Getting Started - Desktop

Overview

Infrastructure Deterioration Modelling (IDM) is a complex topic. In a modern IDM system, there are a lot of moving parts. To get a working version of Juno Cassandra on your desktop, you need to:

  • Install the Microsoft .Net Core framework, specifically Version 9.0 (free to install)
  • Download and install the latest version of Cassandra Desktop (link will be sent via email)

However, installing the software is simply the starting point. To actually use Cassandra for deterioration modelling, there is a sequence of steps you need to understand and master. These steps include:

  • How to prepare your input file and link this to the Work Bench.
  • How to prepare your Committed Treatments file and link this to the Work Bench.
  • How to set up your workbench file which directs downstream data load operations.
  • How to set up your model configuration file which holds treatment types, unit rates, budget constraints, optimisation weights as well as lookup tables with constants/thresholds required by your model.
  • How to modify lookup table thresholds to tune and direct your model outcome
  • How to inspect and debug your domain model to find and fix anomalies or errors

Without adequate training that helps you understand and practice the above steps, there is no point in even installing the software. To succeed in using Cassandra, you need to commit to a learning path that is long and, unfortunately, may at times be quite intimidating, even frustrating.

How to Get Started

Given the above “warning” about the path to success in working with Cassandra, our procedure for helping users get proficient in Juno Cassandra is as follows:

Step 1: Contact Lonrix

The starting point for your journey in becoming a master-modeller with Juno Cassandra is to reach out to Lonrix via email and let us know that you want to go through the learning path to using Juno Cassandra. If you are not an existing Lonrix client, please provide us also with some background information (what type of infrastructure you want to model, size of your network, etc)

Step 2: Meet with Us

Once we received your email, we will get in touch to set up a meeting with you and your team. In this meeting, we will explain what our training programme for Juno Cassandra involves and clarify any costs involved as far as the training and licensing is involved.

Training and support for Juno Cassandra is not free of charge. As far as licensing is concerned: if you are an existing user of Juno AMS and you want to use Cassandra on one of your licensed networks, there is no extra license fee involved. If you are not a Juno AMS user, or if you want to use Cassandra on another network that is not covered by your existing Juno license, then we can discuss the details in our meeting and therafter provide a quotation for any license fee that may apply.

Step 3: Commit to the Training Programme

If you accept our quotation for training and support, you should be ready to commit to our training programme. This training programme will generally involve one or more in-person workshop sessionr or online sessions followed by interactive Q&A sessions. For details on the training programme, see this page.

Before committing to the training programme, please have a look at this blog post which explains why deterioration modelling requires a dedicated role.

If you are interested in upskilling yourself for such a dedicated role as a modelling analyst, then this training programme may be right for you, otherwise, you may want to consiser rather making use of a dedicated analyst to help with your modelling tasks.

Please Note: training will take place in sessions staged over several months. Many of the concepts involved are relatively complex and will require dedicated focus and committment from you to practice working through the tutorials.

Note

Because the majority of Juno AMS and Cassandra users deal with Road Networks, our standard training is based on, and utilises, our Default Road Network model. We do not currently have pre-programmed models for other infrastructure such as Water Pipeline Networks and Bridge Networks - if you are interested in collaborating with Lonrix to develop such a model for the wider industry, please get in touch!