Installing AIMMS

Installing AIMMS Optimization Tooling is straightforward. Simply download your chosen version from the AIMMS downloads page and run the installer, such as Aimms-24.5.8.5-x64-VS2017.exe. This installs AIMMS in the default location: %localappdata%\Local\AIMMS\IFA\Aimms.

We recommend also downloading and installing the AIMMS Launcher from the same page. The AIMMS Launcher offers the following features:

  • Double-clicking a .aimms file opens the project with the AIMMS version that last modified it, or, if unavailable, the most recent installed version.

  • Right-clicking a .aimms file shows additional options to select a specific AIMMS version for that project.

../../_images/aimms-right-click.png

In most cases, this setup suffices. For custom installation requirements, such as installation for all users or to a non-default location, see the sections below.

Installing in a Custom Location

You may wish to install AIMMS outside of the default location in these scenarios:

  1. Software Policies: Your organization may restrict software installation to certain locations, disallowing %localappdata%.

  2. Disk Space: Limited disk space on the default drive may necessitate installation on a different drive.

Starting with AIMMS 4.38, you can install AIMMS in a shared location, like C:\Program Files (x86)\AIMMS\IFA.

Ensuring AIMMS Launcher is Up-to-Date

Before proceeding, make sure you have the latest version of AIMMS Launcher. You can check your installed version by viewing its properties. For example, an outdated version might be labeled 1.0.0.50:

../../_images/LauncherTooOld.png

Reinstalling the Launcher from the downloads page will update it:

../../_images/LauncherRefreshed.png

For installations requiring administrative access, install AIMMS Launcher with elevated rights. This will place it in C:\Program Files (x86)\AIMMS\IFA\AIMMSLauncher.

Installing on a Different Drive

To save disk space, you may want to install AIMMS on a different drive. Although the installer doesn’t support custom drives directly, you can accomplish this using a symbolic link.

  1. Create a target folder for AIMMS on the other drive. In this example, use D:\Program Files (x86)\AIMMS\IFA\Aimms.

  2. Open a command prompt with administrator rights, and navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\AIMMS\IFA. If this folder doesn’t exist, create it first.

  3. Run the following command to create a symbolic link:

    mklink /D Aimms "D:\Program Files (x86)\AIMMS\IFA\Aimms"

    This will produce the following output:

    symbolic link created for Aimms <<===>> D:\Program Files (x86)\AIMMS\IFA\Aimms

For more information on symbolic links, see the Microsoft documentation.

With the symbolic link in place, you’re ready to install AIMMS in the new location. Run the installer “as administrator” by right-clicking it and choosing “Run as administrator”. AIMMS will install to the new location on the D Drive, making it accessible to all licensed users on the machine.

Installing the License

To use AIMMS, you must have a valid license: