Publications

E. D. Dolan, R. Fourer, J.-P. Goux, and T. S. Munson, "Kestrel: A Callable Interface to the NEOS Server," Preprint ANL/MCS-P986-0802, August 2002. [pdf]

The NEOS Server provides access to a variety of optimization packages via the Internet. The new Kestrel interface to the NEOS Server extends the server's capabilities by permitting local programs to request optimization services and retrieve results. As a result, a locally running modeling system can have much the same access to remote NEOS solvers as to those installed locally. Kestrel clients have been implemented for the AMPL and GAMS modeling environments. Extensions to the client designs enable them to queue subproblems for execution and later retrieval of results, making possible a limited form of parallel processing. The creation of the Kestrel interface has also led to enhancements in the NEOS Server for submitting binary files and for tracking progress via the Web.