What’s New

v3.0.0 (2020-06-07)

message_ix v3.0.0 coincides with ixmp v3.0.0.

Migration notes

The generic storage formulation introduces new ixmp items (sets, parameters, variables, and equations) to the MESSAGE model scheme. When loading a Scenario created with a version of message_ix older than 3.0.0, MESSAGE.initialize() will initialized these items (and leave them empty), using at most one call to commit().

See also the migration notes for ixmp 3.0.0.

All changes

• PR #190: Add generic mathematical formulation of technologies that store commodities, such as water and energy.

• PR #343, PR #345: Accept MESSAGE_MACRO iteration control parameters through solve(); document how to tune these to avoid numerical issues.

• PR #340: Allow cplex.opt to be used by message_ix from multiple processes.

• PR #328: Expand automatic reporting of emissions prices and mapping sets; improve robustness of Reporter.convert_pyam().

• PR #321: Move Scenario.to_excel(), read_excel() to ixmp.Scenario; they continue to work with message_ix.Scenario.

• PR #323: Add units, replace_vars arguments to Reporter.convert_pyam().

• PR #308: Expand automatic reporting of add-on technologies.

• PR #313: Include all tests in the message_ix package.

• PR #307: Adjust to deprecations in ixmp 2.0.

• PR #223: Add methods for parametrization and calibration of MACRO based on an existing MESSAGE Scenario.

v2.0.0 (2020-01-14)

message_ix v2.0.0 coincides with ixmp v2.0.0.

Migration notes

Support for Python 2.7 is dropped as it has reached end-of-life, meaning no further releases will be made even to fix bugs. See PEP-0373 and https://python3statement.org. message_ix users must upgrade to Python 3.

Command-line interface (CLI). Use message-ix as the program for all command-line operations:

• message-ix copy-model replaces messageix-config.

• message-ix dl replaces messageix-dl.

• message-ix also provides all the features of the ixmp CLI.

Configuration. ixmp adds a streamlined system for storing information about different platforms, backends, and databases that store Scenario data. See the ixmp release notes for migration notes.

All changes

• PR #285: Drop support for Python 2.

• PR #284: Add a suggested sequence/structure to how to run the Westeros tutorials.

• PR #281: Test and improve logic of years_active() and vintage_and_active_years().

• PR #269: Enforce year-indexed columns as integers.

• PR #256: Update to use ixmp.config and improve CLI.

• PR #255: Add message_ix.testing.nightly and message-ix nightly CLI command group for slow-running tests.

• PR #249, PR #259: Build MESSAGE and MESSAGE_MACRO classes on ixmp model API; adjust Scenario.

• PR #235: Add a reporting tutorial.

• PR #236, PR #242, PR #263: Enhance reporting.

• PR #232: Add Westeros tutorial for modelling seasonality, update existing tutorials.

• PR #276: Improve add_year for bounds and code cleanup

v1.2.0 (2019-06-25)

MESSAGEix 1.2.0 adds an option to set the commodity balance to strict equality, rather than a supply > demand inequality. It also improves the support for models with non-equidistant years.

Other improvements include an experimental reporting module, support for CPLEX solver options via solve(), and a reusable message_ix.testing module.

Release 1.2.0 coincides with ixmp release 0.2.0, which provides full support for clone() across platforms (database instances), e.g. from a remote database to a local HSQL database; as well as other improvements. See the ixmp release notes for further details.

All changes

• PR #161: A feature for adding new periods to a scenario.

• PR #205: Implement required changes related to timeseries-support and cloning across platforms (see ixmp#142).

• PR #196: Improve testing by re-using ixmp apparatus.

• PR #187: Test for cumulative bound on emissions.

• PR #182: Fix cross-platform cloning.

• PR #178: Bugfix of the PRICE_EMISSION variable in models with non-equidistant period durations.

• PR #176: Add message_ix.reporting module.

• PR #173: The meth:~.Scenario.solve command now takes additional arguments when solving with CPLEX. The cplex.opt file is now generated on the fly during the solve command and removed after successfully solving.

• PR #172: Add option to set COMMODITY_BALANCE to equality.

• PR #154: Enable documentation build on ReadTheDocs.

• PR #138: Update documentation and tutorials.

• PR #131: Update clone function argument scen to scenario with planned deprecation of the former.

v1.1.0 (2018-11-21)

Migration notes

This patch introduces a few backwards-incompatible changes to database management.

Database Migration

If you see an error message like:

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/ixmp/core.py:81: in __init__
    self._jobj = java.ixmp.Platform("Python", dbprops)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

self = <jpype._jclass.at.ac.iiasa.ixmp.Platform object at 0x7ff1a8e98410>
args = ('Python', '/tmp/kH07wz/test.properties')

    def _javaInit(self, *args):
        object.__init__(self)

        if len(args) == 1 and isinstance(args[0], tuple) \
           and args[0][0] is _SPECIAL_CONSTRUCTOR_KEY:
            self.__javaobject__ = args[0][1]
        else:
            self.__javaobject__ = self.__class__.__javaclass__.newClassInstance(
>               *args)
E           org.flywaydb.core.api.FlywayExceptionPyRaisable: org.flywaydb.core.api.FlywayException: Validate failed: Migration checksum mismatch for migration 1
E           -> Applied to database : 1588531206
E           -> Resolved locally    : 822227094

Then you need to update your local database. There are two methods to do so:

1. Delete it (you will lose all data and need to regenerate it). The default location is ~/.local/ixmp/localdb/.

2. Manually apply the underlying migrations. This is not particularly easy, but allows you to save all your data. If you want help, feel free to get in contact on the listserv.

New Property File Layout

If you see an error message like:

usr/local/lib/python2.7/site-packages/jpype/_jclass.py:111: at.ac.iiasa.ixmp.exceptions.IxExceptionPyRaisable
---------------------------- Captured stdout setup -----------------------------
2018-11-13 08:15:17,410 ERROR at.ac.iiasa.ixmp.database.DbConfig:357 - missing property 'config.server.config' in /tmp/hhvE1o/test.properties
2018-11-13 08:15:17,412 ERROR at.ac.iiasa.ixmp.database.DbConfig:357 - missing property 'config.server.password' in /tmp/hhvE1o/test.properties
2018-11-13 08:15:17,412 ERROR at.ac.iiasa.ixmp.database.DbConfig:357 - missing property 'config.server.username' in /tmp/hhvE1o/test.properties
2018-11-13 08:15:17,413 ERROR at.ac.iiasa.ixmp.database.DbConfig:357 - missing property 'config.server.url' in /tmp/hhvE1o/test.properties
------------------------------ Captured log setup ------------------------------
core.py                     80 INFO     launching ixmp.Platform using config file at '/tmp/hhvE1o/test.properties'
_________________ ERROR at setup of test_add_spatial_multiple __________________

    @pytest.fixture(scope="session")
    def test_mp():
        test_props = create_local_testdb()

        # start jvm
        ixmp.start_jvm()

        # launch Platform and connect to testdb (reconnect if closed)
>       mp = ixmp.Platform(test_props)

Then you need to update your property configuration file. The old file looks like:

config.name = message_ix_test_db@local
jdbc.driver.1 = org.hsqldb.jdbcDriver
jdbc.url.1 = jdbc:hsqldb:file:/path/to/database
jdbc.user.1 = ixmp
jdbc.pwd.1 = ixmp
jdbc.driver.2 = org.hsqldb.jdbcDriver
jdbc.url.2 = jdbc:hsqldb:file:/path/to/database
jdbc.user.2 = ixmp
jdbc.pwd.2 = ixmp

The new file should look like:

config.name = message_ix_test_db@local
jdbc.driver = org.hsqldb.jdbcDriver
jdbc.url = jdbc:hsqldb:file:/path/to/database
jdbc.user = ixmp
jdbc.pwd = ixmp

All changes

• PR #202: Added the “Development rule of thumb” section from the wiki and the Tutorial style guide to the Contributor guidelines. Tweaked some formatting to improve readibility.

• PR #113: Upgrading to MESSAGEix 1.1: improved representation of renewables, share constraints, etc.

• PR #109: MACRO module added for initializing models to be solved with MACRO. Added scenario-based CI on circleci.

• PR #99: Fixing an error in the compuation of the auxiliary GAMS reporting variable PRICE_EMISSION.

• PR #89: Fully implementing system reliability and flexibity considerations (cf. Sullivan).

• PR #88: Reformulated capacity maintainance constraint to ensure that newly installed capacity cannot be decommissioned within the same model period as it is built in.

• PR #84: message_ix.Scenario.vintage_active_years() now limits active years to those after the first model year or the years of a certain technology vintage.

• PR #82: Introducing “add-on technologies” for mitigation options, etc.

• PR #81: Share constraints by mode added.

• PR #80: Share constraints by commodity/level added.

• PR #78: Bugfix: message_ix.Scenario.solve() uses ‘MESSAGE’ by default, but can be provided other model names.

• PR #77: rename() function can optionally keep old values in the model (i.e., copy vs. copy-with-replace).

• PR #74: Activity upper and lower bounds can now be applied to all modes of a technology.

• PR #67: Use of advanced basis in cplex.opt turned off by default to avoid conflicts with barrier method.

• PR #65: Bugfix for downloading tutorials. Now downloads current installed version by default.

• PR #60: Add basic ability to write and read model input to/from Excel.

• PR #59: Added MacOSX CI support.