS-dev/TIMES_MIRO
Powerful data cube &
pivot table features
Built-in charting
facilities

19. 19
A selection of new features planned enhancements:
• RES network visualization
• User-defined sets
• Enable MIRO Hypercube mode for automated scenario
batch runs
• Better Scenario analysis and comparison of runs
• Save View for charting facilities to predefine certain TIMES
specific charts
• Improve data import capabilities
• …
→ Development driven by DWI, PSI, IER or other user demand
• suggest/test/feedback
→Technical implementation by GAMS
• transparent (published on GitHub)
WP1 - TIMES/MIRO App Development

20. 20
1. TIMES/MIRO App Development € 15,000
Implementation of new features and enhancements
2. Documentation and Teaching Material € 5,000
user guide, documentation of code, tutorial
Project Duration 1 year
Total funding requested: € 20,000
Work Package Overview and associated costs
Project Schedule

21. GAMS Development Corp. GAMS Software GmbH www.gams.com
Summary

22. 22
Cloud Service OnlyMIRO APP only
TIMES
Cloud Service
Web User Interface
GAMS Studio
Other APIs
(Python, Java, etc.)
NEOS
• GAMS & MIRO
installed locally
• Synchronous job
execution
MIRO Desktop
Everything local
Both
MIRO
application
MIRO ServerMIRO Desktop
Boosted by
GAMS Engine
Everything on a server
→ No software installed locally
• MIRO installed locally
• Synchronous and
asynchronous job
execution
Veda

23. 23
The suggested projects will enhance…
• the diversity
• the transparency
• the affordability
… of the TIMES toolbox.
→ Attract new user groups
→ Facilitate new ways to disseminate TIMES models
→ Increase the openness of the TIMES modelling framework
Key Benefits

24. GAMS Development Corp. GAMS Software GmbH www.gams.com
Thank You!
Frederik Fiand
ffiand@gams.com