The DecisionTools Suite
Version 7.6
October 2018
© Palisade Corporation
All Rights Reserved

Contents
About This Product
File Compatibility
System Requirements
Installation
Software Activation/License Transfer
Technical Support and Contact Information
Student Version Information
Usage Reporting

About This Product

The DecisionTools Suite (DTS) 7.6 is a collection of decision analysis and statistical analysis add-ins developed by Palisade Corporation and designed for use with Microsoft Excel 2007 or higher. There are seven individual add-ins included in the suite: @RISK, Evolver, NeuralTools, PrecisionTree, StatTools, TopRank, and BigPicture. The package you purchased may include all of these (in what is known as The DecisionTools Suite) or you may have purchased one or more of the add-ins individually. The information in most of this document applies to all of the Palisade add-ins, but certain information only applies to specific packages, as indicated.

StatPro, the predecessor of StatTools, was originally developed as a teaching tool by Dr. S. Christian Albright of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business. It was featured software in three best-selling textbooks available from Cengage Learning: Managerial Statistics by S. Christian Albright, Wayne L. Winston, and Christopher J. Zappe, Practical Management Science by Wayne L. Winston and S. Christian Albright, and Data Analysis and Decision Making with Microsoft Excel by S. Christian Albright, Wayne L. Winston, and Christopher J. Zappe. StatTools is the commercial release of StatPro developed by Palisade Corporation in close association with Dr. S. Christian Albright.

Please Note: This document is primarily concerned with the setup and usage of the DecisionTools Suite products from an end-user’s view. If you are a system administrator setting up a server to run Palisade software, please also see the network guide for administrators at http://kb.palisade.com/index.php?pg=kb.book&id=21
File Compatibility

In general, models created with previous versions of Palisade add-ins can be used in version 7.x without problems. However, if you define a model using new features of version 7.x and try to use them in an earlier version of the software, you likely will not be able to use that model. The following add-ins have more specific compatibility information.

@RISK:
@RISK 4.5/4.0 simulation (.RSK) result files and @RISK 3.5 (.SIM) simulation result files cannot be opened in @RISK 7.x. Simulation result files created by @RISK 7.x cannot be read by @RISK 4.5 or earlier. 

As long as you have not made use of newer features in your @RISK 7 models, both @RISK 5.x and @RISK 6.x can read @RISK 7.x results (either in separate .RSK5 files or results stored directly in your spreadsheet) and vice versa.

NeuralTools:
NeuralTools 1.0.0 will not read networks created by later program versions.

PrecisionTree:
PrecisionTree models created or edited with PrecisionTree 7.x cannot be used with PrecisionTree 1.0. PrecisionTree models created with PrecisionTree 7.x can be used in PrecisionTree 5.x and PrecisionTree 6.x.

On opening a PrecisionTree 1.0 model in PrecisionTree 7.x, the application will ask to convert the model into the newer PrecisionTree format. This one-time conversion may take several minutes for large models. Once a model is converted and saved, it can no longer be used in PrecisionTree 1.0. Sensitivity analysis information saved in PrecisionTree 1.0 models will not be converted.

VBA Macro Compatibility
While macros you have written to automate the DTS 5.x or DTS 6.x products will generally run correctly without coding modifications in 7.x, you will need to update your code’s references to use the latest version of the object libraries. See the XDK documentation for the product in question for more information about how to do this.

System Requirements

Access Privileges:
To run this installer, you must have full administrative rights. After you install the program, no special permissions are required to run the program.

Operating Systems:
The DecisionTools Suite 7.x requires Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10.

While there is no support for running on the native Macintosh OS, the DecisionTools Suite will run on a Windows environment hosted on the Mac. The following configurations are supported:
•	Windows Vista through Windows 10 running, using Boot Camp.
•	Windows Vista through Windows 10 emulation using Parallels, VirtualBox, or VMware. 

UNIX operating systems are not supported.

Spreadsheets:
You must have an installed copy of Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 or 2019 for Windows. Palisade Add-ins will not run with earlier versions of Microsoft Excel. The DecisionTools Suite is not compatible with non-Microsoft spreadsheet packages.

The DecisionTools Suite is compatible with the “On Premises” deployment option of Office 365. It is not compatible with the “Office on Demand” or “Office Web Apps” deployment options.

The DecisionTools Suite 7.x is fully compatible with Excel 2007. However, we strongly recommend you upgrade Excel 2007 to the latest service releases available from Microsoft. The original release of Excel 2007 is significantly slower than its later service releases.

Projects:
The Project features of @RISK require Project 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 or Project 2019.  Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Project are supported.
 
Online Manuals:
To view Palisade's online manuals, you must have PDF viewing software, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, installed on your machine. Adobe Acrobat Reader is available without charge from www.adobe.com.

Visual C++ Runtime Files:
Palisade add-ins require the Microsoft Visual C++ 2013 Runtime.  On a 64-bit machine, both the 64-bit and 32-bit versions of this library are required.  On a 32-bit machine, only the 32-bit version of this library is required. These will be installed automatically as part of the DTS installation if they are not found on the system.

Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
Palisade software requires the “Client Profile” of the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0. In Windows Vista and Windows 7 the DTS installer will automatically install this component. In Windows 8 and Windows 10, the .NET Framework 4.0 is already installed as part of Windows.  The .NET framework will be installed automatically as part of the DTS installation if it is not found on the system.
 
Installation

Installing Side by Side with Versions 5.x or 6.x:
Versions 5.x, 6.x, and 7.x of the DecisionTools Suite may be installed on the same computer. The different versions, however, cannot run simultaneously on a single machine, even in two different instances of Excel.

Language Selection:
The first time you install DTS 7.x on a machine, you will be asked what language you would like to use. The language you select will be used for the installer itself, and will also become the default language used by the software. But the installer will configure the software (excluding documentation files – see below) for all the available languages, so that you can change language at any time by using the software’s Utilities » Application Settings dialog.

The installer has built-in English and Spanish help files, examples, and other documentation. If you select a different language at install time, the installer will attempt to contact palisade.com and download the documentation for the language you have selected. If this computer is unable to contact Palisade’s server, you will be directed to a website to manually download these resources.

Directory Structure:
By default, the installer creates a main Palisade program directory located at \Program Files\Palisade (on 32-bit systems) or \Program Files (x86)\Palisade (on 64-bit systems). The installer also copies several support files into subdirectories of the Windows and/or \Program Files\Common Files directories.

Registry Keys
Palisade products store system-wide settings in the registry locations:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Palisade (for 32-bit machines)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Wow6432Node\Palisade (for 64-bit machines)

All user-specific settings are stored in the registry in HKEY_CURRENT_USER. If you need a more complete description of registry usage, contact Palisade’s technical support department.

Uninstallation:
To uninstall your product, double click the “Programs and Features” or “Add or Remove Programs” icon in the control panel and click the ‘Remove’ button for the product from the list shown.

Software Activation/License Transfer

What is software activation?
Activation is a one-time license verification process that is required in order for your software to run as a fully-licensed product. During this process, information about the license and your software installation is transmitted to Palisade, and permission to run the software is transmitted back. No personal user information is sent during the request. After activation, your software will be licensed and no further user action is required.

How long can I use the product before I have to activate it?
Software that is not activated may be run for fifteen days as a trial version. All of the product's features are present, but the License Manager dialog will appear each time the program is launched to remind you to activate and to indicate the time remaining. Graphical output of the software will show a trial watermark. Once the 15-day trial period expires, the software will require activation in order to run.

What is an Activation ID and how do I get one?
An Activation ID is a dash-separated sequence like "PNA-6001257-8C7GP-AE4" and is used as a unique identifier for your license. The Activation ID is not case sensitive.

If you purchased a software license from Palisade, your Activation ID is on your printed or emailed invoice. If you do not have an Activation ID, you may obtain one by clicking the Purchase button in the License Manager dialog within the software, which will lead you through the necessary steps.

Where do I enter my Activation ID?
If you have your Activation ID at the time you are installing the software, you can enter it directly during the installation process. At the end of the installation, the installer will attempt to contact Palisade and automatically activate the software using the ID you entered. If this succeeds, no further action is required on your part.

If this fails (perhaps because of a restrictive firewall, lack of Internet connection, or for whatever reason) the code can be entered into the License Manager dialog, which will automatically pop up each time you run the software until you activate it. The License Manager can also be brought up manually from the software’s Help | License Manager menu item. There are two methods to choose from, Automatic Activation and Manual Activation.

Should I use Automatic Activation or Manual Activation?
If you have Internet access, Automatic Activation is the best option. Your Palisade software will contact our servers, and your license will be automatically activated. Note: Your firewall settings may need to be configured to allow this communication. Our servers are http://service.palisade.com and http://service2.palisade.com and we use HTTP protocol (TCP/IP port 80).

If you have no or restricted Internet access, or if Automatic Activation fails for some other reason, you can use Manual Activation. In brief, Manual Activation generates a “request file” which you will send to Palisade, either via email or through our website. We will return to you a “response file” which grants you authorization to use the software. (Depending on your system, you may need to repeat this request-response twice.) The License Manager dialogs lead you step by step through this process. While this method takes much more time than Automatic Activation, it avoids the difficulties associated with restricted Internet access.

What if I’m having trouble activating?
If you are still encountering problems, please send an email to support@palisade.com. Please include your Activation ID, a description of the problem and a screen shot of the License Manager dialog if possible.

How do I transfer my software license to another computer?
If you need to move your license from one computer to another (for example, if an old computer is being replaced with a new one), the license must first be deactivated on the old computer and then activated on the new computer.

If you are uninstalling the software from the old computer, you will be automatically prompted to deactivate the license. If you are not uninstalling the software from the old computer, you can deactivate it by starting the software and clicking the Help | License Manager menu item. This process is very similar to the activation process described above.

Once you have successfully deactivated the license, it is returned to the Palisade server and ready to be reused on the new computer. Install the Palisade software on that computer. On the installer welcome screen, enter the Activation ID, or alternatively leave this field blank and after installation, go into the Help | License Manager dialog and choose “Activate” and enter your Activation ID.

Please keep in mind that Palisade requires at least 90 days between transfers of a standalone license. If your situation is such that frequent license transfers are needed, please contact Palisade's sales team for information on Concurrent Network licensing. Transferring a single user license does not permit the simultaneous use of the Palisade software on two machines.

Technical Support and Contact Information

Palisade is dedicated to providing our customers quality technical support. If requesting technical support via our website or email, please supply the following information:
1.	Your name and a return email address or phone number.
2.	Serial number, product name and version number you are using.
3.	The version of the Windows operating system you are using (e.g. Windows 7).
4.	The version of Office software you are using (e.g. Office 2010 64-bit).
5.	A description of the problem. Please be as specific as possible and attach screen captures of the error if available.

World Wide Web:
Palisade’s web site is www.palisade.com. The site contains a technical support knowledge base (a searchable database of technical support questions and answers) as well as information on how to obtain the latest software upgrades and patches. The site also contains all the latest product information, news, and software demos.

For a list of all our offices and current contact information, please see http://www.palisade.com/about/contact_us.asp

Email:
Palisade technical support can be reached at support@palisade.com.

For general sales questions contact:
United States and Canada: sales@palisade.com
South America and Latin America: ventas@palisade-lta.com
Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and India: sales@palisade-europe.com
Asia/Pacific region: sales@palisade.com.au
Brazil: vendas@palisade.com
Japan: sales.jp@palisade.com

To prevent problems receiving a response from Palisade, you may want to add palisade.com, palisade-lta.com, palisade-europe.com, or palisade.com.au as a trusted sender to your email client.

Fax:
Palisade’s fax number is +1 607 277-8001 in the USA, +44 1895 425051 in Europe, and +61 2 9252 2820 in Australia.

Phone:
Palisade technical support can be reached via phone at +1 607 277-8000, Monday through Friday 4:00am-7:00pm Eastern Time in the USA. In Europe, technical support is available at +44 1895 425050, Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm GMT. Asia-Pacific customers may call our Australia office at +61 2 9252 5922 from 0900h to 1700h AEST. 
Please Note: Telephone technical support is not available for student versions of Palisade products.

Student Version Information

If you are using a student version, please read this section.

Student License Agreement
The student versions of Palisade add-ins are for academic use only. Any non-academic use of student versions is strictly forbidden, and represents a violation of the terms of the student license agreement.

Model Limitations of the Student Version (for Student Versions Included in Textbooks Only)
These restrictions only apply to student versions included with textbooks.

@RISK models are limited to 4 worksheets, each with 300 rows by 100 columns in a single Excel workbook. In addition, you must have at most 100 @RISK input functions in your model. Any model that exceeds these limitations cannot be simulated. 

You may run at most 1000 iterations of unattended simulations. You are free to run simulations with larger number of iterations, but you will need to click "OK" to a dialog every 1000 iterations. 

The @RISK Library is not available in textbook versions. 

Distribution fitting data sets are limited to 250 points.

RISKOptimizer will not run optimizations with more than 10 adjustable cells.

NeuralTools models are limited to 1000 cells per variable. Analyses cannot be performed on any models that exceed these limitations.

PrecisionTree models are restricted to 500 nodes in a decision tree. Influence diagrams are limited to 500 nodes of the equivalent underlying decision tree.

TopRank models are limited to 4 worksheets, each with 300 rows by 100 columns in a single Excel workbook. In addition, you must have at most 100 TopRank input functions in your model. Any model that exceeds these limitations cannot be analyzed.

Watermarks on Graphs
All graphs created with the student version are watermarked with the text “Student Version, For Academic Use Only”. It is a violation of your license agreement to attempt to remove or alter this watermark.

Expiration
The student version will expire after a fixed period of time. Student versions obtained directly from Palisade Corporation typically expire after one year. Student versions bundled with textbooks expire after one or two years.

Usage Reporting

To improve future software releases, Palisade would like to collect information about how you are using this product.  You are able to opt in or opt out of this at any time by choosing the Usage Reporting item from the Help menu.

Usage data is anonymous and includes basic information about your computer's environment (e.g. OS version, Office version, system language) as well as summary statistics about which features of the product you are using (e.g. commands clicked, function types used, number of iterations performed.)

If you are using a trial version that you obtained by entering your contact information on our website, we may be able to identify that you installed and ran the product.  All other information we collect, however, is completely anonymous.

Palisade's privacy policy is online at http://www.palisade.com/about/privacy.asp#usage