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Whats New in ENTERPRISE?

Quick Reference Guide

Software Version 6.0 Reference Guide Edition 1

Copyright 2007 AIRCOM International All rights reserved ADVANTAGE, ASSET, CONNECT, DATASAFE, ENTERPRISE, NEPTUNE, ARRAYWIZARD, OPTIMA, OSSEXPERT, and WEBWIZARD are recognised trademarks of AIRCOM International. Other product names are trademarks of their respective companies. Microsoft Excel , .NET, Microsoft Office, Outlook , Visual Basic Windows, Windows XP, Windows Vista and Word are trademarks of the Microsoft Corporation. This documentation is protected by copyright and contains proprietary and confidential information. No part of the contents of this documentation may be disclosed, used or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without the prior written consent of AIRCOM International. Although AIRCOM International has collated this documentation to reflect the features and capabilities supported in the software products, the company makes no warranty or representation, either expressed or implied, about this documentation, its quality or fitness for particular customer purpose. Users are solely responsible for the proper use of ENTERPRISE software and the application of the results obtained. An electronic version of this document exists. This User Reference Guide finalised on 24 August 2007. Refer to the Online Help for more information. This User Reference Guide prepared by: AIRCOM International Ltd Cassini Court Randalls Research Park Randalls Way Leatherhead Surrey KT22 7TW Telephone: Support Hotline: Fax: Web: +44 (0) 1932 442000 +44 (0) 1932 442345 +44 (0) 1932 442005 www.aircominternational.com

Contents
Chapter 1 What's New in ENTERPRISE? 7
What's New in Version 6.0? ............................................................................... 8
What's New in ENTERPRISE 6.0? .............................................................................. 8 What's New in ADVANTAGE 6.0?............................................................................. 14 What's New in ARRAYWIZARD 6.0? ........................................................................ 17 What's New in ASSET 6.0? ....................................................................................... 18 What's New in CONNECT 6.0? ................................................................................. 28 What's New in DIRECT 6.0? ..................................................................................... 50 What's New in OPTIMA 6.0? ..................................................................................... 54 What's New in RANOPT 6.0? .................................................................................... 62 What's New in WEBWIZARD 6.0? ............................................................................ 66

What Was New in Version 5.2.1? .................................................................... 69


What's New in ADVANTAGE 5.2.1?.......................................................................... 69 What's New in ASSET 5.2.1? .................................................................................... 73 What's New in DIRECT 5.2.1? .................................................................................. 79 What's New in OPTIMA 5.2.1? .................................................................................. 85 What's New in RANOPT 5.2.1? ................................................................................. 86 What's New in WEBWIZARD 5.2.1? ......................................................................... 92

What Was New in Version 5.2? ....................................................................... 93


What's New in ADVANTAGE 5.2?............................................................................. 96 What's New in ASSET 5.2? ..................................................................................... 102 What's New in CONNECT 5.2? ............................................................................... 105 What's New in DIRECT 5.2? ................................................................................... 111 What's New in OPTIMA 5.2? ................................................................................... 113 What's New in WEBWIZARD 5.2? .......................................................................... 117

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

CHAPTER 1

What's New in ENTERPRISE?


If this is the first version of ENTERPRISE that you have used, you should skip this document and instead: Read the ENTERPRISE User Reference Guide for basic information about using the suite - or From the Help Contents, double-click Using ENTERPRISE to start reading basic information about using the suite For existing users of ENTERPRISE, this document gives a brief overview of what has changed in the various versions of ENTERPRISE.

In This Section
What's New in Version 6.0? What Was New in Version 5.2.1? What Was New in Version 5.2? 8 69 93

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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What's New in Version 6.0?


This section describes the changes that are new throughout the ENTERPRISE 6.0 suite:

What's New in ENTERPRISE 6.0?


In ENTERPRISE 6.0, the following additional features are now available:

Script Execution on Apply


In ENTERPRISE Administrator you can now configure database events scripts to be executed when a user clicks Apply, as well as Commit. You can also do it for either, as shown in this example:

Example Database Script Events Assignment Dialog Box

The number of object types with which scripts can be used has also been increased.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

Project Load Enhancements


Before you open a project, you can select which project entities and technologies are loaded when you open that project. If your project does not contain all entities and technologies, this option can help you significantly improve the project loading speed and the memory utilisation. You can select what is loaded in the Project Options dialog box. This picture shows an example:

Example Project Options dialog box

You can select to exclude: Neighbour-related features such as neighbour planning wizard, neighbour list, and so on One or more desired technology streams (for example, GSM / UMTS / TDMA / TETRA Elements relevant to microwave planning, such as links, radios, microwave antennas and so on The excluded elements will not be loaded from the database and will not be available to you for use or file export, unless the project is closed and re-opened. Apart from the elements that are completely excluded from loading, you can also choose not to load the antenna masks at startup, as they consume great amount of memory and not all of them are used in each project. ENTERPRISE will only load the antenna devices, and the mask for each one will only be loaded when and if you try to access it. This load 'on demand' of the antenna masks leads to a significant improvement of the project loading time, especially for big projects.

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XML Data Editor


ENTERPRISE 6.0 has a new XML Data Editor. You can use this to: Open, edit and save ENTERPRISE-produced XML files, using a viewer similar to a spreadsheet Transfer data into ENTERPRISE-compatible XML format via other applications, such as Microsoft Excel or a *.csv (Comma-Separated Value) file, without having to edit the XML files directly The main areas of the XML Data Editor are the list of supported network elements and the grid display pane. The List of Supported Network Elements The tree list in the left-hand pane displays the network element types whose XML the Data Editor supports. If the file contains complex data, this will be separated into a number of views. For example, WiMax node data is divided into separate views for Carriers, Antennas and Fields:

GSM Cell - multiple views

As you select each view, different detail for the required type is displayed in the grid display pane. The Grid Display Pane When you open an XML file in the XML Data Editor, the data in the file is displayed in the grid display pane.The Data Editor has extensive filtering capability allowing for quick and easy view of specific data. This picture shows an example:

Grid display pane

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

The columns are coded as follows:


This code Bold text Blue cell Magenta cell Means that the data in this column Represents a unique ID or key. Is mandatory; a value must be entered. Is numeric.

For all other columns, data of any type can be added or the column can be left blank (subject to ASSET XML import restrictions).

Power Users
In ENTERPRISE Administrator an optional new user type can now be created by the Super User and Regional Super Users. Power Users can create new users and add them to existing groups but cannot create new groups or edit permissions. The Super User and Regional Super Users can assign other users to this group. If you are a Super User you can select the user permissions that members of the Power Users group can have. These permissions determine the options accessible to the Power User from the Utilities menu, and they are set in the Power User Permissions dialog box:

Power Users Permissions dialog box

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Group Permissions for Fields


In ENTERPRISE Administrator the Super User and Regional Super Users can now control which fields can be edited by particular groups of users. Power Users can also do this if allowed to do so by the SU or a RSU. This picture shows an example of fields and their group permissions:

Fields and their associated group permissions

ENTERPRISE Help System Update


The ENTERPRISE Help system has been upgraded from WinHelp to HTML Help. There are a number of benefits associated with this: HTML Help is compatible with the Windows Vista operating system The additional contents pane that is supplied with HTML Help enables you to navigate between topics more easily The enhanced Search tab replaces the Find tab, enabling you to search more efficiently for topics related to your area of interest

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

This picture shows an example of the new HTML Help system:

Example HTML Help window for ENTERPRISE 6.0

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What's New in ADVANTAGE 6.0?


In ADVANTAGE 6.0, the following additional features or improvements are now available:

Optimiser Workflow to Enhance Usability


ADVANTAGE's user interface has been radically improved, facilitating the usage of the tool through the principle of a common Optimiser Workflow. The Optimiser Workflow enables you to perform the vast majority of tasks within ADVANTAGE from a single dialog box. This incorporates the setting up of parameters, costs, constraints and targets, and generation of optimisation plans.

Example of the Optimiser Workflow dialog box in ADVANTAGE The Optimiser Workflow comprises a number of main options in the left hand pane, and each of these enables you to access a range of specific options that are displayed in the right-hand pane.

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New Concept for Optimisation Plans


The concept of plans in ADVANTAGE has been improved and simplified, making the need for the former Optimisation Matrix redundant. There are now two 'categories' of plan: Plan Delta Plan Here are some basic principles: Plans and Delta Plans are listed in the Plan Manager section of the Optimiser Workflow dialog box. You can perform similar operations using a Plan of either category, and you can choose to Apply any of these plans to the database. Plans are created by way of a 'snapshot' from the current Site Database. During that process, you can restrict the scope of the plan in terms of area and sites/nodes/cells by using the Map View region and the filters. The Plan Details enable you to select specific vectors, drive test routes, terminal types, and array-based options (this has now superseded the former Configuration Profiles). Delta Plans emanate from a Plan (after running an optimisation); they represent changes to the starting Plan. Plans are categorised by the Plan) are categorised by the icon. Delta Plans (parented to the appropriate icon.

The following picture illustrates this:

Example of Plans and Delta Plans listed in the Plan Manager In the Optimiser Workflow, there are three viewing options for plans:

These options are visual 'filters' that help you to distinguish which Plan(s) you (or others) are working with. There is also an option to hand over the 'usage' of a plan from one user to another, and also (if required) an option to share the plan amongst more than one user.

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New Flexible Method of Setting Action-Constraints


There is now a very flexible and powerful Action-Constraints dialog box, which offers options to set values for any cells, independently (if required) from the constraints already set in the Site Database. These can be made relevant to all cells or groups of cells within a plan, through the use of filters, enabling you to set up the actionconstraints for your optimisation plans in ways that suit your specific requirements.

Options available within the Actions Constraints dialog box

You can specify which parameters can be changed (for the cells that can be planned) during optimisation. It can be done for any or all of the planning mechanisms (Antenna/Power/Grid). All the current values of the network contained in the Plan All the constraints All the possible network parameter changes that may be considered in an optimisation You can also perform many kinds of Excel-like viewing operations, such as: Show/hide columns Sort ascending, descending Show All (rows) or Filter (only rows containing a chosen value) Action-Constraints that are set in the Site Database are always auto-populated into the Actions-Constraints dialog box when you create a plan. You then have the freedom to modify those constraints at that stage, if required. When you run an optimisation, the Optimiser reads the constraints exclusively from the ActionsConstraints dialog box, regardless of the original 'source' of the constraints.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

The Action-Constraints Templates (similar to the former Optimisation Profiles, now superseded) provide you with a quick and easy way of setting up Actions-Constraints so that they can be reused across all or some of your Plans. This flexibility enables you to specify the actions-constraints for any or all of the planning approaches: Antenna Power Grid (site location/configuration)

TEMS Utility for GSM


In ADVANTAGE, you can now use the TEMS Utility for GSM, as well as UMTS. This means that, for both GSM and UMTS networks, you can convert TEMS (drive test) data into Signia files, and then load them in memory to use the data in the generation of measurement-based pathloss files, CW analysis and model tuning. In addition, you can now independently select the region of interest, and the cells of interest (using filters), in the TEMS Utility dialog box.

What's New in ARRAYWIZARD 6.0?


In ARRAYWIZARD 6.0, the following additional features are now available: New Static Analysis Support Introduce support in ArrayWizard for the new static analysis engine.

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What's New in ASSET 6.0?


In ASSET 6.0, the following additional features or improvements are now available:

Array Definition Controller Enhancements


ASSET already provides an easy-to-use Auto Setup option that ensures that all the relevant array types and their parameter combinations are included in the simulation outputs for display and analysis. It now also provides the opportunity to make general exclusions of arrays based on indoor/outdoor, speed, terminal types, services, bearers or carriers. In this way, you can quickly and easily determine the arrays that you want to be included in the outputs.

HSDPA Enhancements
You can now model the control HSDPA channel by setting the HS-SCCH power as a percentage of the HS-DSCH.

Example of HSDPA Bearers dialog box

In addition, when you run a simulation that models HSDPA, you can now specify to use Dynamic power allocation. In this case, HSDPA users are served either with the HSDPA Link power value or (if it is lower) the available power on the cell (in the Non-Dynamic case, all HSDPA users are served with the cell's HSDPA Link power value).

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

Mobile WiMAX Support


ASSET now supports both of the WiMAX standards. It already supports Fixed WiMAX, based on the 802.16d standard, and now supports Mobile WiMAX, based on the 802.16e standard. When planning a Mobile WiMAX network in ASSET, you can: Model MIMO systems, adaptive modulation, and sub-channelisation

Define different scenarios by using a combination of different services, terminals and traffic arrays Perform neighbour planning Use the Simulator to perform detailed analysis and generate reports of network performance

New Simulator Support for Other Technologies


The new Simulator, in addition to UMTS FDD and CDMA2000, now also supports: GSM Joint GSM/UMTS EV-DO Static analysis, if required, is now available within the Simulator wizard. (The old 5.0 Simulator has now been completely removed.) In addition, the output arrays now include a 'per all carriers' option.

Performance and Memory Enhancements


In ASSET, these two processes are now much faster than in previous versions: Antenna loading Vector loading

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Prediction File Automatic Management System and Caching Algorithm


In ASSET 6.0 onwards, there is a new concept behind the creation and loading of prediction files. The coverage predictions are created or loaded automatically whenever you create a coverage/interference array, or when you run the Simulator. This concept means that you do not need to explicitly create coverage predictions. If required, however, the Pathloss Prediction Generator can still be used. Here are the significant improvements and benefits: When predictions are created or loaded, it is possible to set up and benefit from a 'dual prediction' option, enabling you to specify a 'primary' resolution and radius for the cells in your network, and, optionally, a 'secondary' resolution and radius. This can be useful if you want to use a high resolution closer to the site, and a low resolution further away. Furthermore, if required, different propagation models can be used.

When you create arrays, you can choose to base them on the prediction settings specified in the Site Database, or you can specify to use override values. The system to load files from the database is faster and much more efficient. The process is also totally deterministic. The prediction radius can be specified as any value, rather than from a list of predetermined values. This is the case for both metric or imperial units. Predictions can now be created (and used for arrays) at any resolution, regardless of the resolutions of the underlying map data. Smoothing options are available. Prediction files disk space is now much easier to manage. The files are automatically managed within ENTERPRISE, using a new caching algorithm.

Site Reports
When you use the Site/Node Reporter, the selections you choose will be stored automatically, so that the next time you use this dialog box, the previously selected items will appear by default. You can also export and import these selections using the User Settings import/export functionality. In addition, Property data can now be included in the reports, independently of network elements.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

Traffic Spreading Enhancements


Vectors may now consist of lines, polygons or points. For more information, see Vector Manager Enhancements on page 27. Traffic can now be spread onto any of these vector types. When spreading onto vectors, you can choose from two methods: Absolute: enables you to specify the total terminals within a vector (line, polygon or point) Density: enables you to define a traffic density for each vector (line, polygon or point)

Vector Feature Display Properties


There are now a number of ways you can change the display properties of vector file features (for example, polygons and lines), whether it is from map data, such as coastline, or one you have created yourself using the Vector Manager. You can display these properties quickly using the Summary tab for the particular feature of the vector:

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You can also make more detailed changes. For example, you might want to set up displays that: Show building vectors, with the building height attribute used as a label:

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Include textual annotations, verbally indicating for example, the suitability of locations for cell sites, or areas of high density of users:

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You can make detailed changes to the display properties of vector features on the appropriate tabs for the feature. For example, this picture shows the available tabs for the shape of a polygon. Here, the colour of the shape will vary according to the value of the Users attribute:

Vector Polygon Display Properties dialog box

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MapInfo Attribute Support Enhancements


After you have created vector file features, you can manage them in the Table Browser. This picture shows an example Table Browser:

In the Table Browser, you can: Edit attribute values, by double-clicking the required value Search for details of specific features within a vector, by setting search criteria Highlight specific features within a vector, and if required centre them in the Map View window Create a new vector, based on the search results You can also display vector attribute information on the Map View window, using the Map Info Gadget. You can select which attributes are selected by double-clicking them:

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You can also set certain display properties for these attributes: Highlight the feature containing the attribute whose information you are displaying Display the attribute name in the information Display the name of the vector associated with the attribute information This picture shows an example, where the Highlight Feature, Display attribute names and Display vector name options have been selected:

Displaying Vector Attribute Information in the Map Info Gadget

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Vector Manager Enhancements


Vectors can now comprise a number of different features, which are described in the following table:
Item Polygon Line Point Description A set of points connected by lines that form a closed shape. Two or more points connected by lines that form an unclosed shape. A geometric element that has no dimensions, and whose position is based on its coordinates. Can be used for the modelling of traffic in fixed locations, for example, WiMAX CPEs. Text A set of words or letters.

The Vector Manager has been enhanced in a number of ways. This picture shows an example of the improved Vector Manager:

A new toolbar has been added for adding and editing the different types of vector features - polygons, points, lines and text. You can create a new vector directly from the Map View window:

You can also open the Vector Manager directly from the Map View window:

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What's New in CONNECT 6.0?


In CONNECT 6.0, the following additional features are now available.

Multi-radio Links and Dual Polarisation


Two new link types have been introduced: Multi-radio links - a link between a pair of Properties that contains a number of radios carrying different frequencies. This enables you to model configurations such as 7+1, where you have 7 STM-1 channels each with its own radio, plus 1 (STM-1) protection channel, without having to use 8 separate links. Dual polar links - a link between a pair of Properties that contains a pair of radios, with each on a different polarisation (1 vertical, 1 horizontal). In order to support these new link types in CONNECT, you can now: Add these new link types to the your map view using two new buttons:

Specify that a radio can be used as part of a multi-radio link on the Configuration tab for the radio equipment:

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Model the appropriate 'n+m' branching losses for the multi-radio link radio equipment on the Loss tab for the radio equipment:

Configure antennas to support dual polarisation on the Info tab for the microwave antenna:

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For multi-radio links, you can specify: The radio configuration: the number of traffic links that the link will support (N), and whether one is used for protection (M). You can do this on the Info sub-tab of the General tab for a link:

The radio type and operating mode used across the traffic links. This is done on the Linkend Settings tab Radio sub-tab:

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The new link types can also be included in link range definitions, link reports, filters, XML imports and exports and interference analyses.

Multipath Fading and Reflection Analysis


In CONNECT, you can now perform a more thorough multipath fading and reflection analysis on links, based on a 2-ray model and ITU-R. P530-10. This includes: Locating possible reflecting points Classifying the clutter at these reflecting points (regarding water properties) Analysing specular properties at the reflecting points In order to enable you to do this, enhancements have been made so that you can: Define the receive area that will be analysed for reflections - within the effective antenna diameter, within the actual antenna diameter or within a fixed userdefined distance Configure and perform a detailed reflection analysis: Define the clutter profile for the area for consideration - either using the details from the height profile or creating your own clutter ranges manually or using the height profile Specify the Fresnel zones to be analysed, as well as the range of K factors Automatically generate a list of possible specular points, based on your configuration, and then calculate the Rx level for these points Display the specular points that you have analysed

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Hub Enhancements
In order to improve the functionality of the point to multi-point and hub configuration, you can now perform the following tasks: On the Configuration tab for radio equipment, you can choose how the capacity for radio equipment is stored - either as a 'y by x' value (for example 2xE1, 8xE1) or as a single value (for example, 500 Kbps):

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On the Type tab for a carrier, you can view more information for carriers, such as the carrier capacity and carrier load (for example, the number of point to multipoint (PmP) links, the total capacity of these links and the remaining capacity):

This can also be viewed in height profile reports.

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On the General tab for a hub, you can define the layout of a sector in more detail, in terms of - for example - the main antenna horizontal beamwidth and the sector beamwidth:

This will also appear in the link report. Create PmP links that are automatically assigned to the correct sector on a hub, based on the sector's arc, range and capacity limits.

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Support for Point to Multi-point Microwave Antennas


CONNECT now supports point to multi-point (PmP) microwave antennas, which differ from (cylindrical) point to point (PtP) antennas in that they have a wide horizontal beamwidth and a narrow vertical beamwidth. Based on this, the following enhancements have been made: When defining microwave antennas, on the Info tab you can: Specify whether the antenna supports single polarisation (horizontal and/or vertical) or dual polarisation. Select the mask style - either symmetrical (whereby the horizontal and vertical planes share the same mask - as in PtP antennas) or non-symmetrical (whereby different masks are defined for the different planes - used for PmP antennas). This picture shows an example of these settings:

Example Info tab on the MW Antenna dialog box

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On the Mask tab, you can define a number of patterns and view these patterns using a radial view:

Example Mask tab on the MW Antenna dialog box

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Band Channel Generator


CONNECT now has a quicker and easier way to generate channels for frequency bands. You can now automatically generate a series of channels for a band, based on: The number of channels you want to create The starting frequencies (both low and high) The channel spacing (which is derived from the band's bandwidth) You can choose the prefix that will be used for the channel names, and which channel number to start from. This picture shows an example of automatically generating bands and channels:

Generating bands and channels

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Range Enhancements
Range settings have now been divided into two categories, which enables different planners to use different ranges. The range categories are: System Ranges - These ranges are available to all users in a specific project, and are typically defined by the administrator or another user with the correct permissions. User Ranges - These ranges are only available to a specific user, and are a personal series of ranges that only that user wants to use. You can create ranges in the Range Settings dialog box:

Example Range Settings dialog box

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Usability Enhancements
A number of enhancements have been made which have improved the overall usability of CONNECT. Link Database Enhancements The Link Database has been enhanced in a number of ways, so that you can now: Change the Property location at each linkend for a link, rather than having to recreate the link. You can do this using the Change Linkend Property button Reverse the linkends for a link, so that Linkend A becomes Linkend B and vice versa. You can do this using the Reverse button: .

You can also do this in the Height Profile, using the Reverse Profile button

View the individual antenna gain values at each linkend, rather than just the total antenna gain for both:

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Receive a clear warning indication on the Performance sub-tab (and the Message log) when there is a mismatch of radios, antennas or frequency between the linkends of a link:

Set the relative or absolute location for antennas on passive repeaters:

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Set different polarisations on each leg of a back-to-back antenna passive repeater link:

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High/Low Conflict Wizard Enhancements The High/Low Conflict Wizard has been enhanced in a number of ways, so that you can now: Highlight a link that has been identified as having a conflict, and automatically locate it in the Link Database:

Edit links that have a conflict in the Link Database, then use the Re-run button to re-run the High/Low Conflict Wizard from the results page, rather than from the start:

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Interference Wizard Enhancements The Interference Wizard has been enhanced in a number of ways, so that you can now: Choose separate links to be analysed for interference ('victim' links) and separate links to be analysed as causing interference ('interferer' links), which reduces the time taken to analyse interference. The links are chosen on two separate pages of the wizard: For the victim links:

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For the interferer links:

Select which channel(s) on a link you want to analyse for interference (when analysing individual links only). This is done in the dialog box, which can be accessed from the Interference Wizard:

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Site Visibility Display Enhancement When displaying site visibility, you can now choose which height to use as the height of the receiving antenna - either the ground height + antenna height + clutter height or the ground height + antenna height + building height. You can select this in the Site Visibility Settings dialog box:

Site Visibility Settings Dialog Box

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Radio Modulation Types


You can now store modulation types in the database, using the Modulation Types dialog box. This picture shows an example:

Modulation Types dialog box

You can add new modulation types, specifying the default Kn value and the bits per symbol.

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Based on the modulation types that you have defined, you can assign a modulation type to a piece of radio equipment, on the Configuration tab:

Selecting the Modulation Type for Radio Equipment

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This information will then be used if you choose to use the Approximation method for selective multipath fading:

The Modulation Type (Method) on the Signature Tab for Radio Equipment

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The modulation type is also used when you are defining the victim and interferer radio settings in the enhanced T/I Objectives Editor:

Defining the Modulation Type for T/I Objectives

You can either select the radio equipment that uses a particular modulation type, or you can leave the radio equipment as Unknown and select a modulation type from the available list. The Interference Wizard will search for and use the most appropriate T/I objectives based on the information you provide here.

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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What's New in DIRECT 6.0?


In DIRECT 6.0, the following additional features are now available: Subrack Extensions It is now possible to have a flexible number of subracks within a multi-subrack equipment. This enables you to have different instances of a multi-subrack equipment with a different number of subracks, and or add subracks to a limited number of multi-subrack equipments later on. You can now: Set a maximum number of subracks that can be added to a multi-subrack:

Add multiple instances of subracks (up to the defined maximum) to a multisubrack, including duplicates:

Set a maximum number of racks that can be added to a cabinet or cabinet template:

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Define the actual number of racks in a cabinet or cabinet template:

Data Migration Simplification The process for migrating data into DIRECT has been simplified through a number of measures: Node data has been rationalised Detail edges have been removed from the import process, and instead the required port information is now included in the segment and segment group data Edge groups are now automatically created for imported edges that do not already have an edge group IP addresses now require only one row in the database Remove TRP Import DIRECT 6.0 does not support the import of *.trp files, which were used to store transmission network planning data in versions of DIRECT earlier than 4.2. User-Defined Reports Advanced methods of reporting have been introduced. For more information, see Advanced Methods of Reporting on page 52. Additional Edge IDs As well as the ID name, you can now specify 1st and 2nd names for edges, on the General tab for the required edge:

Additional Edge IDs

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Advanced Methods of Reporting


In DIRECT, the reporting is more flexible, enabling you to create the format of the reports that you want using Crystal Reports or an XML transformation. A new User Reports tab has been added, on which you can: View reports that have been created Generate new reports based on all network objects or just selected ones This picture shows an example User Reports tab:

Example User Reports tab

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You can also design your reports in a new dialog box:

Example Organize Reports dialog box

In the Organise Reports dialog box, you can: Create folders in which to store reports Create new reports, specifying: The report name The type of report The formatting file that will be used to create the report (for example, an XML Transformation file or a Crystal Reports file) The file type that will be used to store the report (for example, text (.txt) or XML (.xml) The associated viewer for the file type, which will enable you to view the report as soon as it is generated - this can be different to the file type, for example, you could view an XML file report in Microsoft Excel The element types and fields that will be included in the report

All reports are fully customisable, enabling you to create your own combinations of file types and viewers, and specify precisely what data fields you want a report to show. Organise the reports into different folders

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What's New in OPTIMA 6.0?


In OPTIMA 6.0, the following additional features are now available.

Improved Runtime Input Selection


A Selection dialog box has been introduced that enables you to select filter values and parameters that appear in the Data Explorer, Reports, Report Schedules and Alarms. The following table shows scenarios when each module of OPTIMA opens the Selection dialog box:
Module Data Explorer Reports Report Schedules Alarms Displays Selection Dialog box when: You define filters, parameters, element aggregation for the query or when time aggregation is available for the tables used. You preview a report that has filters, parameters, element and time aggregation. You schedule a report that has filters, parameters, element and time aggregation. The selection will be stored with the schedule. You set values to alarms in the Alarm Wizard.

This picture shows an example of the Selection dialog box:

An example of Selection dialog box

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

Element Aggregation
Element Aggregation enables a module data query defined at one element level (e.g. the cell level) to be run at parent element levels (for example, the BSC and MSC level) to return aggregated data. For example, if a query defined at the cell level returns traffic data for individual cells, the same query when run at the BSC level can be configured to return average or total traffic data by BSC. For example, consider the element hierarchy shown below: Network MSC BSC Cell In this hierarchy, a data query defined at the Cell level can be run at the BSC, MSC, and Network level. A data query defined at the BSC level can be run at the MSC and Network level, and so on. When the query is run at a parent element level, OPTIMA generates an aggregation query by enclosing the original query in an outer query. The outer query has: A SELECT clause that contains the parent elements, all date-time fields, and the aggregated counters A GROUP BY clause that groups the data by the parent elements and the datetime fields For example, supposing that your CELL element level query is: SELECT ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.BSC, ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.CELL, ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.SDATE, ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.ERLANG FROM ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS When the query is run at the BSC level, the query is modified to produce the aggregation query below. The aggregation functions applied to each counter are specified when the query is defined. SELECT BSC, SDATE, AVG(ERLANG) FROM ( SELECT ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.BSC, ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.CELL, ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.SDATE, ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS.ERLANG

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FROM ERICSSON2G.CELLSTATS ) GROUP BY BSC, SDATE When Element Aggregation is used, the aggregated data is displayed in both the data grid and in the graph.

Alarm Enhancements
In OPTIMA 6.0, the Alarms functionality has been enhanced in the following ways: Alarms Explorer The Alarms Explorer main menu has been enhanced with the following changes: The Filters menu has been replaced by a new Selection dialog box where you will input parameters that appear in Data Explorer, Reports, and Alarms. A new Config menu has been introduced and the Vendor, Technology, Element Type, and Problem text options have moved under it. This picture shows the new Config menu:

A new Maintenance option has been introduced under the Config menu. This will launch a new screen to configure parameters required for Alarm Maintenance. You can specify the time period to keep the alarms in the database before it gets deleted.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

This picture shows an example of the Maintenance screen:

You can now save incomplete alarm definitions and edit them later. However, you have to specify the Information, Data and Threshold details. Alarm Wizard An Alarm Wizard has been introduced and it has the following benefits: Simple automated creation of an alarm definition. Alarm Thresholds: You can now define alarm thresholds based on parameters, rather than adding the threshold conditions directly into an alarm SQL. You can also assign a severity level to the thresholds. In OPTIMA 6.0, all thresholds on a given alarm has the same severity.

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This picture shows an example of the Alarm Thresholds screen:

Problem Text: You can now use pre-defined problem text instead of having to write your own problem text.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

Alarm Editor The Alarm Editor has the following enhancements: Integration with Data Explorer/Query Builder: Now, if you edit an alarm definition through the Alarm Editor, the Data Explorer/Query Builder is launched rather than the Alarms SQL Editor. This helps in simpler SQL construction. Problem Text: A new dialog box has been added so that you can add new problem text. You can add, edit, or delete problem text using this new screen. This picture shows an example of the new Problem Text screen:

Alarms Run History In the Alarms Explorer Viewer Pane, on the Run History tab, you can view alarm processing messages for the alarms that you have selected in the Alarm Definitions pane. This picture shows an example of the Run History tab for the alarms:

An example of Alarms Run History

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Inspector Enhancements
In OPTIMA 6.0, the Inspector functionality has been enhanced in the following ways: New Graph Layout A new graph layout has been introduced in OPTIMA 6.0 in which separate counter and element selection trees replace the current single tree that lists every element under every counter. The trees are now displayed as separate tabs and this layout makes counter/element selection easier. This picture shows an example of the new graph layout:

An example of new graph layout

Node Series Options A new Node Series option is added to the tree and graph popup menus. This option lists the series (counters) for the element node currently highlighted in the tree and enables you to change the following: Series Colour Series Axis Add and Delete maths functions displayed for each series

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

This picture shows an example of the Node Series option:

An example of Node Series Options dialog box

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What's New in RANOPT 6.0?


In RANOPT 6.0 the following improvements have been made:

User Storage Management


To prevent the RANOPT database from growing without limit, the administrator can impose restrictions on the users of RANOPT. These include: Limiting the total filter storage allowed The amount of temporary storage required when running reports

Encodix Decoder
The Encodix NAS Message Decoder has replaced the existing NEPTUNE NAS Decoder which did not provide support for all messages.

Loader Enhancements
The following enhancements have been made to the loaders: TEMS .log files are now loaded directly - you no longer need to export to txt/fmt file RANOPT now supports log files from Rohde & Schwarz, ATIO, and ASCOM QVoice

Report Synchronisation
The following enhancements have been made to report synchronisation: Replay updating reports Plotting any parameter Plotting ENTERPRISE layers Map view screen shot Replay set position based on sample instead of position For each report in the Report Registry, you can select Allow Set Replay Position to enable report synchronisation for the report. Note : Only if the global report synchronisation option is selected then Replay Position will be allowed for those reports that have been enabled. The update navigates the report to the current timestamp in replay (synchronises the report with replay). Note : Only the Voice Summary report and Handover report supports this functionality.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

RANOPT Report Registry Enhancements


You can clone parameters in the RANOPT Report Registry. For example the user may want to plot the Ec for the best server and 2nd best server at the same time.

Installation Wizard
The Database window of the Installation Wizard has been modified to include the database server name. The default tablespace field is split into two tablespace fields: Result Tablespace Filter Tablespace

Filter Manager Enhancements


The following enhancements have been made to the Filter Manager: If the administrator has set up restrictions on a user, a status bar in the Filter Manager indicates the amount of space that the user has left to create filters. As the user creates more filters, the percentage on the status bar will decrease. The polygon filtering used in RANOPT has been enhanced, to enable you to: Specify more intricate polygon criteria such as intersections and 'doughnut' shapes Use mathematical symbols like union and intersection to create a logical condition that will include or exclude specific areas based on the polygons specified

Map View Enhancements


The following enhancements have been made to the Map View: Zooming on the Map View Zooming on the Map View has been updated, The line renderer and the snapshot creation has been modified so that offsets are no longer added. Map View Comments The comments on the Map View have been enhanced so that they can be used more effectively. The comments window on the Map View has a scroll bar and the window is resizable. By right-clicking the comments windows you can modify the fonts and colours used and add backgrounds on to the comment. The font and colour of the comment body and header can be set up independently. The comment window can be opened and set on a specific point on the map so that it can be printed as a layer on the Map View.
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If a header has not been added to the comment, only the icon will be shown. You can choose to display the comment icon independently or just display the comment header as a text field on the Map View. You can right click on the comment to save or delete the comment. Map View Text This added as a new 'module type' in RANOPT, enabling you to create or re-use an existing module in order to display text on the Map View. This feature is very flexible and provides advance techniques to 'manage' the text on the map as well as to plot text for parameters not already added to the map, in other words, display Ec measurements but display Ec and Rx-Level as text over the measurements.

Network Messages Window Enhancements


The following enhancements have been made to the Network Messages Window: Message List The unique list of messages has been converted into a tree, splitting the messages into Vendor, NAS and RRC. The tree sections NAS and RRC are further split into direction Uplink and Downlink. This allows for easier finding, filtering and selection of messages in the tree. Selections made are saved as part of the desktop, enabling easy restore of previously used favorites. NAS Message Decode Display The NAS decode format has been standardized to look like the existing RRC format. Both options, "View Text" and "View Tree" have been added to the NAS decode. Search functionality The Search functionality has also been standardized between RRC and NAS decode, allowing searching of strings in both the "View Text" and "View Tree" options. Vendor Message Support Vendor messages are interleaved with Layer 3 messages and have been added to the Message List.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

Table View Enhancements


The following enhancements have been made to the Table View Replay Window: Export Functionality Export into CSV and Microsoft Excel is supported. Query Variables for Selected Parameters Similar to the Map View, query variables have been added to the Table View, so that the parameters being displayed can be configured 'on the fly' to display specific selections. Sorting of Columns By clicking on the columns, the measurements in a data/time group will be ordered either descending or ascending, depending on how many times you click on the column heading - similar to Windows Explorer sorting. Resizing of Columns You can now resize columns after adding a parameter to the Table View. However, the column sizes are not currently saved as the desktop; this will be implemented in a later patch/release. Re-ordering of Columns You can re-order the columns in the Table View, clicking in the header and dragging the columns left or right, or move the column either left or right of an existing column. Showing/Hiding Columns in the Table By right-clicking in the Table View header, you can choose to "Show All Column" or "Hide Column". The options are self-explanatory and provide a quick way to show/hide column in the Table View. Print Functionality A print functionality was added allowing the complete Table View to be loaded into an Microsoft Excel print preview window, allowing specific pages and/or everything to be printed.

Resolving Cells Using CI Instead of Distance


Resolving cells is now done using the measured CI measurement rather than distance (and SC or BSIC/BCCH measurements). This improves accuracy and decreases the time taken to resolve the cells during filter apply. Should a CI not be measured, RANOPT will fall back onto the 'old' method - distance based calculation, to try and resolve the cells.

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What's New in WEBWIZARD 6.0?


In WEBWIZARD 6.0, the following improvements have been made: Controlling Symbol Sizes You can now control the size of symbols that appear at different magnifications on the GIS View. This picture shows the screen where this is done:

Symbol sizes for different magnification ranges

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

WEBWIZARD Lite You can now use WEBWIZARD Lite to embed just the GIS component of WEBWIZARD into any HTML page. The layer tree, the GIS toolbars and the WEBWIZARD Explorer are not displayed. The GIS is controlled using customised JavaScript that interacts with the WEBWIZARD Lite JavaScript API. This means that a GIS capability can be easily provided for any web page and customised using bespoke HTML and JavaScript to match any requirements precisely. This picture shows an example of a web page created using WEBWIZARD Lite:

WEBWIZARD Lite user interface

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Report Configuration Wizard For a Crystal Report to be displayed correctly with its buttons and controls within WEBWIZARD, it needs to have an XML file associated with it which governs how the report parameters are treated. Previously this XML file had to be created and edited with an editing tool but a Configure Wizard has now been provided to guide you through the process step by step. This picture shows the Configure Wizard Summary page:

Report ccnfiguration wizard

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

What Was New in Version 5.2.1?


This section describes the changes that are new to each product in the ENTERPRISE 5.2.1 suite.

What's New in ADVANTAGE 5.2.1?


In ADVANTAGE 5.2.1, the following improvements have been made: You can now use the new ENTERPRISE Simulator (introduced in version 5.1) for Monte Carlo-based UMTS optimisations. Although this is the default and recommended approach for simulation-based optimisation, you can still use the 5.0 Simulator if you want to, by choosing this option on the Settings tab of the Optimisation Parameters dialog box:

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For UMTS optimisations that use the new Simulator and also consider Pathloss and/or Ec and/or Ec/Io metrics, you must specify a reference terminal on the Profile Settings page when defining a Configuration Profile:

This terminal may be 'service capable' and fully configured, or a 'measurement' terminal type without a traffic array and without services/bearers (and potentially with zero antenna gain, body loss and noise figure). UMTS optimisations are now even faster, as a result of the enhanced consideration of parameter loading, pathloss predictions and pixel-specific array generation (if applicable, for example based on vectors or sampling) as well as the new Simulator (if applicable). In addition improvements have been made to the Site Selection optimisation process. For simulation-based UMTS optimisations and Configuration Profiles restricted to vectors (or specific pixels, for example, drive test routes), the considered traffic arrays are now only limited by the Configuration Profile rectangular region. The vector (or pixel-specific) restrictions still apply to the generated arrays.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

You can now specify whether or not to consider the clutter/vector fading standard deviation in the Static Pathloss and/or Signal Strength calculations for Monte Carlo-based UMTS optimisations, using an option in the Settings tab of the Optimisation Parameters dialog box:

The final page of the Optimisation Wizard (the Optimisation Manager) has been re-designed:

The new page features a single optimisation activity indicator:

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It also enables you to review any Delta plan (using the Delta Plan Manager) or the setup details (using the Optimisation Setup menu) while the Optimiser is running.

You can now access familiar ENTERPRISE options, such as the Reports menu or the Site Database and Pathloss Predictor toolbar shortcuts, from within ADVANTAGE:

Various other small user interface modifications have been made, for example, the information provided in the message log while the Optimiser is running and also when it stops has been improved. The User Reference Guide and Online Help have been re-structured and partially re-written based on internal and external customer feedback, to further enhance the ADVANTAGE user experience.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

What's New in ASSET 5.2.1?


In ASSET 5.2.1, the following additional features are now available: Obtaining 'In-The-Air' Pilot Values from a Simulation When you run a simulation, you may want to calculate 'in-the-air' received values, which take no account of the terminal's body loss, antenna gain or noise figure. To do this, you can configure an additional terminal type that has no associated bearers or services, and has the above parameters set to zero. This would enable you to generate pilot-based outputs containing these values (in addition to the normal full range of outputs). You will be able to select this terminal type when you run a simulation, in conjunction with the fully configured terminal types. The appropriate page on the Simulator Wizard is now more flexible:

Selecting Terminal Types in the Simulator Wizard

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DVB-H Support and Standard Long-Range Model DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting - Handhelds), the handheld version of the DVB-T standard, is a Broadcast technology (Downlink only) primarily aimed at providing a Digital TV service for Mobile handheld terminals. ASSET enables you to plan a DVB-H network. You can: Set up a Standard Long-Range propagation model Use the UMTS functionality to represent a DVB-H Single Frequency Network Run the Static Analysis to generate a (single frequency network) C/I array

Specifying DVB-H Parameters in the Static Analysis wizard

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

EV-DO Revision A ASSET has been enhanced to support EV-DO Rev. A. The changes for EV-DO (alias HDR) have resulted in new parameters for the EV-DO bearers (Data Offset), downlink parameters (new bitrates) and EV-DO sectors in the Site Database (MAC Indexes), as well as a new output array.

New parameters for EV-DO bearers

MAC Indexes parameter on an EV-DO sector in the Site Database

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Polygon Rendering Enhancements A number of improvements have been made to the way that vectors/polygons are displayed. You can now: Fill polygons using a different colour for each unique string attribute value:

In this example, three parts of the polygon are coloured pink to correspond to the string value ABC, one is coloured green to correspond to the string value DEF and one is coloured orange to correspond to the string value JKL.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

Select to have a constant filled polygon, which will not use any attribute values:

Choose not to display the polygon outline:

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MapInfo Filter Export When using Mapinfo Export, data can now be exported as Symbol Points.

Symbol points option for MapInfo Export

Selecting Symbol points as shown above exports display filters as scalable font symbols, optionally with any of the following associated attributes: Object ID Object type Easting and Northing co-ordinates Decimal latitude and longitude co-ordinates These are set for each filter and for each visualiser. Symbol points are only available on filters and visualisers and are not available on other MapInfo property pages.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

What's New in DIRECT 5.2.1?


In DIRECT 5.2.1, a number of improvements have been made across the tool.

Planning Interswitch Prepay Networks


DIRECT now supports the modelling of prepaid networks. This is particularly useful if your network is not entirely contract customers, and you want to create network plans that reflect the prepaid subscriber traffic in your network. You can now: Create dedicated PP (Prepaid Platform) equipment types in the Equipment Editor:

Specify a successful % of prepaid calls on the Prepay Parameters tab for a PP node:

Specify a % of prepaid calls received at a transit node on the Isw Voice Traffic Parameters tab for an interswitch node:

Define internal network connections to PP equipment on the Network Connections tab for a PP node:

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Generate specific pre-pay traffic when generating interswitch traffic This picture shows a typical prepay network configuration:

Prepay network configuration

Interswitch Enhancements
Several key enhancements have been made to interswitch routing: If you have set load sharing, DIRECT will now automatically readjust the percentages if an insufficient number of routes is found - for example, if you have set the sharing to be between 3 routes (33%-33%-33%) and only two can be found, the percentages will be adjusted to 50%-50%, rather than 66%-33%. This is particularly beneficial, since it means that routes are not duplicated. Important : As a result of this enhancement, only end-to-end (shortest path first) routing will make use of the interswitch default routing strategies. To provide a more accurate model of actual network routing functionality, you can now define multiple hops (with individual traffic percentage values) for a routing table option, and make use of a new routing algorithm for table-based routing:

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

In addition to this: When defining POIs (Points of Interconnection) for external networks, you can now specify more than one POI per network, and also assign different percentages of traffic to each POI, and, within each POI, different percentages of incoming and outgoing traffic:

Network Viewing Enhancements


A number of enhancements have been made to the ways in which you can view your network in the different modules: You can now create a detailed schematic view of the equipment contained within a Property by right-clicking it and selecting Create Detail View:

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The view that is created shows all the connections between equipment in that Property, as well as external connections. This view can also be created from the Region View of the Network Browser:

In the Detail View, you can choose which ports you want to view:

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

You can now limit the number of nodes that are displayed, by choosing to display only those connected to a specific node:

The Create Route View has been refined, so that it now only displays edges that are part of the route, rather than all of the edges connecting equipment in the route. In addition, you can now create a route view from any edge in the Network Browser:

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Using the Arrange, Align and Edge options of the new Layout menu, you can now arrange your network elements in a variety of different ways, enabling you to create network views that are clearer and more closely aligned with your planning needs:

Some of the new options include: Arranging equipment at right angles, in groups of circles or based on an arrangement in another module. Aligning equipment along a central line, vertical or horizontal. Arranging the waypoints of edges at right angles, or deleting the waypoints completely to make the edges straight lines. This picture shows an example:

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

What's New in OPTIMA 5.2.1?


In OPTIMA 5.2.1, the following improvements have been made: Time Aggregation Time aggregation enables you to display data for different time periods (hourly, daily, weekly, and so on) in the same query. This is particularly useful as it means you do not have to create separate queries for each time period you want to display. When you run a query with time aggregation enabled, you simply select the time period you want to display:

Time Aggregation tab

Graph Options On the Axis tab of the OPTIMA Graph Options dialog box, you can now: Change the position of the x-axis border Hide the x-axis border

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What's New in RANOPT 5.2.1?


In RANOPT 5.2.1, the following improvements have been made: Different RANOPT Products RANOPT is now available as three different products: RANOPT Server (Server Version) RANOPT Server is a multiple user project environment where all drive test files are continuously loaded and managed in a centralised data warehouse for benchmark reporting, replay and optimisation analysis. RANOPT Standard (Standalone user licence) RANOPT Standard allows individual or standalone project users that require full optimisation analysis functionality. The users are able to load up to 10 drive files on standalone machine at any one time for replay and detailed optimisation analysis. RANOPT Lite (ASSET drive test module) RANOPT Lite is a drive file import and replay module for planning tool. It is used for radio planners to review signal strength and measurement quality comparisons with prediction results in ASSET radio planning module.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

Map Offset Manager An Offset Manager has been added to the Filter Manager, so that you can now create a map correction offset. This is very useful when the drive test data plotted on the Map View does not correspond to the actual route taken during the drive test, which normally happens when the coordinate system that the scanner used during the drive test does not correspond to the coordinate system of the Map View. This problem can be fixed using the Offset Manager, by offsetting the data to the actual route. This picture shows an example of the Map Offset Manager:

Example Map Offset Manager

Include/Exclude Polygons You can now specify whether an area (polygon) should be included or excluded in a filter of drive test data. This is particularly useful if you want to limit the display/analysis of drive test data to a particular area within a filtered subset of data. For example, you may want to exclude a known area that has bad coverage or you may want to only include the area with bad coverage to ascertain the cause of the bad coverage. Usability Enhancements In previous versions of RANOPT, you may have used an existing module or requested a new module to be written. The end result was a long list of available modules, trying to support all possible ways of looking at measurements and trying to satisfy all requests - with you working with one or two modules at most, at any given time.

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With the latest usability enhancements, RANOPT is now parameter-driven and you have control over which parameters should be displayed and how they should be displayed. In effect, this enables you to construct your own windows and have full control. Replaying Data Previously in the older version of RANOPT, a Time Domain window manager was used to replay drive test data. In this version, you can use the replay buttons on the ENTERPRISE toolbar or the select the replay options from the Replay Menu to replay the drive test data by stepping through it or playing it back at various speeds. Using the RANOPT buttons on the ENTERPRISE toolbar, you can configure replay data settings. You can click the Position Replay Cursor button to go to a specific date in the drive test data file. You can click the Speed button on the ENTERPRISE toolbar to open a drop down sliding bar to change the speed at which the loaded file is played. You can replay data forwards, backwards and at various speeds. During replay, drive test data is synchronised, the displayed data is continually updated in any open display window, such as Map View window or tabular list. Layer 3 Message Window Enhancement In the RANOPT Administrator, in the Layer 3 Message Window, you can now view the vendor equipment messages as well as the layer 3 messages. New Workspace Window The RANOPT workspace is a window that can contain a maximum of five filters within RANOPT. Filters can be added or removed from the workspace. The first filter that is added to the workspace will be Active by default. This picture shows an example of the Workspace window:

Example Workspace Window

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

Enhanced Filter Manager The Filter Manager window has been modified so that the form is split into two with the name/description for the filter moved out of the general tab and added global fields. The current tabs available will be added on the second half of the window as shown below:

Enhanced Filter Manager Window

By clicking the button, a further search will give access to the following tabs: General, Operator/Equipment, and Carrier/Frequencies. After the filter has been created, the users will be given the option to Apply Only, Apply + Work Space, or Return(No Apply).

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Updated Report Registry In older versions of RANOPT, the Report Registry was used to create Report Definitions which used parameters. The Report Registry is now used to create parameters that can be displayed on the Charts, Grids and on the Map View. The tabs in the RANOPT Report Registry are Parameters and Reports. This picture shows an example of the Report Registry:

Example Reports Registry

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

New Parameter Selector Tool The Parameter Selector is a tool that is used to add or remove parameters to charts, maps and grids. The Parameter Selector is available from each Chart, Map or Grid window. The Parameter Selector Window will open with the list of filters in the workspace displayed with the active filters on top and highlighted in Bold and the inactive filters also available, but displayed in regular font. This picture shows an example of the Parameter Selector window:

Example Parameter Selector Window

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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What's New in WEBWIZARD 5.2.1?


In WEBWIZARD 5.2.1, the following improvements have been made: Crystal Reports Parameter Interaction You can now position drop-down selections on a report at any desired position. Other user-interface controls and GIS map-view images can be similarly positioned at will through the use of place holders. You can also add any report as a tab control on a report page. Support for the ODBC Data Sources WebWizard is able to generate GIS layers based on database information. The layer creation mechanism has been improved to support ODBC data sources so that every database type supporting ODBC can be used for layer creation. ODBC data sources can now also be used for dynamic data. You can select the appropriate type of database from a drop down list on each of the layer creation pages:

Selecting the datasource type

Support for Crystal Vision Server In order to be able to create, publish and modify reports which enable more user interactivity, you can now choose to install Crystal Reports Server. This uses the Adobe shockwave format for report presentation which is supported by all major browsers via the Adobe Flash Player plug-in. Crystal Vision Server comes with a module called Xcelsius with which shockwave files can be designed.

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What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

What Was New in Version 5.2?


This section describes the changes that are new throughout the ENTERPRISE 5.2 suite: Antenna Database Enhancements On the Mask tab of the Antenna Database, you can now view the path loss at a particular angle on an antenna pattern by clicking at a particular point on the antenna mask:

Antenna Pattern Path Loss Displayed at an Angle of 327 degrees

You can also view two different antenna patterns together, by selecting a second pattern and choosing to view both patterns at once (the 1st pattern is marked in red, the 2nd pattern is marked in blue):

Comparing Two Antenna Patterns on the Same Diagram

Both of these features are extremely useful for comparing antenna patterns and seeing the precise path loss at a glance, meaning you can make value judgements on which pattern is the better one far quicker than in previous versions.

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Settings Import/Export Enhancements You can now export and import the display properties associated with most individual items on the Data Types tab of the Map Information & Control window. These display properties are held in settings (.stt) files. You can also copy the display properties of any item on the Data Types tab which has them. Neighbour List Viewing Enhancements When you are viewing the lists of neighbours for cells on the Neighbour tab in the Site Database (or in the Neighbour Analysis window) you can: Specify which columns to display Set the column widths Re-order the columns To do this: 1 On the Neighbour tab (or in the Neighbour Analysis window), in either of the neighbours panes, right-click on any column heading and select Choose Details from the context menu. In the dialog box that appears, select which columns you want to display. Set a column width for your selected items. Use the Move Up/Down buttons to re-order the selected columns. Click OK.

2 3 4 5

In the Site Database window (or in the Neighbour Analysis window) the columns will be displayed according to your requirements. Note : The settings are always complementary between Outward and Inward Neighbours. XML Repeater Format Enhancements It is now possible to export the pathloss from a parent cell when exporting a repeater to an XML file. This makes the XML export for repeaters more detailed. Oracle 10g Support ENTERPRISE can now be used in conjunction with an Oracle 10g database. Windows XP/2003 64-bit Compliance ENTERPRISE can now be run in a 64 bit Windows environment.

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Default Project Filter On the Filter tab of the Preferences dialog box, you can choose a specific filter to be shown by default every time you open most of the dialog boxes that require you to choose a filter:

Selecting a Default Filter to be Used in the Site Database

This is extremely useful if you have a preferred filter that you use for the majority of your time, because it means you do not have to select it each time you open a dialog box that requires you to choose a filter. For more information on all these features, see the ENTERPRISE User Reference Guide. For more information on the features new to specific tools, see the following topics.

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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What's New in ADVANTAGE 5.2?


In ADVANTAGE 5.2, the following improvements have been made: HSDPA Power Optimisation You can now perform a HSDPA link power optimisation, which is similar to the UMTS power optimisation. This is of great benefit if your network supports HSDPA, as it can now be included in any optimisation tasks you perform in ADVANTAGE. You can set the HSDPA Link Power to be fixed on cell, on the Cell Params tab of a cell in the Site Database (and the UMTS Cell Params tab of the Global Editor):

Fixing HSDPA Link Power on a cell

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You can configure the HSDPA Link Power action cost in the Global Design Targets and Action Costs dialog box:

Configuring the HSDPA Link Power action cost

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You can configure your optimisation profile to include HSDPA Link Power Planning actions and constraints in the Optimisation Profiles dialog box:

Including HSDPA Link Power planning actions and constraints in your optimisation profile

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OMX Enhancements If you generate OMX data (as XML) and choose to create a report as well, ADVANTAGE produces an Excel file, which contains the actions/constraints information for the planned objects (for example, antennas) that you would like to consider during the optimisation. If you click Edit OMX in the OMX Manager dialog box, you can now edit this Excel file and transfer your changes to the XML, which enables you to make more detailed changes to your OMX data more quickly and accurately than in previous versions.

The Edit OMX dialog box

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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Setting Up The Cost Function Setting up the cost function factors has been consolidated in the Cost Function Setup dialog box, which enables you to do the following: On the Max/Units Actions tab, you can choose to reject plans based on max units/actions - that is, configure the optimisation mechanism so that it will not accept plans that violate set constraints in terms of the number of actions or number of units for given planning/unit type(s).

Rejecting Plans Based on Max/Units Actions

On the Cost Function Weights tab, you can set the weightings based on Budget, Manpower and Performance.

Setting Weightings Based on Performance - Signal Strength Coverage

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On the Plan Rejection Options tab, you can choose to reject plans based on any individual metric degradation - that is, configure the optimisation mechanism so that it will not accept plans that violate the thresholds set in absolute or relative terms.

Rejecting Plans Based on Signal Strength Degradation

On the Cost Synthesis tab, you can define the cost conversion coefficients, which normalise the units used for the different cost categories so that the respective costs are considered in the optimisation on a common basis. You can also select the performance cost synthesis type, which determines how the performance cost components are considered in the optimisation.

Setting the Performance Cost Conversion Coefficient

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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What's New in ASSET 5.2?


In ASSET 5.2, the following additional features are now available: WiMAX Support WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a fixed wireless access technology that can support high throughput broadband connections over long distances. It provides low cost, high data rate NLOS services to businesses and consumers. The WiMAX standard has been designed for the sub 11GHz range, supporting NLOS communication using OFDM modulation. The first phase of WiMAX deployment provides fixed wireless connections via outdoor antennas which can be used for cellular network backhaul, hotspots and other commercial services. ASSET enables you to plan a WiMAX network. You can: Model directional antennas, adaptive modulation, and sub-channelisation Set up a SUI propagation model Define different scenarios by using a combination of different service types, terminal types and terminal density arrays Use the Monte Carlo Simulator to generate detailed analysis and reports of network performance, in terms of coverage, interference and capacity The WiMAX mode can be set on the Technology tab of the Preferences dialog box, under the File menu. You need to have the appropriate licence.

Example of WiMAX Bearers dialog box

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Compound Arrays You can now define, generate, and analyse your own compound arrays based upon the existing arrays available. The generation of compound arrays depends on mathematical expressions that you define. When you define these expressions, you specify which existing (input) arrays are to be used. Each expression can then be used to produce new (output) compound arrays.

Example of Compound Arrays dialog box

Depending on permissions, these expressions can be user-only, or system-wide and therefore available to every user. The sources that can be used as inputs include Simulator arrays, Static Analysis arrays, Signal Coverage arrays, 2g Non-Sim arrays and Archived arrays. The resulting compound arrays can then be used to produce statistical analysis reports. Here are two examples to illustrate the purpose of producing compound arrays:
Generating a compound array that compares arrays from different network scenarios, by defining an expression to compare an archived array with a new array. Generating a compound array that considers customised threshold criteria (for example, signal strength), by defining an expression with a specific threshold.

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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Pixel Analyser Enhancements - Vector Analysis Plots You can now use the Pixel Analyser to display analysis plots of any vector/polygon chosen from your Map View.

Example of Vector/Polygon selection from Map View for Analysis

You can customise what the analysis plot shows in terms of the X and Y axes, and which cell levels to display. When you select a vector/polygon, it becomes highlighted, and as you move the cursor along the vector, you can see the analysis plots in the Pixel Analyser window.

Example of Vector Plot Analysis in Pixel Analyser window

For more information on all these features, see the ASSET User Reference Guide.

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What's New in CONNECT 5.2?


In CONNECT 5.2, the following improvements have been made: Using ATPC in CONNECT You can now use ATPC (Automatic Transmit Power Control) in CONNECT. Using ATPC is particularly useful because it enables a link's power to be increased automatically to compensate for a reduction in the receive level caused by the fade margin. First, you have to define it on the radio equipment by selecting this option in the Radio Equipment dialog box:

Setting ATPC on radio equipment

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Then you can define it on the linkends of your links, setting a power range for ATPC to operate within. You can then choose to use Static ATPC (whereby you specify either the minimum or maximum power, and CONNECT calculates the other value based on the power range) or Flexible ATPC (whereby you specify a nominal power value for regulatory purposes, but the power can go above/below that up to the specified maximum/minimum).

Setting ATPC on the linkends - using flexible ATPC

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You can also view link budget performance results based on a variety of powers maximum power, minimum power or nominal power - to give you a better idea of which powers you should be using.

Link budget performance results based on nominal power

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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Link budget performance results based on maximum power

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Radio Spectrum and Selectivity To enable you to calculate interference more accurately, CONNECT now supports the use of transmit spectrum density masks and receive selectivity masks. Many radio vendors now provide mask information rather than tables for interfering bands/bandwidths, so by supporting these, CONNECT makes the data migration process much more straightforward. The Tx spectrum and RX selectivity masks are defined on two new tabs in the Radio Equipment dialog box. This picture shows an example Tx Spectrum tab:

Defining Tx spectrum masks in the Radio Equipment dialog box

These values are then used in the interference calculations to calculate interference. For more information on these calculations, see the CONNECT User Reference Guide.

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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Usability Improvements A number of general improvements in usability have been made in CONNECT 5.2. These are: User Defined Profiles are now treated independently from links. They appear as a separate item in the Wastebasket and can be restored from there. This independence is particularly useful, since you can now Apply UDP data without affecting the Apply state of the corresponding link. In the User Defined Profile dialog box, in the User Clutter column, the clutter categories are listed. This is beneficial because it enables you to pick a specific clutter category, rather than just define the height value. When you select a point in the User Defined Profile dialog box, the corresponding point on the Height Profile will be highlighted in red. This is a useful way to visualise the data at a specific point. When producing customised link reports, you can now choose to produce a report with both linkends of a link displayed on the same row of the report. This is useful because it enables you to view each link more clearly on a single row. Another useful visual improvement has been made on the Fade Margin subtab of the Performance tab in the Link Database. If the Interference Margin is negative, the value is displayed in red.

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What's New in DIRECT 5.2?


In DIRECT 5.2, the following improvements have been made: Data Migration Simplification A number of refinements have been made to the data migration process, which of benefit to anyone who imports data into DIRECT. In particular, the following changes have been made: Redundant object ID names (for equipment instances/cabinet components and BTS node data) have been removed The PDH Module logical multiple layer has been removed PDH Channel Reservation You can now reserve certain channels on structured PDH frames or reserve a percentage of capacity or maximum payload on unstructured PDH frames. You can either do this globally in the Default Parameters dialog box, on a specific timeslot allocation template (in the Timeslot Allocation Templates dialog box), or even on an individual basis (on the Frame Layout tab for a PDH edge).

Defining Reserved Channels in the PDH Module Default Parameters dialog box

This is particularly useful, since it means that you can directly reserve certain channels for signalling traffic, and ensure that they will not be used for other traffic. This will enable you to model your network more realistically, since a certain number of channels are required for signalling purposes.

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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Equipment Type based Port Availability You can now view information on how connections and ports are used on a particular piece of equipment. On the Connection Usage tab of the equipment, you can view per connection - the number of circuits (and, in the case of physical connections, ports) available, as well as the percentages that are used and unused.

New Connection Usage Tab

This information is particularly useful when routing, to show you whether the number of circuits connected to the equipment actually exceeds the defined limits or not.

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What's New in OPTIMA 5.2?


In OPTIMA 5.2, the following improvements have been made: Element Hierarchies You can now create re-usable SQL queries, called element hierarchies, which enable you to display network elements in the form of a hierarchical tree. This is particularly useful, because you can use element hierarchies in OPTIMA modules instead of defining a new element tree query each time you create a module. You use the Element Hierarchies Explorer to create, edit and delete element hierarchies:

Element Hierarchies Explorer

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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Reporter Enhancements A number of refinements have been made to the Reporter. In particular, you can now: Use the OPTIMA Data Explorer to create and edit report queries

Create parameters for report queries to filter report data at runtime Preview multiple reports at the same time

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Inspector Enhancements A number of refinements have been made to the Inspector, which are of benefit when setting up and viewing data. In particular, the following changes have been made: Modules can be dragged and dropped into combinations Default values can be set for parameters Summary types can be applied to multiple fields using the new Quick Aggregation dialog box for customising summaries

Graphs can be linked so they zoom and scroll in unison The y-axis fields of graphs can be ordered in ascending or descending order

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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Report Scheduling Enhancements A number of refinements have been made to the Schedule Editor. In particular, you can now: Set up report schedules to export reports to multiple formats (printer, file, and/or email) Use the Address Book when creating report schedules. This is particularly useful, because it enables you to select multiple user and/or group contacts rather than typing individual email addresses

Scheduler Editor Export Tab

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What's New in WEBWIZARD 5.2?


In WEBWIZARD 5.2, the following improvements have been made: Enhanced OPTIMA Integration It is now possible to: Reference Optima queries maintained in the Optima database. Import Groups and Users into WEBWIZARD by accessing an OPTIMA Oracle database as shown below:

Panning Interactivity Improvements The panning function of the Map View has been enhanced and is now much smoother. To facilitate location, an overview window has been added as illustrated below:

You can double click on the overview window to get the overview window cursor (hand) to jump to where youve clicked on the main view. Multiple Administrators and User Authentication WEBWIZARD now allows access by more than one Administrator at a time. Sharing Centralised Published Folders Publish folders can now be relative to an additionally specified network path that is separate to the virtual directory root.

What's New in ENTERPRISE? Version 6.0

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Changing Colours and Themes The appearance of WEBWIZARD can now be extensively customised using an external stylesheet as shown below:

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