Tania,
The chief new user interface for SAS/OR is PROC OPTMODEL, which provides the ability for our optimization users to build and solve models using a highly readable, interactive algebraic modeling language. PROC OPTMODEL handles linear, mixed-integer, quadratic, and general nonlinear optimization and is available either with SAS 9.2 or with SAS 9.1.3 (as SAS/OR 9.1.3 Release 3.2).
The other new user interface in SAS/OR comes from SAS Simulation Studio, the successor to the QSIM application. SAS Simulation Studio provides a graphical drag-and-drop environment for building and running discrete event simulation models. This type of modeling is very useful in studying the behavior and performance of systems with significant non-deterministic (or random) elements, such as customer arrivals, service times, transit times, preferences, etc. Discrete event simulation enables you to study the system under different operating conditions and/or in different configurations, and to generate data that can support valid statistical inferences about the links between available system controls and system performance. SAS Simulation Studio is currently available for download from support.sas.com; since it coordinates with JMP for several key features, it will run if the user licenses either SAS/OR (release 9.1.3 or later) or JMP7.
Contact me with any questions, please.
Ed Hughes
Product Manager, SAS/OR
