About the ORMS Optimizer

The ORMS Optimizer is the background service that provides full-depth Length of Stay (LOS) pattern optimization to generate:

LOS specific hurdles (price points) per product,
For 60 days out from the current business date, and
Apply daily hurdles for the remainder of the booking window.

The Optimizer processes data in real time in the ORMS data model structure by immediately responding to OPERA reservation activity. This enables the Optimizer to forecast demand for any time in the future and make adjustments to hurdles in real time, ensuring optimum revenue at the right time for the particular booking situation. ORMS and the Optimizer are designed so that no manual installation or configuration for the Optimizer Service is required. In v5.0.01.00 and higher, the Service is automatically installed and configured when running the OPERA Installation Wizard. Registry entries will automatically be made using default values as well. Log files are generated that provide you with various system activities and information during the Optimization process.

This topic provides an overview of how the Optimizer operates and the components comprising the Optimizer. This information can be useful if you want to make minor changes to default values or review the logs. The sections below, include:

Installation
Registry Settings
Oappcfged.exe
Log Files
Troubleshooting

Installation

This section discusses Automatic Installation, Multi-Application Server Environment Installation, and Manual Installation.

Automatic Installation

The Optimizer Service is automatically installed on the Application Servers when running the OPERA Installation Wizard. The Startup Type for the Service will be set to Disabled.

Once the ORMS license is active, ORMS has been configured, and the data has been modeled, automatic configuration for the Optimizer is done in the OAppCfgEd.exe and the Service will be started.

Multi-Application Server Environment Installation

When running the OPERA Wizard in a Multi-Application Server environment, the Optimizer Service will be installed on all Application Servers.

You will need to define the "primary" Optimizer Service on one application server (typically, you have already defined the "primary" or "main" application server already. Use this primary server as the server for the Optimizer).
In OPERA, access Application Settings > General > Settings > Report Application Server Name and enter the server name for the primary Optimizer.

When this Service is started, it will write a log entry into a table notifying the other Application Server Optimizers not to optimize, even though they will be running

Manual Installation

If manual installation is required (not typically required, but possibly necessary for a Test environment), follow the steps below. The OPERA Tools folder contains an ORMS Optimizer installer for every supported major OPERA Version.

To install the service, run the ORMSOptInstV5.exe.

orms_optimizer_setup_program

On the OPERA Application Server, the install location is <Opera Home>\Tools\.

The installation will create the default log folder (<Opera Home>\operaias\webtemp\ORMS\V5) and some registry entries (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micros-Systems\ORMS\V5).

Note: In a 64-bit environment with 32-bit processes, the Registry Key for the Optimizer Service is: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Micros-systems\ORMS\V5].

The Service itself will be installed with a Startup Type of Manual.

Registry Settings

The Registry Key for the Optimizer Service is [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micros-Systems\ORMS\V5].

In a 64-bit environment with 32-bit processes, the Registry Key for the Optimizer Service is [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Micros-systems\ORMS\V5].

The Registry Settings contain 3 entries that can be modified as described below.

Entries

The 'LogLevel' can either be set to TRACE, DEBUG, MESSAGE, WARNING or ERROR. The default value is MESSAGE. The recommended setting for troubleshooting is DEBUG.
The 'LogPath' will default to <Opera Home>\micros\opera\operaias\webtemp\ORMS\V5.
The 'Schemas' will always be numbers, which indicate the schema numbers given in the opera.cfg file for each schema.
Note: If the Optimizer is running for multiple schemas, the schema numbers will be comma-separated in the 'Schemas' setting as seen below.

orms_optimizer_registry_commas

OAppCfgEd.exe

Ensure that the Configure ORMS Optimizer check box is selected and that the schema number matches the entry in the Registry Settings in the OAppCfgEd.exe file. Follow the steps below.

orms_optimizer_OAppCggEd_entries

Select the Edit button. When an ORMS Optimizer Service is installed, the Connections Configuration screen will show the option for the Optimizer: Configure ORMS Optimizer.
This check box (Configure ORMS Optimizer) is required to be selected for every schema that has at least one active ORMS license.
If the Configure ORMS Optimizer check box is selected, all that needs to be done is to ensure that the Schema number matches the entry in the Registry Settings, as in the following screen examples.

orms_optimizer_matching_schema_numbers

Log Files

The Optimizer generates two types of log files on the Application Server. The two log files are described below.

General System Log File Per Day

One log file will be created per day with the following naming convention: ORMSOptimizerSystemLog20080502.html

Examples:

Message/Warning/Error Log Level with just 1 schema selected to optimize

orms_optimizer_log_one_file

Trace/Debug Log Level with just 1 schema selected to optimize

Trace/Debug Log Level with 2 schemas selected to optimize

orms_optimizer_trace_log_two_schemas

Property/Schema Log File per Run

One log file will be created per property/schema and per run with the following naming conventions.

orms_optimizer_property_schame_naming

The [0] and [1] indicate the schema numbers
PHK and CLWSP, in this example, are the two properties for which the Optimizer is running.
Note: The system will automatically keep only the most recent 12 log files per property. It will overwrite all older ones in order to prevent loss of server space.

Examples:

Message Log Level

All relevant information is given, but no grids actually show data.

orms_optimizer_message_log_level

Debug Log Level

This log will display the same information as the Message Log Level log file, with the exception that the following grids will be included in the log file: Hotel Available Capacities Grid and Hotel Optimal Rooms Grid.

Hotel Available Capacities Grid

orms_optimizer_hotel_avail_grid

Hotel Optimal Rooms Grid

orms_optimizer_hotel_optimal_grid

Trace Log Level

The Trace Log will display the same information as the Debug Log Level log file with the exception that it will contain grids for almost every entry in the log file, which makes it very graphical, yet the log files get very big.

Warning/Error Log Level

If the log level is set to Warning, the log file will only get generated if a Warning or Error appears during the Optimization. (If all goes well with the Optimization, no logfile is generated.)

And, if the log level is set to Error, a log file will only be generated if an Error appears during the Optimization. (If all goes well with the Optimization, no logfile is generated.)

These log files will be very small and are basic log files.

Note: As mentioned above, it is likely that no log files will get generated. In that case, the Optimizer did run and hurdles and overbookings were set. If no logfile was generated, it does not mean that the Optimizer didn't work as intended.

Troubleshooting

This section is included to help troubleshoot and fix the issues if the Optimizer Service does not start. (Ensure that Modeling is complete before troubleshooting.)

ORMS Optimizer Service Cannot Start

Issue:

The ORMS Optimizer does not start on the Application Server.

Cause:

Most likely the Registry Settings are not correct.

Solution:

Login to the Application Server and open the OAppCfgEd.exe located in the D:\Micros\Opera\Tools folder.
Note the Schema number (in this example below, SCHEMA_0) as you will need this number later.
Select your schema and click the Edit button.

orms_optimizer_troubleshooting_1

4. On this screen, make sure the Configure ORMS Optimizer check box is selected.

orms_optimizer_troubleshooting_2

5. Open the Registry Settings on the Application Server and go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Micros-Systems\ORMS\V5 path.

6. Make sure that the entry in the Schemas row matches your schema number as seen in the OAppCfgEd.exe, and that there are no invalid entries.

Note: Multiple schemas need to get entered comma-separated, as seen in the example below.

7. You should start receiving data in ORMS after these procedures, verifying that the Optimizer is running.


Welcome to ORMS	Configuration Tab Seasons	How OPERA is Affected by ORMS
Configuration Tab Alerts and Rules	Configuration Tab Verification	OPERA Preliminary Setup for ORMS
Configuration Tab Booking Class	Configuration Tab Yield Category	ORMS Preliminary Setup
Configuration Tab Events	Configuration Tab Yieldability	Forecast Analysis Tab
Configuration Tab Groups	Configuration Tab Forecast Groups
Configuration Tab Hurdle Schedule	Groups Tab	Reports Tab
Configuration Tab Miscellaneous	Home Tab	Recommendation Tab