Calculate Auto Schedule

Auto Scheduler is a mathematical optimization engine that searches for an optimal short-term or medium-term schedule with the goal of automating (as much as possible) the process of creating a mining schedule.

Activity Steps

Display the Auto Scheduler screen.
If required, connect to a Summit scheduler remote host using Connect.

Note: specify a Summit scheduler URL in Project Options. If a remote host isn't specified, or is unavailable, local processing will be performed.

Active connections (remote or local) are shown in green, whilst an inactive remote connection is shown in red. By default, a local optimization engine will be connected, for example:
To create a new scheduler scenario:
1. Select New.
  A new row is added to the Scenarios table.
2. If you like, edit the scenario Name.
3. Choose a Scheduler option:
  1. To define a basic schedule to be processed locally, useful for solving small and uncomplicated schedules, select Basic (Local) .
  2. For a more ambitious project, for example where loader modelling constraints are required, select Advanced (Local).
  3. If a Summit instance is available, and you wish to off-board your processing, select Summit.
4. Choose the Emphasis to apply to your schedule:
  - Feasible: the emphasis with this option is on finding a schedule that satisfies all scheduling constraints.
  - Optimal: the emphasis with this option is on finding the best quality schedule that satisfies all scheduling constraints. The quality of the schedule is measured according to the objective, which is normally total cash flow. This approach is usually slower than the Feasible approach but will almost always find a better schedule according to the objective than the Feasible approach.
  - Balanced: this emphasis strikes a balance between the Feasible and Optimal approaches in terms of speed of finding a schedule and the quality of the schedule.
  - Speed: the emphasis with this option is on finding a schedule as quickly as possible that satisfies all the scheduling constraints. This approach is usually the fastest approach but it is not as robust as other approaches and may fail to find a solution when the Feasible approach would. If this approach fails to find a solution, then trying the Feasible approach is recommended.
    
    See How Does the Scheduler Consider Emphasis?
5. Depending on schedule parameters, optimization calculations can take some time. If you want to set an upper limit on processing time for your calculation, add a Timeout(h).
  If a solution isn't found within the time out period, the Scheduler will return the best solution found so far, if any.
  Warning: When running locally, the project must remain open for the duration of the run otherwise the run will be cancelled.
6. To choose the period from which a schedule will be calculated, pick the appropriate From Period. By default, a schedule will be calculated from the first period.
7. To limit your schedule to a maximum period, pick a period from the To Period list. By default, a schedule will calculated to incorporate all periods, up to the final period.
8. Choose if you wish to include truck and haulage data in your schedule:
  1. Select Yes to include truck and haulage data in your calculation, honouring these constraints, if your project contains this information.
  2. Select No to force the schedule to exclude constraints provided by truck and haulage specification, even if the project contains this data,
    Note: choosing No for a project that includes truck and haulage data ensures this data does not affect your solution, but this data is still reloaded should you choose to Use the calculated solution to schedule mining blocks. This ensures no data is lost and allows you to manually assign haulage (or remove the constraints of haulage), if required, after the schedule is applied.
9. To choose which Mining Method is appropriate for your calculation:
  1. Choose Selective to ensure calculated loading is carried out selectively, that is, permitting mining from categories within a block independently.
  2. Choose Non-selective to force the calculation to consider the same percentage of each category.
10. Choose how pre-scheduling and stockpile scheduling are managed during schedule calculation, using Schedule:
  1. Select Merge to merge pre-scheduled (existing) data with the calculated solution. In other words, pre-scheduling will be used. For example if a solution has been calculated for periods 1 and 2, but the latest data includes a 3rd period, the calculated schedule for period 3 will be merged with the existing schedule (which will not be recalculated).
  2. Select Replace to ignore pre-scheduled material and start a new empty schedule ignoring the pre-scheduled solution.
  3. Select Merge plus Reclaim to merge new data with existing but lock the material mined from the pit, thus only allowing reclaim to occur from within the pre-scheduled material.
To start schedule optimization:
1. Select a table row representing a scenario that has not been completed.
2. Click Start.
  Processing will begin and Status messages indicate progress.
To check the status of a listed scheduling scenario, review the Status column:
1. A Starting status indicates the Auto Scheduler is preparing data for calculation.
2. An Uploading status only occurs if the Scheduler is Summit. During this stage, local schedule inputs are being uploaded to a remote Summit server. An indication of time elapsed is displayed.
3. A Running status means a calculation is in progress. Auto Scheduler can be stopped during processing at any time.
4. If a run isWaiting, it means it is currently queued for processing, but processing hasn't yet started. During this phase, you can edit the scenario's properties, otherwise properties will be read-only.
5. Summit Scheduler optimizations, once Completed, will broadcast a message to the local client (if a connection still exists) to indicate the run has finished:
To cancel an in-progress calculation:
1. Select the scenario to halt.
2. Click Stop.
To access data relating to (or generated by) Auto Scheduler:
1. Select the scenario.
2. Click View.
  
  A folder browser appears containing data relating to the selected scenario.
To apply a calculated schedule to locally-available, loaded data objects:
1. Select the Completed scenario to apply.
2. Click Use.
  
  Loaded data objects will be appended with schedule information.
  
  Notes about using a scenario:
  
  Even if Auto Scheduler failed to find a solution for a previous run, you can still "Use" this scenario to reinstate your previous schedule settings - this allows you to make adjustments to your schedule before resubmitting it. This is an effective way of fine-tuning a previously failed schedule to generate a solution.
  
  Where the scheduler has been able to deduce a partial solution which can still be used (by clicking Use). In this case, the scheduling report will indicate a partial solution.
  
  Any previously executed scenario (regardless of the outcome), if selected, will display the current scheduler log file for that scenario. The Scheduler log file provides information on the events that took place throughout scheduling.