Technical Note: Datamine Product Hardware Requirements

Reference: TN00162

Created: 9th December 2008

Last modified: 28th September 2016

1. PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT

This document describes the recommended and minimum hardware requirements for
Datamine desktop products and web/online services.

2. DESKTOP PRODUCTS

The following information relates to Datamine’s recommended hardware specification for

desktop/installed software products, including the Datamine Studio range.

2.1. Processor

Minimum Recommended
Intel or AMD processor with a CPU speed Hex-Core CPU (or equivalent) running at
of at least 1Ghz 2.4Ghz

Comments on Processors: For applications and tasks which are processor-intensive (e.g.
NPV Scheduler, Conditional Simulation, Geostatistics, Mineable Shape Optimization), the faster
the CPU the better. Be aware that some Datamine processes are not multi-threaded and will
only make use of a single CPU, however, additional system load with other applications running
will not impact Studio's performance as obviously with multiple processors, as the external
processes may use other processors as a result of OS or application-level load balancing.

2.2. Memory

Minimum Recommended
1GB RAM 8GB RAM (or as much as your
motherboard will permit)

Comments on Memory: 8GB or higher is preferable. The amount of memory installed on a

particular machine can make a big difference to system performance although, 32-bit versions
of Studio products can only access up to 2GB of memory under default conditions, even if more
has been installed. 32-bit Studio is, however, a "Large Address Aware" system, meaning that
under a 64-bit operating environment, up to 4GB can be accessed. In addition, it is possible to
extend the amount of memory available to a 32-bit operating system by the use of the
operating system's "/3Gb" switch. Consult the following section for more information on setting
up a large address aware 32-bit system. 64-bit Studio systems will be able to utilize more
available RAM.

This document may not be reproduced in whole, or in part, nor may any of the information contained therein
be disclosed without the prior consent of the directors of Datamine Corporate Limited. A recipient may not
solicit, directly or indirectly (whether through an agent or otherwise) the participation of another institution or
person without the prior approval of the directors of the Company. Any form of reproduction, dissemination,
copying, disclosure, modification, distribution and or publication of this material is strictly prohibited.
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2.3. Operating System

Minimum Recommended
Windows 8 32-bit (restricted product Windows 10 (latest update) 64-bit
support)

Comments on Operating Systems: Support for Windows 7 (all products) stopped in June
2016. Datamine products are supported for using in a Windows 8, Windows 8.1 or Windows
10 operating environment, although restrictions apply.

• 32-bit Datamine applications can be installed on a 32- or 64-bit operating system unless
otherwise stated. One exception is Enhanced Production Scheduler, where a 32-bit
version can only be installed on a 32-bit OS, and a 64-bit version installed on a 64-bit
OS
• 64-bit Datamine applications require a 64-bit operating system.
• Datamine Studio EM, OP, RM and UG will only be provided as 64-bit versions for
versions released after May 2017.
• For more information, please refer to the following documents (available on request
from your Datamine office, or via the Freshdesk Knowledge Base):
o Windows 7 Compatibility Statement
o Windows 8 Compatibility Statement
o Windows 10 Compatibility Statement
Windows 10 operating systems will require the optional .NET 3.5 operating system to be
enabled (it is an optional feature). Contact your IT Administrator for assistance. All other
runtimes that are required by a product are installed during the product installation process.

English operating system versions are recommended. Datamine products will operate under
other locales, but additional steps may be required for numeric values to be processed
correctly. Contact your Datamine Representative for more information.

2.4. Hard Disk/Storage

Minimum Recommended
10 GB Free Space As much as possible – 1TB or higher

Comments on Hard Disks: It is preferable to have files located on a local disk for rapid
access, although network access is only restricted by your current LAN or WAN structure and
administration. Note that swap space utilizes hard disk space, and as such, it is important to
run regular system housekeeping on your disk(s) to ensure as much free space as possible is
available.

Note that a minimum of 500MB must be available for Datamine product installations.

2.5. Monitors

Minimum Recommended
1024 x 768 pixels, high color, VGA input Dual Monitor Setup: Twin 1920 x 1080
HDMI input

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Comments on Monitors: The choice of monitor(s) that you make should be defined by your
own requirements. Larger, higher resolution monitors (providing the graphics card that is
installed supports such settings) will always give superior results to lower resolution options,
but the best choice should be based on the type of work being undertaken.

2.6. Graphics Card

Minimum Recommended
256 Mb dedicated video memory 1GB NVidia® Quadra FX

Comments on graphics cards:

· It is recommended when purchasing new hardware, integrated ('on board')

graphics cards are avoided due to potential system performance degradation.

· With all high-performance graphics cards, it is very important to make sure that
you obtain and use the latest OpenGL drivers, at least OpenGL2. For advice,
contact your local Datamine support office.

· NVidia Quadra FX cards are recommended for Datamine environments for

enhanced visual performance. These cards are routinely used during pre-release
testing.

· 1GB+ cards are preferred but, as with monitors (see above), the choice will be
based on the type of work you need to perform. Your application draws resources
from both system and video memory. If you are more inclined to produce complex
graphics, particularly if using textured VR-style functions, more graphic memory
will show more significant gains than for users working with lower-resolution data
sets, spreadsheets etc.

· Settings for your card can also affect the running of Datamine applications both
positively and adversely; if unexpected (and unwanted) system performance is
encountered, it may be necessary to disable (or reduce) certain acceleration
options until the optimum performance is found. Screen resolution, for example,
has a significant impact on system performance, and can be adjusted downwards
in some cases whilst maintaining an acceptable visual feedback.

· Drivers for your card must be managed; it is not always the case that the latest
driver for your card will resolve issues; in fact, it may even introduce issues if new
card features are enabled that cannot be interpreted correctly by your Datamine
application (an example of this is the "Threaded Optimization" feature introduced
with newer NVidia Cards - this must be disabled before using Datamine
applications). Video card firmware must also be maintained.

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 · With the sheer volume and variety of graphic cards on the market, your choice will
be governed by several factors. Although Datamine do not recommend a specific
manufacturer, internal QA testing is performed against a variety of different card
environments using primarily NVidia hardware, including NVidia Quadro cards for
high-end textured data process testing.

2.7. Browser

Minimum Recommended
IE10 IE11 or later browser

Comments on Browsers: Internet Explorer 10 is the minimum required browser to support

Start Page and Summit requirements.

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