Our Large-Scale Linear Programming Solver Now Handles Quadratic Problems.
for Risk Solver Platform and Solver SDK Platform
 

Frontline Systems is pleased to offer the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine, for use inside and outside Microsoft Excel. The Large-Scale LP/QP Solver is a field-installable Solver Engine that "plugs into" Risk Solver Platform and Premium Solver Platform for Excel, and takes advantage of its new Polymorphic Spreadsheet Interpreter. You can also use it with our Solver SDK Platform to develop applications in a programming language, for one license price!  It extends the power of our Solver Platform products to handle linear programming and quadratic programming problems of up to 32,000 variables and 32,000 constraints in its Standard version, or with no fixed limits on variables and constraints in its Extended version. It also supports integer variables and  "alldifferent" constraints in both Platforms.
 

Fully Compatible

Risk Solver Platform and Premium Solver Platform are 100% upwardly compatible from the standard Excel Solver. Your existing models can be solved with no changes, faster and more easily than before.  And your VBA code designed to control the standard Solver will work as-is with Risk Solver Platform or Premium Solver Platform and the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine -- just select the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver interactively or in your VBA code.


Greater Speed and Capacity

You'll be able to solve linear and quadratic programming problems a thousand times larger than the standard Excel Solver -- up to 32,000 variables and 32,000 constraints in the Standard version, or with no fixed limits on variables and constraints in the Extended version of the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine. (Please note: Speed and maximum practical problem size may be less for QP problems than for LP problems with this Solver Engine.)

To handle such large problems, this Solver Engine uses sparse matrix storage methods and advanced methods for matrix factorization. Solution times are often hundreds of times faster than the standard Excel Solver, and many times faster than Premium Solver.


Fast Problem Setup

Large linear programming models often spend most of their time in problem setup, then reach a solution quickly. With some work in designing your model to use certain common functions (like SUM and SUMPRODUCT), the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine can give you a really awesome speedup -- as much as 100 times faster!

But since the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver can use the new Polymorphic Spreadsheet Interpreter in Risk Solver Platform and Premium Solver Platform to extract the LP coefficients of your model, you may get most of this speed benefit without redesigning your model at all!  What's more, the coefficients are up to twice as accurate as they were without the Polymorphic Spreadsheet Interpreter.


New Options and Tolerances

The Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine lets you adjust the most critical tolerances in the Simplex method -- the Primal Tolerance and Dual Tolerance.  Other tolerances are determined automatically.  And you can also select a variety of Cut Generation options, and set limits on the number of subproblems and feasible solutions in mixed-integer linear programming problems.


Comprehensive User Guide

In addition to the User Guide that comes with Risk Solver Platform, you'll receive our Solver Engine User Guide that describes several field-installable Solver engines, including the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver.  This guide provides complete information on Large-Scale LP/QP Solver options, the various messages that this Solver Engine can return, how to diagnose problems, and how to control the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver from VBA in Excel, or from our Solver SDK Platform.


Order or Upgrade Today!

Prices.  The Standard version of the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine solves LP/QP problems of up to 32,000 variables and 32,000 constraints. The Extended version solves LP/QP problems with no fixed limits on variables and constraints.  For pricing information for all Solver Engines, please see our Product Catalog.  If you are ordering for several users, ask us about quantity discounts and Flexible Use Licenses.
 

What's Included.  The Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine supports Excel 2013 Preview ((32-bit and 64-bit), Excel 2010 (32-bit and 64-bit), Excel 2007, and Excel 2003 on Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2008.  It comes with a comprehensive User Guide and extensive online Help.  And, like all Frontline Systems products, it includes a 30-day money-back guarantee.
 

Annual Support Contracts.  An Annual Support Contract for the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver is required for the first year, and at all times in order to obtain software upgrades and technical support beyond basic installation assistance.  An Annual Support Contract includes:
 

  • A limited warranty for the functionality and performance of the software product 
     
  • All software upgrades for the product released during the contract term
     
  • Ability to trade in this product for an even more powerful Excel Solver product
     
  • Access to protected support pages of our Website
     
  • Technical support by phone and email during normal business hours
     
  • Up to 15 minutes of consulting assistance arising during the contract term
     

Product Upgrades. If you own an older version of Risk Solver Platform, Premium Solver Platform or Solver SDK Platform and the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine, you'll receive an automatic upgrade to our latest version at no extra charge if you have a current Annual Support Contract (if you aren't current, see our instructions for "catching up" on annual support and paying the difference in price). 
 

Evaluation Versions.  If you want to "try before you buy," simply fill out the form below to register, then download and run the EngineSetup program. (If you're already registered, just login; if you're already logged in, just click the Download button.)  If you don't already own Risk Solver Platform or Premium Solver Platform (which is required to use the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine in Excel), you can also download and run the SolverSetup program.  You'll receive an evaluation license code which will allow you to use a full featured, full capacity, full speed version of Risk Solver Platform and the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine for 15 days, free of charge.  You can also download and run the SDKSetup program, and use Solver SDK Platform with the Large-Scale LP/QP Solver Engine for 15 days.