I frequently have discussions with customers about their deployment challenges and I wanted to share some recent updates that are helping to streamline the deployment of AspenTech products. Many customers may not have visibility into these improvements so let’s review them.

 

1: Understanding platform support and guidance is essential for planning 

Customers often want to see what platform support is available for a given release, as well as a forward-looking view of what strategy and plans there are for platform support in the future. This information can be found on our website in the Platform Support section and provides platform information for all supported releases. In addition it includes resources for forward-looking guidance in terms of support plans. See the AspenTech Platform Support – Summary of Strategy and Plans for more information.

 

2: Visibility into 3rd party pre-requisites facilitates their download and deployment 

The Prerequisite Viewer allows customers to identify what net pre-requisites are required for the various software applications they wish to deploy. It also provides instructions on how to download and deploy these prerequisites. Having the necessary 3rd party pre-requisites in place means that the installation will proceed smoothly – and without the need to make arrangements for the pre-requisites as a separate activity.

 

3: Automatically update your license files

Many customers find it time consuming to get updates to their license files and may not be aware that there is a utility that streamlines this process. The Aspen License Deployment Assistant (ALDA) can be used to automatically update files without the need to request and receive updated license files from customer support.

 

4: Downloads can be big – what can be done to limit their size?

Customers do not always want or need to download an entire suite of software, so beginning with V11 we added the option to download some of our software at smaller/more granular levels.  Downloads that are available to you are visible in the Download Center.

 

5: Localization is important for global customers

Global customers with operations in different countries may require localization to help ensure consistency and accuracy, allowing them to use the same software across all locations. Having software in native languages provides broader access as use isn’t limited to English speakers. Starting in V9, we made localization a deliverable in each major release. In V11 we started to deliver the localized versions at the same time as the latest version release, which is known as “simultaneous ship.” This knowledge base (KB) article describes which product user interfaces (UI’s) have been localized to which languages.

 

6: Streamlining product installation helps facilitate deployment

Many customers want to roll-out new versions in a silent, unattended manner. The ability to create an unattended install is integrated into AspenTech solutions and the resulting .xml file can be deployed directly or with other tools such as Microsoft’s System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM). Learn more about how to create an unattended install here so you can deploy AspenTech software to multiple systems in a “silent” manner, or as a basis for use in other deployment tools such as SCCM. 

 

7: Comparing two versions of model results can be time consuming and delay deployment

The Aspen Version Comparison Assistant (AVCA) can be used to streamline this process by comparing model results between two versions of simulation software (HYSYS, Aspen Plus, Exchanger Design & Rating and Flare Systems Analyzer). This can reduce the time to validate a new version of software quickly. 

8: Having visibility to cybersecurity threat alerts is critical

Customers tell us that they need to have visibility to any cybersecurity threat alerts from AspenTech.  This knowledge base (KB) article describes how you can configure your email preferences to receive notifications for cybersecurity threat alerts from AspenTech.

 

To learn more, or speak to a specialist on our support team, email: https://esupport.aspentech.com.