Mentum Planet 5.

Getting Started Guide

Copyright 2015
InfoVista S.A.S. All rights reserved.
Notice
This document contains confidential and proprietary information of InfoVista S.A.S. and
may not be copied, transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or reproduced in any format
or media, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of InfoVista S.A.S.
Information contained in this document supersedes that found in any previous manuals,
guides, specifications data sheets, or other information that may have been provided or
made available to the user. This document is provided for informational purposes only, and
InfoVista S.A.S. does not warrant or guarantee the accuracy, adequacy, quality, validity,
completeness or suitability for any purpose the information contained in this document.
INFOVISTA S.A.S. may update, improve, and enhance this document and the products to
which it relates at any time without prior notice to the user. INFOVISTA S.A.S. MAKES NO
WARRANTIES, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THOSE OF
MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THIS
DOCUMENT OR THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN.
Trademark Acknowledgement
Mentum, Mentum Planet, Mentum Ellipse, Mentum Fusion, Mentum CellPlanner, and
Mentum LinkPlanner are registered trademarks owned by InfoVista S.A.S. MapInfo
Professional and the Spectrum Suite are registered trademarks of Pitney Bowes Software
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marks of other organizations, each of which is the property of its respective owner.
Last updated February 17, 2015

CONTENTS

Mentum Planet 5.8

Getting Started Guide

CHAPTER 1
Introduction
Determining the best Mentum Planet edition to use
Using this documentation
Contacting Customer Support

5
6
7
9

CHAPTER 2
Installation

11

System requirements
13
System requirements for workstations
13
System requirements for the License Manager Server
16
System requirements for server configurations
16
System platform compatibility
19
Before Installing Mentum Planet
20
Planning your Mentum Planet installation
21
Workflow for installing Mentum Planet software
25
Installing Mentum Planet
26
Obtaining a license
28
Using a commuter license
30
Updating user documentation
31
Workflow for migrating Mentum Planet projects
32
Migrating projects
35
Important considerations when migrating projects
37
Migrating MentumCell Planner projects
39
Understanding the License Server
40
How the License Server issues licenses
40
System requirements
40
Workflow for installing or upgrading the License Server and distributing
licenses
41
Using the License Server Management tool
43

Using Remote Authorization tools

43

CHAPTER 3
Basic Usage
Starting Mentum Planet
Creating a project
Defining your user preferences
Placing sites
Generating predictions

45
46
48
51
53
54

APPENDIX A
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting the License Server

CONTENTS Getting Started Guide

57
58

CHAPTER 1

Introduction
This Getting Started Guide is intended for use with Mentum Planet. It is
divided into three chapters with the Basic Usage chapter aimed at
providing an overview of basic tasks that you can complete using the
software.
This chapter covers the following topics:
Determining the best Mentum Planet edition to use

Using this documentation

Contacting Customer Support

Determining the best Mentum Planet edition to use

In order to provide you with the best solution, Mentum Planet is available in various
editions. Figure 1 provides a quick summary of the key features of each edition. All
editions come with a comprehensive documentation set. This includes a dynamic
Online Help system that encompasses context-sensitive F1 help as well as
procedures and technical information. When you are not connected to the network,
you can access the Offline Help. From the Help menu in all editions, you can open
the Knowledge Base where you can find up-to-date solutions to common questions
or problems. For additional information, see the InfoVista website.

Figure 1: Mentum Planet editions.

6CHAPTER 1

Using this documentation

Before using this documentation, you should be familiar with the Windows
environment. It is assumed that you are using the standard Windows desktop, and
that you know how to access ToolTips and shortcut menus, move and copy objects,
select multiple objects using the Shift or Ctrl key, resize dialog boxes, expand and
collapse folder trees. It is also assumed that you are familiar with the basic
functions of MapInfo Professional. For information about MapInfo Professional, see
the MapInfo online Help and MapInfo Professional User Guide. You can access
additional MapInfo user documentation from the Pitney Bowes Business Insight
website at
http://www.pbinsight.com/support/product-documentation.

Help
In order to ensure that you get the most out of your Mentum Planet software, a
comprehensive Help set is available to guide you.

Online Help
To benefit from the most up-to-date user documentation, you can connect to the
InfoVista server and search for topics of interest. Online Help includes help for
MapInfo Professional dialog boxes and windows.
Best Practice: Use the Feedback buttons at the bottom of each topic to tell us
what you think about the Help. Your feedback helps us improve the documentation
available with the software so that you get the most out of Mentum Planet.

Tip: Copy the link displayed in the Help Topic box (e.g., F1/LayerStats/Analysis_
Settings.htm) and send it to colleagues who can paste it into the Help Topic box to
display the Help page of interest.

Warning: In order to ensure you are viewing the latest Help, verify that your
Internet Options specify that newer versions of stored pages be displayed. In
Internet Explorer, open the Internet Options dialog box and, in the Browsing
History section on the General tab, click Settings.

Offline Help
If you are not connected to the Internet, you can still use the local copy of the Help
that was installed with the software. This version, naturally, will not be as current as
the version accessed from the server. Nonetheless, it contains information about all

Getting Started Guide7

the basic tasks you can perform using Mentum Planet. Local help includes help for
MapInfo Professional dialog boxes and windows.

Context-sensitive Help
You can access Help from every dialog box in Mentum Planet by pressing F1. If you
want to view the online Help for a specific panel or tab, click in a field or list box to
activate the panel or tab before you press the F1 key.
Note: Context-sensitive Help for MapInfo Professional opens a separate Help
system that encompasses only MapInfo Professional topics.

Knowledge Base
You can access the Knowledge Base by choosing the Knowledge Base command from
the Help menu. The Knowledge Base includes up-to-date articles created by the
Customer Support team that provide information and solutions to questions often
asked. You can access additional resources from the Help menu including product
information and the company web site. From the InfoVista web page, you can
download Application Notes and other product documentation as well as access the
Self-Service Portal (including the Knowledge Base).

Training
InfoVista has a comprehensive training portfolio including on-site training, web
training, and mentoring. You can access information about training by choosing Help
> Training from within Mentum Planet or visit our website.

Getting Started
Read the "Basic Usage" chapter of the Getting Started Guide to begin learning how to
use Mentum Planet. It provides a quick start tutorial of common tasks.
If you are new to Mentum Planet, walkthrough tutorials are available from the Start
Page that offer a step-by-step look at some of the main features of the software and
are a good way to familiarize yourself with the tool. Walkthrough tutorials are based
on a pre-configured project that is available from the Customer Support Download
page of the InfoVista website.

8CHAPTER 1

Contacting Customer Support

InfoVista is committed to providing fast, responsive technical support. This section
provides an extensive list of contacts to help you through any issues you may have.
You can get technical support by phone or email, or by visiting the Self-Service
Portal on the InfoVista website at http://www.infovista.com/services/customersupport.
Note: When you call for technical support, ensure that you have your product ID
number and know which version of the software you are running. You can obtain
this information using the About command from the Help menu.
When you request technical support outside of regular business hours, a Product
Support Specialist will respond the next working day by telephone or email,
depending upon the nature of the request.
The technical support options available depend on the edition of the software you
are using as shown in Figure 1. For more details about the levels of support, see the
InfoVista website.

Figure 1: Support options

Americas
Phone: +1 866 921 9219 (toll free)
Phone: +1 819 483 7094 (Ottawa)
E-mail: [email protected]
Hours: 9am 7pm Eastern (Monday to Friday)

Getting Started Guide9

Asia-Pacific
Phone: +60 3 8008 2292
E-mail: [email protected]
Hours: 9am 6pm HKT (Monday to Friday)

Europe, Middle East and Africa

Phone: +33 164 86 85 08 (Paris)
E-mail: [email protected]
Hours: 9am 6pm Central (Monday to Friday)

10CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 2

Installation
This chapter covers system requirements for Mentum Planet along with
the installation information for Mentum Planet and the License Manager
Server. The system requirements outlined are general
recommendations only and are based on typical usage of Mentum
Planet software.
After you have downloaded Mentum Planet from the Web, you simply
follow the prompts to install the software. After you have installed the
software, you must register the product to validate your license.
This chapter covers the following topics:
System requirements

13

System requirements for workstations

13

System requirements for the License Manager Server

16

System requirements for server configurations

16

System platform compatibility

19

Before Installing Mentum Planet

20

Planning your Mentum Planet installation

21

Workflow for installing Mentum Planet software

25

Installing Mentum Planet

26

Obtaining a license

28

Using a commuter license

30

Updating user documentation

31

Workflow for migrating Mentum Planet projects

32

Migrating projects

35

Important considerations when migrating projects

37

Migrating MentumCell Planner projects

39

Understanding the License Server

40

How the License Server issues licenses

40

System requirements

40

Workflow for installing or upgrading the License Server and distributing

licenses
41
Using the License Server Management tool

12CHAPTER 2

43

System requirements
The system requirements outlined in this section are general recommendations only
and are based on typical usage of Mentum Planet software. This section details the
system requirements for:
n
n

workstations
the License Manager Server

Note: For a quick overview of platform compatibility, see "System platform

compatibility with Mentum Planet".

Warning: Requirements vary depending on the layout of the network, the

number of sites, and the work practices you adopt.

System requirements for workstations

The tables below detail the workstation configurations for Mentum Planet.
Note: Mentum Planet runs on the Microsoft .NET framework (version 4.5.2). If
you do not have this software installed on your computer, you will be prompted to
connect to the Microsoft web site to download and install it. To do so requires an
Internet connection.

Note: It is recommended that the default setting (Smaller - 100%) be used for
the display screen text size.

Getting Started Guide13

Minimum configuration
This configuration is suggested for networks up to 3000sectors. You can
work with larger networks using this configuration but performance may be
impacted.
Processor

RAM

Hard disk

Display

Workstation: Single Core Intel CPU (e.g., the Celeron

440, 2GHz clock) or equivalent

2 GB

At least 20 GB free space

SVGA (16-bit), 1280x1024

Windows 7 64-bit edition

It is recommended that you set the system locale to
English (United States).
Operating System

Required Software

14CHAPTER 2

Some Automatic Updates can cause your computer to

reboot, which may interrupt operations in Mentum
Planet. It is recommended that you modify the
Automatic Updates settings so that they are not done
automatically.

In order to use the Mentum Planet Import/Export tool,

you must have Microsoft Excel 2000 or greater
installed. In addition, you must have Adobe Reader
installed to view the Mentum Planet user
documentation.

Recommended configuration
This configuration is suggested for networks up to 15000sectors. You can
work with larger networks using this configuration but performance may be
impacted.
Processor

Workstation: Intel Core-2 Duo 2GHz or Dual-Core-2

Extreme or equivalent

RAM

2 GB

Hard disk

A quick SATA model solid-state drive with 50 GB free space

Display

SVGA (16-bit), 1280x1024

Windows 7 64-bit edition
It is recommended that you set the system locale to
English (United States).

Operating System

Required Software

Some Automatic Updates can cause your computer to

reboot, which may interrupt operations in Mentum
Planet. It is recommended that you modify the
Automatic Updates settings so that they are not done
automatically.
In order to use the Mentum Planet Import/Export tool,
you must have Microsoft Excel 2000 or greater
installed. In addition, you must have Adobe Reader
installed to view the Mentum Planet user
documentation.

Note: An Internet connection is required to validate licenses. If there is no

Internet connection, you can complete the offline registration form located in the
ProgramData\Mentum\Planet 5.8 folder and email it to Customer Support.

Note: To run Mentum Planet, you must be a member of the Power Users group
at a minimum. Regular Users must be granted write access privileges to the
<Mentum Planet installation> folder to run Mentum Planet.

Note: For information about system requirements for the Data Manager Server,
see the Data Manager Server Administrator Guide

Getting Started Guide15

System requirements for the License Manager Server

The License Server is contacted each time a user starts an instance of Mentum
Planet. It is also contacted periodically throughout the Mentum Planet session. As a
result, it is important to choose a computer that is always available to serve the
licenses. Ideally, the License Server should be installed on a file or DNS server
because these computers are always online. Static, fixed IP addresses provide the
best performance. However, you can install the License Server on any computer
with Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, or Windows Vista because the resources
required to serve the licenses are minimal (5 MB free disk space).
The system requirements listed in the following tables are intended for deployment
scenarios where Citrix or Windows Terminal Services are being used.

System requirements for server configurations

The tables below detail the configurations for Mentum Planet for server
configurations.
Note: Mentum Planet runs on the Microsoft .NET framework (version 4.5.2). If
you do not have this software installed on your computer, you will be prompted to
connect to the Microsoft web site to download and install it. To do so requires an
Internet connection.

16CHAPTER 2

Recommended Configuration for a Small Deployment

A small deployment is one in which up to 5 simultaneous users are accessing
Mentum Planet installed on a single application server and using either
Windows Terminal Services or Citrix for remote access from client.

Processor

Xeon-class or equivalent processor with at least 6

cores + hyper-threading

RAM

12 GB of RAM

Hard disk

1 TB of storage

Display

SVGA (16-bit), 1280x1024

Windows 2008 Server R1, 64-bit edition
It is recommended that you set the system locale
to English (United States).

Operating System

Some Automatic Updates can cause your computer

to reboot, which may interrupt operations in
Mentum Planet. It is recommended that you
modify the Automatic Updates settings so that
they are not done automatically.

Getting Started Guide17

Recommended Configuration for a Medium Deployment

A medium deployment is one in which up to 10 simultaneous users are
accessing Mentum Planet installed on a single application server and using
either Windows Terminal Services or Citrix for remote access from client.

Processor

Dual Xeon-based processor with at least 4 cores

per processor + hyper threading

RAM

24 GB

Hard disk

2 TB of storage

Display

SVGA (16-bit), 1280x1024

Windows 2008 Server R1, 64-bit edition
It is recommended that you set the system locale
to English (United States).

Operating System

Some Automatic Updates can cause your

computer to reboot, which may interrupt
operations in Mentum Planet. It is recommended
that you modify the Automatic Updates settings so
that they are not done automatically.

Recommended Configuration for a Large Deployment

A large deployment is one in which more than 10 simultaneous users are accessing
Mentum Planet.
Contact Customer Support.

18CHAPTER 2

System platform compatibility

The tables below detail the compatibility of Mentum Planet with various system
platforms.
Table 2-1 Windows workstation compatibility (a black check mark indicates fully
tested)
Platform

Mentum Planet 5.8

Windows Vista Professional 32-bits*

Windows Vista Professional 64-bits*

Windows 7 Professional 32-bits*

Windows 7 Professional 64-bits

Windows 8 Professional 32-bits

Windows 8 Professional 64-bits

*partially tested

Table 2-2 Windows server compatibility (a black check mark indicates fully tested)
Platform

Mentum Planet 5.8

Windows Server 2008 32-bits*

Windows Server 2008 64-bits

Windows Server 2008 R2

Windows Server 2012

*partially tested

Getting Started Guide19

Before Installing Mentum Planet

Mentum Planet, a next-generation radio planning and optimization solution, is
integrated with MapInfo Professional12.5, an industry-standard GIS mapping
engine.
Before you install or uninstall Mentum Planet, it is important to note that you can:
n

install stand-alone versions of MapInfo on the same workstation as Mentum

Planet. If you do so, however, it is the last version of MapInfo installed that is
the default application for .tab files. For example, if you install MapInfo11 and
then install 5.8, the default application is MapInfoProfessional 12.5 (which is
included with Mentum Planet). For information on how to change this, see
Installing, Configuring, and Starting MapInfo Professional in the MapInfo
Professional User Guide.
install different versions of MapInfo on the same workstation as Mentum
Planet. These installations are independent of Mentum Planet; however, when
you uninstall Mentum Planet or MapInfo Professional you must repair other
versions of Mentum Planet or MapInfo Professional installed on the
workstation.
install Mentum Planet 5.8 alongside Mentum Planet 5.x on the same
workstation.

If a version of MapInfo Professional12.5 is detected on your workstation during the

installation process, MapInfo Professional is uninstalled and re-installed in the
Mentum Planet folder as part of the installation process. The license key for MapInfo
Professional is maintained and you can run MapInfo Professional as a standalone
application.
Note: Mentum Planet 5.6 and Mentum Planet 5.5 cannot be installed on the same
workstation.

Note: Licensing is not supported through virtual private networks (VPN). It may
work under certain configurations but it is not officially supported.

20CHAPTER 2

Planning your Mentum Planet installation

How you install Mentum Planet depends on your work practices. Factors to consider
include whether you work in a multi-user environment and use the Data Manager to
share projects, the size and number of the projects you work on, and the computer
and network configuration in the work place are some of the factors to consider.

Option 1: Install Mentum Planet on a standalone workstation

This option is best suited for organizations where engineers work on their own
individual projects with no collaboration and where there is no need for database
storage. In this particular case, a standalone license is used to lock the software to a
particular computer and the License Manager Server is not required.

Figure 1: Option 1 using standalone licenses

Option 2: Install Mentum Planet on standalone workstations and upload

projects to Data Manager
This option is best suited for organizations where engineers work collaboratively
using Data Manager. Geodata is stored on each individual workstation. In this
particular case, a floating license is used because several engineers need to use the
software and share licenses. The License Manager Server handles the task of
distributing the licenses to the running instances of the software.

Getting Started Guide21

Figure 2: Option 2 using floating licenses

Option 3: Install Mentum Planet on standalone workstations and upload

projects to Data Manager using shared geodata
This option is best suited for organizations where engineers work collaboratively
using Data Manager and access a shared library of geodata files. This is particularly
useful when there are numerous geodata files and the files are quite large. In this
particular case, a floating license is used because there are several users who all
need to use the software to share licenses. The License Manager Server handles the
task of distributing the licenses to the running instances of the software.
Note: This option will impact performance. As such, when using shared geodata
files, Option 4 is recommended.

22CHAPTER 2

Figure 3: Option 3 using floating licenses with shared geodata

Option 4: Install Mentum Planet on a server with access through Citrix or a

Remote Desktop connection
This option is best suited for organizations where engineers work collaboratively
using Data Manager and access a shared library of geodata files. This is particularly
useful when there are numerous geodata files and the files are quite large. In this
case, a floating license from the License Manager Server is issued to only one
version of Mentum Planet installed on an application server. Engineers each run an
instance of Mentum Planet through Citrix or a Remote Desktop connection.

Getting Started Guide23

Figure 4: Option 4 using a floating license for a network installation of Mentum

Planet.

24CHAPTER 2

Workflow for installing Mentum Planet software

1. Contact Customer Support to obtain the password required to download the
software. Ensure you have a valid Product Identification (PID) number.
2. Verify the system requirements.
See "System Requirements".
3. Download the Mentum Planet software from the InfoVista web site and install
it.
See "Installing Mentum Planet".
4. Obtain a license.
See "Obtaining a license".
Note: If you are installing Mentum Planet on an application server, follow the
instructions in "To install Mentum Planet on an application server".

Getting Started Guide25

Installing Mentum Planet

There are two types of installations:
n
n

standalonelocks the software to a particular computer

floatingenables a number of users to share licenses held on a License Server

The type of installation and the software editions available are determined by the
license key.
Note: Standalone licenses are not supported in terminal server environments.

Warning: You must have Administrator privileges to install Mentum Planet.

Procedures
To install Mentum Planet
1. Click the e-Delivery Center Login Now button on the InfoVista website at
http://infovista.info/customer-support/wireless-planning-optimizationproduct-downloads.
2. In the Releases and Patches section, enter your Product ID and click the Login
button.
3. On the left-hand side of the page, select Product Downloads.
4. Type the product password you received from your Customer Support Center
in the box beside the version of Mentum Planet that you want to download and
click Submit.
5. Read the download instructions and, in the Mentum Planet Installation Files
table, click the folder icon in the Single column, and download the program file
to a temporary folder on your computer.
6. Double-click the setup.exe.
7. On the Welcome page of the Installation Wizard, click Next.
8. Read the license agreement.
9. If you accept the terms of the agreement, click Yes.
10. Click Next.
11. On the Product ID page, type your name, your company name, and the
product ID number that was sent to you, and click Next.
12. On the Choose Destination Location page, accept the default location, or click
Browse and choose the folder in which you want to install the software, and
then click OK.
13. Click Next.
14. On the Setup Type page, specify the propagation model configuration you
want to use when generating predictions.
15. Click Next.
There is a delay while the software installs.

26CHAPTER 2

16. If you want to view the Release Note, enable the Yes, I Want to View the
Release Note File check box.
17. Click Finish.
18. If prompted, choose the Yes, I want to Restart My Computer Now option and
click OK.
Note: To install Mentum Planet program files become corrupted, you can use the
Repair option in the InstallShield Wizard to reinstall the program and overwrite
the corrupted files. From the Start menu, choose All Programs > Mentum Planet 5
> Uninstall-Modify > Uninstall-Modify To install Mentum Planet and choose the
Repair option.

Tip: To uninstall MentumPlanet, choose Start > All Programs > Mentum Planet 5
> Uninstall-Modify > Mentum Planet.

Warning: If you install Mentum Planet over a network and experience problems,
copy the installation to a local computer and try the installation again.

To install Mentum Planet on an application server

Warning: If you are installing To install Mentum Planet on a application server,
you must run To install Mentum Planet once, immediately after the installation, in
order to register the software and create user profiles.
1. Install the software.
2. Start To install Mentum Planet.
3. In the Product Registration and License Request dialog box, enter your contact
information and click Submit.
4. Close To install Mentum Planet.

Getting Started Guide27

Obtaining a license
Every time you start Mentum Planet or use a technology or tool that requires a
license, the software verifies whether you have a valid license on your workstation.
If a valid license is not found, you are prompted to enter your contact information or
contact InfoVista. For more information about Mentum Planet technologies and
tools, see the InfoVista web site at http://www.infovista.com.
Note: If you are installing a standalone license, the license key (a file named
lservrc) is installed the Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Mentum\Planet 5.8 folder on Windows XP. For Windows 7 or Vista, the file is
located in the ProgramData\Mentum\Planet 5.8 folder.

Note: If you are installing a floating license, the license key (a file is called
lshost) is installed in the Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
Mentum\Planet 5.8 folder on Windows XP. For Windows 7 or Vista, the file is
located in the ProgramData\Mentum\Planet 5.8 folder.

Procedures
To obtain a license for Mentum Planet
1. Start Mentum Planet.
2. In the Product Registration and License Request dialog box, choose one of the
following options:
n Mentum Planet Educationalsupports network modeling of singletechnology networks as well as automatic site placement, automatic cell
planning (for less than 100 sites), and single site optimization. This
edition supports networks no larger than 100 sites, 300 sectors, or 3000
antennas.
n Mentum Planet Basicsupports all the features of the Educational edition
but also provides support for the Universal Model and Capesso.
n Mentum Planet Professionalsupports all the features of the Basic
edition as well as automatic cell planning (for more than 100 sites).
n Mentum Planet Enterprisesupports all the features of the Professional
edition as well as collaborative network planning using the Data
Manager, support of Mentum Planet APIs, and is compatible with Mentum
Fusion.
n Mentum Planet Ultimatesupports all the network features of the
Enterprise edition. All optional modules are included.
3. Click Next.
4. Enter your contact information and click Submit.

28CHAPTER 2

The software connects to the Mentum Planet server, validates your license
request, and installs a license on your computer. If the software is unable to
connect to the server, the Offline Registration dialog box opens.
5. If you are unable to connect to the Mentum Registration Service, choose one
of the following options:.
n Offline Registrationdisplays a completed registration form that you
must email to [email protected] in order to obtain a
license string.
n Enter License Manuallydisplays the Manual License Entry dialog box.
Enter the license string contained in the Offline Registration form
emailed back to you and click Install.
n Retry Online Registrationattempts to reconnect to the Mentum
Registration Service.
n Exit and Retry Laterexits the registration process.
Note: The Offline Registration form file is MentumPlanet_OfflineRegistration.html
and is located in the ProgramData\Mentum\Planet 5.8 folder.

Note: To transfer a license to another computer, you must complete the Software
License Transfer Form and send it to your regional Customer Support location.
Once the transfer request is processed, you will receive further information by
email. The transfer form is available in the Help folder within the Mentum Planet
installation.

Tip: Details about the licenses in use can be viewed by opening the License Info
window accessible using the Help > About command. You can also request a
license using the menu shortcut (i.e., Start > All Programs > Mentum 5.x >
License Request).

Warning: To install the software on another computer, you must first uninstall
the software using the Uninstaller, re-install the software on the new computer,
and make a request for a new license. Each license is configured to work only on
the computer from which the license was requested.

To view license information

1. Choose Help > About Mentum Planet.
2. In the About dialog box, click the License tab.

Getting Started Guide29

Using a commuter license

Mentum Planet software installed with the floating license option can also be used
with a commuter license. A commuter license allows you to check out a floating
license (called a commuter license) onto a computer and then work disconnected
from the network. You can check out a commuter license for a period of up to 30
days. You must check the license back into the pool of available floating licenses in
order to allow others to use this license. The commuter license is automatically
returned to the pool of available licenses once the checkout period expires (1 to 30
days). You must have a License Server installed in order to check out a commuter
license.
If you are not connected to the License Server, you can obtain a commuter license
for your remote workstation from the License Server Administrator or from anyone
connected to the License Server.

Procedure
1. Do one of the following:
n Start Mentum Planet and choose Help > Commuter License.
n Choose Start > All Programs > Mentum Planet 5.x > WCommute.
2. Click one of the following buttons:
n Search Subnetsearch all servers to which you can connect for available
floating licenses.
n Single Serversearch a specific server for available floating licenses.
You must use this option if you want to search across networks.
3. From the tree view in the Commuter Licensing dialog box, choose the license
that you want to commute.
4. In the Please Enter the Number of Days Until the Authorization Expires box,
type the number of days before the license expires.
5. Do one of the following:
n Choose the license you want to check out from the list of available
floating licenses and click Check Out.
n Choose the license you want to check in from the list of available floating
licenses and click Check In.
6. In the Commuter Licensing dialog box, choose File > Exit.
Note: To work with commuter licenses when you are not running Mentum Planet,
double-click on the WCommute.exe file located in the <Mentum Planet 5
installation folder>\lserver\Tool folder or choose the Program from the Start
menu, then choose the WCommute command. If no Mentum Planet licenses
appear in the Commuter Licensing dialog box, no licenses are available.

30CHAPTER 2

Updating user documentation

User documentation is continually evolving to address feedback or introduce
improvements. To ensure you have access to the most up-to-date user
documentation, connect to the Online Help. If you use the local version of the Help
installed with the software, you can download the latest user documentation from
the Customer Support Product Downloads page where it is available as a separate
download from the software.
Tip: You can see which version of the user documentation you have installed by
opening the User Documentation Version.txt file located in the <Mentum Planet
installation folder>\Help folder.

Procedure
To update the Offline Help
1. Navigate to the Customer Support Downloads page at
http://infovista.com/services/customer-support. On the Product Downloads
page, enter the Product ID number indicated in the email or letter sent to you,
and click Submit. Type the product password you received from your
Customer Support Center in the box beside the version of Mentum Planet that
you want to download and click Submit.
2. Scroll to the User Documentation section and click the folder icon in the Single
column to download the Help to a temporary folder on your computer.
3. Double-click the setup.exe.

Getting Started Guide31

Workflow for migrating Mentum Planet projects

Errors that occur during the migration process are clearly identified in the log (e.g.,
"Error: Column length (ft) is not part of the Sectors table"). While errors must be
rectified in order to continue project migration, warnings provide important
information about migration but do not block the successful migration of a project.
Note: Migration from Mentum Planet 5.4 or earlier is not supported. Contact
Customer Support for more information.

Note: If order to facilitate migration of multiple Mentum Planet projects, the

Mentum Planet Migrator includes a Batch Migration command. Batch migration
supports the same upgrade paths as the Mentum Project Migrator.

Warning: It is recommended that you create a complete project backup prior to

opening your project in Mentum Planet5.8. Do not use the Backup command.
After a legacy project has been migrated to Mentum Planet5.8, it can no longer
be opened in previous versions of Mentum Planet.
1. Ensure that the project height and clutter files are saved in the Geodata folder
(e.g., the DEM must be saved in the Geodata/Heights folder and the clutter
must be saved in the Geodata/Clutter folder).
2. Ensure the project does not contain overlapping bands.
3. If you are migrating TDMA-FDMA projects, you must remove all user-defined
technologies except one. When the project is migrated to Mentum Planet 5.8,
the user-defined technology becomes TDMA-FDMA. You can only have one
user-defined technology in Mentum Planet 5.8 and it cannot be renamed.
4. Run Data Inspector on the project you want to migrate to identify any issues
prior to migrating the project to Mentum Planet 5.8. If errors appear in the
Project Status message window, contact Customer Support for assistance.
To run Data Inspector, choose Start > Run. Type <Mentum Planet Installation
folder>\DataInspector.exe" /expert and click Open. For example,
C:\Program Files\Mentum\Planet 5.8\DataInspector.exe /expert
5. Back up all local project data.
6. Do one of the following:
n If you are migrating a project from Mentum Planet 4.x, open the Mentum
Planet Migrator, migrate the project, save it, and then open the project
in Mentum Planet.
n If you are migrating a project from Mentum Planet 5.x, open Mentum
Planet and choose File > Open Project.
7. If issues arise, run Data Inspector on your local project to identify any known
issues. The Data Inspector shipped with Mentum Planet may identify issues
that are not detectable in previous versions of the tool. If errors appear in the
Project Status message window, contact Customer Support for assistance.

32CHAPTER 2

Note: When migrating a Mentum Planet project that contains network analyses,
the analysis files are copied to the Obsolete folder within the Mentum Planet
project folder. You can open these files and view the associated analysis layers in
Mentum Planet 5.8.

Note: If a sector references carriers from different frequency bands, after

migration the project will contain a single band that encompasses sub-bands.
For example, if sector 1 has carriers from band A and band B, sector 2 has
carriers from band A and sector 3 has carriers from band B and C, after migration
the project will contain only band A (if it is the lowest frequency band) with subbands A, B, C. Bands B and C will be removed.

Procedures
To migrate projects from Mentum Planet 5.x
1. In Mentum Planet, choose File > Open Project and navigate to where the
project is saved, and then click Open.
2. Read the message and click Yes to continue with the migration.
The Project Migrator opens and migration proceeds.
3. Read the information message and click OK.
The projects opens.
4. Choose Edit > Network Settings.
5. In the tree view, choose the technology you are working with.
6. Verify all network settings values and click OK once you are satisfied with the
settings.
In particular, ensure that you define appropriate values for the Useful Bits Per
Symbols column as well as Amplifier Backoff (dB) columns.
Note: The Migrate Files To command is used strictly when you want to convert
antenna files and propagation models contained in an existing project for use with
the Network Overlay tool. Only site and sector information is migrated. If you do
not migrate the project first, the Network Overlay tool uses a default antenna file
and propagation file.

To migrate projects in a batch

1. Click Start > All Programs > Mentum Planet 5.8 > Mentum Planet Migrator.
The Mentum Planet Migrator opens.

Getting Started Guide33

2. Choose File >Batch Migration >Load Configuration File.

The configuration file is an .xml file with a defined structure.

34CHAPTER 2

Migrating projects
Changes to the data storage and management architecture in Mentum Planet 5.8
require that projects created in previous versions of the software be migrated in
order to make them consistent with the new data schema. Project Migration is an
automated process achieved using the Mentum Planet Migrator utility.
Warning: After a legacy project has been migrated to Mentum Planet 5.8, it can
no longer be opened in previous versions of Mentum Planet . It is recommended
that you create a complete project backup prior to opening your project in
Mentum Planet 5.8.

Improved data validation

Mentum Planet includes stringent data validation controls aimed at preserving data
integrity and reducing the chance of error or data corruption. As a consequence,
project data must be free of inconsistencies to ensure successful migration to
Mentum Planet 5.8.

Upgrade paths
The Mentum Planet Migrator supports the following upgrade paths:
n

5.5, 5.6, 5.7 (all technologies)

Note: Migration from Mentum Planet 5.4 or earlier is not supported. Contact
Customer Support for assistance with project migration. If you are using Data
Manager and working in a multi-user environment, the software upgrade must be
coordinated such that Mentum Planet and Data Manager Server are both the same
version. In this deployment model, it is also critical to coordinate data migration
from earlier releases.

Procedures
To migrate projects from Mentum Planet 5.x
1. In Mentum Planet, choose File > Open Project and navigate to where the
project is saved, and then click Open.
2. Read the message and click Yes to continue with the migration.
The Project Migrator opens and migration proceeds.
3. Read the information message and click OK.
The projects opens.

Getting Started Guide35

4. Choose Edit >Network Settings.

5. In the tree view, choose the technology you are working with.
6. Verify all network settings values and click OK once you are satisfied with the
settings.
In particular, ensure that you define appropriate values for the Useful Bits Per
Symbols column as well as Amplifier Backoff (dB) columns.
Note: The Migrate Files To command is used strictly when you want to convert
antenna files and propagation models contained in an existing project for use with
the Network Overlay tool. Only site and sector information is migrated. If you do
not migrate the project first, the Network Overlay tool uses a default antenna file
and propagation file.

To migrate projects in a batch

1. Click Start > All Programs > Mentum Planet 5.8 > Mentum Planet Migrator.
The Mentum Planet Migrator opens.
2. Choose File > Batch Migration >Load Configuration File.
The configuration file is an .xml file with a defined structure.

36CHAPTER 2

Important considerations when migrating projects

Each new version of Mentum Planet brings improvements in all areas of the
software. Key areas of change include (but are not limited to):
n
n
n

Antennas
Link configurations
Propagation models

Antennas
A new compressed antenna format (.pafx) was introduced that supports complex
antenna configurations including multibeam antennas as well as multiple bands and
e-tilt variations. To take advantage of the new antenna format, you can use a
migrated antenna or you can contact the antenna supplier and obtain patterns in the
Planet Antenna Format (i.e., .paf or .pafx).
In Mentum Planet, choose Data >Download Antennas to obtain compressed (.pafx)
antenna files from the Mentum Antenna Server.

Link configurations
The concept of link configuration files was introduced in Mentum Planet 5. A link
configuration contains the gains and losses that occur as a signal travels. You can
assign the same link configuration to several sectors. If you are migrating a project
created in a version of Mentum Planet prior to version 5.0, the migrated project may
have a large number of link configurations because in previous versions of the
software the link budget was created per sector.

Propagation models
Propagation models that are not supported in the current version of Mentum Planet
(such as the Cost231 model or the Lee Model) are converted to the default_
PlanetGeneralModel.
In addition, there are several versions of the Predict 4 propagation model available:
n
n
n

n
n

Version 4.2 contains fixes related to predictions.

Version 4.3 is based on version 4.2 and incorporates a fix related to clutter
class order.
Version 4.4 is based on version 4.3 and includes the ability to use Predict with
very high clutter heights. Use this version only when modeling very high
clutter.
Version 4.5 is based on version 4.3 and fixes an issue related to predictions
and changes to propagation distance. It also includes a fix related to the use of
fraction of incident power scattered values.
Version 4.6 is based on version 4.5 and includes a fix for an issue whereby the
predictions were different when using two different propagation distances.
Version 4.7 is based on version 4.6 includes the ability to define very high
clutter heights and allows the user to select clutter height grids.

Getting Started Guide37

Version 4.8 is based on version 4.7 and fixes an issue with reflections over
large distances in very hilly environments.

Note: You can change the version that is used in the Site Editor. Version 4.8 is the
recommended Predict version.

38CHAPTER 2

Migrating MentumCell Planner projects

Using the Mentum Planet Migrator, you can migrate projects created in Mentum
CellPlanner 10.0 or 10.1.
Note: GSM, WCDMA, LTE FDD, LTE TDD technologies are supported. WiMAX is not
supported in this release.
In order to migrate a project, in Mentum CellPlanner, you must first export the
project to XML. For more information, see the "Exporting Data" chapter in the
Mentum CellPlanner Common Features User Guide. Once you have completed the
export, you can:
n

migrate the project using the Mentum Planet Migrator, which can be found in
the Mentum Planet installation folder, and then open the project in Mentum
Planet.
open Mentum Planet and choose Data > Import > Cell Planner project.

Important considerations when migrating Mentum Cell Planner projects

n
n
n
n

The 9999 propagation model as well as the Urban model are supported.
One technology band is created for each Mentum CellPlanner frequency band.
One spectrum range is created for each Mentum CellPlanner frequency subband.
With WCDMA or GSM projects, if the carrier bandwidth defined in the Mentum
CellPlanner network settings do not match up with the fixed carrier bandwidth,
the downlink frequency band's upper edge is adjusted to increase the
bandwidth and keep the same number of carriers.

Getting Started Guide39

Understanding the License Server

The License Server is a software program that validates and distributes software
licenses to users. Each time a user starts Mentum Planet , the License Server is
contacted by the workstation and validates the software license. The License Server
allows users to access a license from a pool of floating licenses located on the
server. A floating license is ideal in a multi-user environment when there are
several users working with Mentum Planet. While a floating license is in use, no
other user can use it. When all floating licenses are in use, no other users can work
with the software.
The License Server also allows a user to check out a commuter license from a pool
of floating licenses for use on a computer that is not connected to the network. The
commuter license is not released back into the floating license pool until either the
user checks it back in or the commuter license expires.

How the License Server issues licenses

After you install the License Server, you must register the software and validate the
floating licenses that can be distributed. Once your licence request has been
validated, the license key numbers are recorded in the license file (i.e., lservrc) that
is installed in the \Mentum\License Manager Server\WinNT folder within the
Program Files folder.
When a user starts Mentum Planet with a floating license, the software locates and
identifies the License Server and issues a request for a license. When the License
Server finds the appropriate license key, it sends back an authorization to the
workstation, and the user can work with the software.

System requirements
Not only is the License Server contacted each time a user starts an instance of
Mentum Planet but it is also contacted periodically throughout the Mentum Planet
session. As a result, it is important to choose a computer that is always available to
serve the licenses. Ideally, the License Server should be installed on a file or DNS
server because these computers are always online. Static, fixed IP addresses give
the best performance. However, you can install the License Server on any computer
with Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows XP, or
Windows Vista installed because the resources required to serve the licenses are
minimal (20 MB free disk space).
Note: An Internet connection is required to validate licenses. If there is no
Internet connection, contact Customer Support.

40CHAPTER 2

Workflow for installing or upgrading the License

Server and distributing licenses
Step 1

Contact Customer Support to obtain the password required to

download the software. You also need a valid product identification
number.

Step 2

Download the software from the download Web page.

Step 3

Choose a computer to be the License Server.

Step 4

Verify that the server and workstations meet the system

requirements.

Step 5

Ensure that the workstations have network access to the server

where the License Server will be installed by verifying the network
protocol. See Check the Network Protocol in the Sentinel LM
System Administrator online Help (Sentinel.chm) available in the
<Mentum Planet installation folder>\Help folder.

Step 6

Install the License Server on the chosen computer.

Step 7

Obtain a valid license from the Registration Service.

Step 8

Restart the License Manager service by choosing Start >

ControlPanel > Administrative Tools > Services. Right-click
Sentinel RMS License Manager and choose Restart.

Step 9

Run the License Server Management tool to verify that the License
Server has been installed correctly.

Step 10

Install a floating license version of the Mentum Planet software on

individual workstations or on an application server.

Note: It is recommended that you install the latest version of the License Server.
You do not need to install Mentum Planet on the License Server in order for the
License Server to validate and distribute licenses.

Procedures
To install the License Server
1. Navigate to the Customer Support Product Downloads page at
http://www.infovista.com/services/customer-support/wireless-products. On
the Product Downloads page, enter the Product ID number indicated in the

Getting Started Guide41

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

email or letter sent to you, and click Submit. Type the product password you
received from your Customer Support Center in the box beside the version of
Planet that you want to download and click Submit. Read the download
instructions and save file or files to a temporary folder on your computer.
Double-click the LMServer Setup.exe file and save the file to a temporary
location.
On the Welcome page, click Next.
Read the license agreement.
If you accept the terms of the agreement, click Yes.
Accept the default folder as the folder where the License Server will be
installed and click Next.
There is a delay while the software installs.
In the Product ID Entry dialog box, type the product ID for each license you
want to add to the License Server and click Add.
Each product ID you add is listed in the Product ID Entry dialog box.
When you have finished adding the product IDs, click OK.
In the Product Registration and License Request dialog box, enter your contact
information and click Submit.
Once the product IDs have been validated, the licenses will be installed on the
server. If you are unable to connect to the Registration Service, you need to
obtain a license from the Customer Support Center.
Choose Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Services.
Right-click Sentinel RMS License Manager and choose Restart.
Run the License Server Management tool (WlmAdmin.exe) to verify that the
License Server is running and that the licenses have been correctly installed.

To upgrade the License Server to the latest version

1. Make a backup copy of the existing license server file (i.e., the lservrc file
located in the Program Files (x86)\Mentum\License Manager
Server\Tool\FlexLM folder).
2. Stop the Sentinel RMS License Manager service.
3. Using the Windows Add/Remove utility, uninstall the License Manager Server.
4. Install the latest License Manager Server.
5. In the Request License dialog box, click Cancel.
6. Verify that the Sentinel RMS License Manager service is running.
7. Start the WlmAdmin utility and verify that licenses are available.
If no licenses are seen in the WlmAdmin utility, right-click the server node,
and chose Add a File and then locate the backup lservrc file you created in
Step 1.

42CHAPTER 2

Using the License Server Management tool

The License Server Management tool (WlmAdmin.exe) enables you to verify the
status of licenses and monitor license activity. Using this tool, you can obtain
information on licenses such as the type of license, the feature and version of a
license, and the license expiry date. You can also verify how many users are
currently using a license and how many licenses are available.

Procedure
1. Navigate to the Program Files\Mentum\License Manager Server\Tool folder.
2. Double-click the WlmAdmin.exe file.
3. In the WlmAdmin dialog box, do one of the following:
n Expand the Subnet Servers node in the tree view to locate all License
Servers available on the defined subnet.
n Choose Edit > Defined Server List and in the Server box, type the name
of computer where the License Server is found, click Add, then click OK.
4. Expand the node next to a License Server to view the list of installed product
licenses.
5. Expand the node next to a product to see who is currently using a license.
6. Choose a product or a user name to view statistics on the licenses in the righthand pane.
7. Choose File > Exit to close the WlmAdmin dialog box.

Using Remote Authorization tools

Remote Mentum Planet users can commute a license without being connected to the
License Server by installing a commuter authorization code obtained from the
License Server administrator or a Mentum Planet user connected to the License
Server.

Procedures
To obtain the commuter locking code
The remote Mentum Planet user must obtain a locking code and send it to the
License Server Administrator or to a user connected to the License Server.
1. Navigate to the <Mentum Planet installation folder>/lserver/Tool folder and
double-click WRCommute.exe.
2. Click the Get Locking Code tab.
The commuter license code for the current computer is displayed in the
Locking Code String for the Current Machine box.
3. Do one of the following:

Getting Started Guide43

In the Current Locking Code String section, click the Save Lock Code
String to a File button to save the locking code to a file, and then send
the file to the Mentum Planet user with access to the License Server.
In the Send as E-Mail section, type the email address of a Mentum Planet
user with access to the License Server and click Send.

To check out a remote commuter license

Warning: Remote commuter licenses cannot be checked in and remain checked
out until the end of the authorization period.
1. Do one of the following:
n Start the software and choose Help > Commuter License.
n Choose Start > All Programs > Mentum Planet 5.x > WCommute.
2. Click one of the following buttons:
n Search Subnetsearch all servers to which you can connect for available
floating licenses.
n Single Serversearch a specific server for available floating licenses.
You must use this option if you want to search across networks.
3. From the tree view in the Commuter Licensing dialog box, choose the license
that you want to commute.
4. Enable the Check Out Authorization for Remote Machine check box.
5. In the Please Enter the Number of Days Until the Authorization Expires box,
type the number of days before the license expires.
6. Remote commuter licenses cannot be checked in and remain checked out until
the end of the authorization period.
7. Click Check Out.
8. In the Locking Code for Remote Machine dialog box, choose one of the
following options:
n Enter the Locking Code String for Remote Machineto type the license
string or paste it from the clipboard.
n Get Locking Code String for Remote Machine From Fileto specify a file
containing the license string.
9. Click OK.
10. In the Remote Commuter Licensing dialog box, click the Save button.
11. Type a name for the file in the File Name box and click Save.
12. In the Mail the Remote Commuter Authorization to Recipient in Email section,
type the email of the remote Mentum Planet user.
13. Click OK.
14. In the Commuter Licensing dialog box, choose File > Exit.

44CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 3

Basic Usage
In order to get up and running with Mentum Planet as soon as possible,
this chapter covers some of the basic tasks for using Mentum Planet.
For a more detailed look at the software, download the tutorial and the
associated data set from the Customer Support section of the InfoVista
web site.
This chapter covers the following topics:
Starting Mentum Planet

46

Creating a project

48

Defining your user preferences

51

Placing sites

53

Generating predictions

54

Starting Mentum Planet

When you start Mentum Planet for the first time, you are prompted to register the
product in order to activate your license. By registering, you ensure that you will be
notified of patch releases, updates, or new releases of Mentum Planet. Once open,
Mentum Planet displays a Start Page. On the Start Page, you will find up-to-date
information about current events including new blog posts, available webinars, and
the availability of new tools.

In the User Documentation section of the Start Page, you can quickly access videos
explaining how to best use the documentation delivered with the software,
walkthrough tutorials to guide you through basic tasks, as well as easy access to
feedback and survey links.

Procedure
1. Start Mentum Planet.
2. If prompted to start the Mentum Planet RPE service, click Yes.

46CHAPTER 3

The RPE Service manages prediction generation tasks within Mentum Planet
and, by default, is configured to be started manually. You can configure the
Mentum Planet RPE Service to start automatically so that it runs as long as
Windows is running.
Note: The RPEService.exe uses the local system account.

Getting Started Guide47

Creating a project
Before you begin working with Mentum Planet, you must create a project. A Mentum
Planet project contains and organizes all of the information pertaining to a particular
wireless network. Mentum Planet supports two types of grids: numeric and
classified.
n
n

a numeric grid associates numeric data with the bins in the grid file
a classified grid associates character data with the bins in the grid file

At a minimum, a project is created from a Heights file (i..e, a Digital Elevation

Model file) although you can also include clutter information (i.e., land use) in a
project. The geodata folder must contain a Heights folder and a Clutter folder
(although the clutter folder can be empty).
Note: To continue working through the Basic Usage section, you must have a
valid Heights file that you can use to create the project. If you do not have one,
you can download one of the data sets available from the Customer Support page
of the web site and use the geodata contained therein.

Procedure
1. On the Start Page, click New Project.
The Start Page displays each time you open Mentum Planet or close a project.
2. In the Project Wizard, click Browse or type a path to the folder where you
want to save the project and click Next.
3. Supply a name for the project and click Next.
4. On the Select Your Project Technologies page, in the Available list, choose the
technology you are most interested in (for example, LTE) and click the left
arrow.

48CHAPTER 3

5. Click Next and follow the prompts to complete the project creation process.
6. When prompted, choose the geodata folder where the project Heights file is
saved.
7. On the last page of the Wizard, click Finish to create your project.
The project opens in Mentum Planet with the Project Explorer docked to the
left. If you don't see the Project Explorer, choose View >Project Explorer. It
is from the Project Explorer that you access the bulk of Mentum Planet
commands by using the right-click shortcut menus.

Getting Started Guide49

50CHAPTER 3

Defining your user preferences

You can define default parameters and actions that are retained across Mentum
Planet sessions and upgrades. Preferences are grouped on the following panels:
n
n
n
n
n
n
n

GeneralMentum Planet startup actions and project data validation settings

Unitsunits to be used across the project as well as the project coordinate
system.
Project Explorerperformance, site selection, and layer display settings
Data Managerlogon settings and profile management
Project Wizard Defaultsdefault folder settings and geodata settings
Microwavedefault units for microwave calculations and location of geodata
files
Miscellaneousprediction cache, import/export, Monte Carlo simulation, and
Automatic Cell Planning settings

Note: To ensure that you produce accurate outputs, verify that the units selected
are correct.

Procedure
1. Choose Edit >Preferences.
2. On the General panel, you can specify how Mentum Planet appears when you
first open it.
3. In the tree view, choose Units and ensure the units are correct.

Getting Started Guide51

4. Click OK.

52CHAPTER 3

Placing sites
A site is a fixed geographical location. At the site, there are technology-specific base
stations, each with associated sectors. All information about sites and sectors is
contained in the Site Editor.

Procedure
1. In the Project Explorer, from the Category list, choose Sites.

2. Right-click the Sites node and choose New Site.

3. Click in the Map window three times to place three sites.
4. In the Project Explorer, double-click Site_1.
The Site Editor opens where you can add sectors and repeaters and define all
relevant parameters.

Getting Started Guide53

Generating predictions
Predictions use a propagation model, terrain and clutter information, and general
sector settings including the power, antenna, and azimuth to predict the signal
strength and path loss of a sector at any location where the signal exceeds the
defined minimum level.
Path loss and signal strength predictions are used in network analyses to determine
coverage and other metrics.

Procedure
1. In the Project Explorer, in the Sites category, right-click the Sites node and
choose Generate Predictions.

2. In the Sector Selection dialog box, accept the default (All Sectors) and click
OK to generate predictions for all sectors.

54CHAPTER 3

3. In the Prediction Generator, click Generate.

4. When prediction generation is complete, click Close.
5. To view the prediction, in the Project Explorer Sites category, expand the
Sites node and the Site_1 node.
6. Right-click sector 1, and choose View Sector Predictions >Modeled >Total.
7. Use the Zoom In button on the Main toolbar to better examine the prediction.
8. Click the Grid Info button on the Grid Analysis button and then click in the Map
window to display prediction values.

Getting Started Guide55

56

APPENDIX A

Troubleshooting
As with any software, issues may arise in the use of Mentum Planet and
the License Manager Server. If the solution you require is not contained
in this appendix, from the Help menu in Mentum Planet, choose
Knowledge Base to view solutions created by the Customer Support
team.
This chapter covers the following topics:
Troubleshooting the License Server

58

Troubleshooting the License Server

You may receive the following error message when starting Mentum Planet:
No license available to run <program>.

If you receive this message, the cause is likely one of the items listed below. The
items are listed in order of probability. Start with the first item, and work through
the list until the problem is corrected.

License Server issues and resolutions

No licenses are available.
Check whether licenses are available. See "Using the License Server
Management tool".
The License Server is not working and therefore not serving licenses.
See "If the License Server is not working".
There is a problem with the license key.
See "If the license key does not work".

If the License Server is not working

1. Verify that the License Server service is running using the Windows Services
menu.
2. Do one of the following:
n If the License Server is running, you need to restart it. Stop the service
and restart the server.
n If the License Server is not running, navigate to the
ProgramFiles\Mentum\License Manager Server\WinNT folder and
double-click the loadls.exe file. Verify that the service has been installed
and then restart the server. See loadls - Install the License Server as an
NT/2000 Service in the Sentinel LM System Administrator online Help
(Sentinel.chm) available in the <Mentum Planet 5 installation
folder>\Help folder.

If the license key does not work

1. Navigate to the Program Files\Mentum\License Manager Server folder and
verify that the lservrc file has no extension.
2. Start Notepad, open the lservrc file, verify the expiry date, and check that the
software licenses are in the lservrc file.
3. Navigate to the Program Files\Mentum\License Manager Server\Tool folder
and double-click the WlmAdmin.exe file. Verify that the License Server is
running and determine how many licenses there are on the server.

58CHAPTER A