Analytica User FAQs/Application Issues

Memory Issues

See:

Is there a 64-bit version of Analytica?

All editions of Analytica (except Free Edition, but including ADE) are available in 32 and 64-bit versions. You need a 64-bit version of Microsoft Windows Operating System to run Analytica 64-bit version, usual in most newer Windows computers. You can download installers for 32 and 64-bit versions from [1]

Hardware

I'm purchasing a new computer. What hardware is recommended for best Analytica performance?

A 64-bit processor (almost all are nowadays)
Windows 64-bit (XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10, or Server 2008, 2012, 2016 or later).
The most RAM you can afford. RAM is the most important determiner of performance in Analytica, more important than the choice of processor. Many power-Analytica users are now getting 16GB of RAM or more.
DDR3 RAM is preferred over DDR2 RAM -- it is roughly twice as fast.
A large screen (in pixel count), or multiple monitors, is very helpful when developing models.
A solid-state drive for your page file can also speed things up substantially with extremely large models that exceed available RAM. However, do not trade-off RAM for a SSD -- RAM is far more important.
Number of processors does not have as large an impact on performance as these other factors. More processors helps a little in Analytica 5.0 and above, but processor speed is more important than processor count. The Gurobi add-on optimization engine benefits quite a bit from more processors while solving integer LPs.

The above is particularly recommended for Analytica 64-bit.

If you will be running only Analytica 32-bit, then we recommend at least 6GB of RAM, but it beyond 6GB the extra is not as important.

Basis Application Issues

Windows in Analytica open slowly in Windows Vista

Resolved in Analytica 4.1.0

When you open a window inside Analytica, such as an object window, diagram, etc., a small animation occurs that makes it appear that the window is expanding from a point. Normally this animation flashes by in less than 1/10 of a second. However, when you have the Windows Aero color scheme selected in Windows Vista, this small animation runs in slow motion and takes several seconds.

Other aspects of Analytica's speed are not impacted. For example, evaluation of models is not slower.

To avoid this problem in Windows Vista, simply change the color scheme to any of the color schemes other than Windows Aero. To change the color scheme, follow these steps:

Right click on the desktop, select Personalize (This jumps to the Control Panel → Personalization dialog).
Click on Window Color and Appearance
Select Open classic appearance properties for more color options
In the Color Scheme list, select anything other than Windows Aero.

Reporting Bugs

How do I submit a bug report?

If you find a bug, we want to know about it so we can fix it in later releases. So please, do tell us.

When you submit a bug report, it is important that we can reproduce the problem. In most cases, it is best of you send us a copy of your model, a description of the problem, and a set of instructions for how to reproduce the problem. Send this information to support@lumina.com. Please also indicate if you need a work-around or not -- if you need a workaround, we usually try to find you one quickly, but if you don't, letting us know will save us time. We may get back to you with further questions if we are unable to reproduce the problem.

Can I see a list of known bugs?

While we maintain a very large and comprehensive bugbase, we do consider the information in that database proprietary. For some of the more serious or common problems in the most current release, we will post information here. In the release notes for new releases, we will list some of the more significant or commonly encountered issues that were fixed, so if you're using an older release, consult those elsewhere on the Wiki.

Can I request enhancements to Analytica?

Please do. We value your input, and such input does have a substantial impact on your prioritizations.

To submit an enhancement request, send it to support@lumina.com.

We've had occasions where someone has an urgent enhancement, which they need in the near future, but which would not be at the top of our priority list for quite some time. In many cases, perhaps most, we find that these enhancements can actually be implemented within Analytica itself, using some of the more advanced features. Our consulting services can often be utilized if you need help in implementing those.

Are there security issues to worry about?

Most of our users build models that contain sensitive proprietary data, and this is often one important consideration underlying their choice to use Analytica. Analytica is a desktop application that leaves you in control of your data, and unlike Excel, it doesn't have an underlying virus-susceptible macro language. Analytica does not transmit your private data (with the exception of the "Publish to Cloud..." feature), and has minimal touch points that would enable malicious software to take hold. Hence, Analytica is viewed by many users as one of the most secure options available today for building and using models.

Nevertheless, in today's day and age, you should always remain vigilant to security issues. For example, when using the software, you should keep these potential security issues in mind:

When you install Analytica, verify that the installer has been digitally signed by Lumina Decision Systems. Window's will ask you for permission to launch the installer and will tell you that it is signed. By validating that it is digitally signed, you can know that a malicious third party hasn't tampered with or injected malware. All executables and DLLs shipped by Lumina are digitally signed, which you can always verify in the files' Properties.
There are several opportunities to integrate with Excel within your model, even with the Profession edition. This includes reading and writing data from/to Excel via the Spreadsheet functions as well as OLE linking. Because Excel is a security nightmare, you should consider removing Excel from your business processes if you are very sensitive to security threats. (Note: We disable the use of Excel on our Analytica Cloud Platform server, so you cannot rely on Excel integrations when you publish your model to the cloud. If you purchase an ACP license to run on your own dedicated server, the option to enable Excel is your option.)
You can print stuff from your model to a physical printer. Thus, you need to be careful not to print something with sensitive information and then accidentally leave it sitting on a public printer.
You can copy/paste between Analytica and other applications. When you use Copy/Paste, the data copied will be present on your system clipboard. Third-party malicious software that is already on your computer might be able to read it from your clipboard, or someone who gets access to your console can paste this data and view it while it is on the clipboard.

When using Analytica, you will be creating your own models, and writing your own code. When doing so, you should consider whether your own code is secure. If you are using the Enterprise or Optimizer edition, you have at your fingertips several features that enable you to integrate with other applications, databases, file systems and remote services. When you use these features in your own code, it is up to you to make sure you are doing so in a secure and responsible way.

Privacy and the protection of your personal information is also a modern security concern. Lumina's privacy policy explains how we are committed to protect your personal information. The Analytica software communicates with our servers in these two instances: (1) To automatically activate your license, and (2) to check for software updates or alerts. Both are optional and don't effect the ability of the software to function if suppressed. Neither transmission ever includes any information from your models.