Collating and intelligently sequencing installation documentation

• US 10,318,621 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2016
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Garratt, Andrew M., Humphreys, Andrew D., Keen, Martin G., McNamara, John J. P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Aguilera, Todd
• Application Number:
  US15/045,638
• Publication Number:
  US 20160314107A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,210 Days
• Field of Search: 717123, 717168-178, 715230-233
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/93 Document management systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/169 Annotation, e.g. comment data or footnotes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/73 Program documentation

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for collating and intelligent sequencing of installation documentation includes parsing one or more product installation documents to identify annotations associated with installation procedures. Installation procedure descriptions, parameters, and prerequisites associated with the identified annotations are extracted, and prescriptive step-by-step installation instructions that integrate installation procedures contained within the one or more installation documents are generated.

Claims

1. A method for collating and intelligent sequencing of installation documentation, the method comprising:

automatically creating, by one or more processors, annotations that include one or more tags and name/value pairs, through natural language processing (NLP), wherein the NLP examines a plurality of product installation documents, searching for procedure names, wherein the procedure names correspond to a plurality of software products that are installed and integrated together, and wherein one or more dependencies between the plurality of software products affect an order and steps involved in the installation;

identifying, by one or more processors, parameters and prerequisites associated with the procedure names to generate complete annotations;

inserting, by one or more processors, the complete annotations into the plurality of product installation documents using a structured data model;

parsing, by one or more processors, the plurality of product installation documents to identify annotations within the plurality of product installation documents associated with installation procedures of the plurality of software products;

extracting, by one or more processors, installation procedure descriptions, parameters, and prerequisites associated with the identified annotations; and

generating, by one or more processors, prescriptive step-by-step installation instructions according to the installation procedure prerequisites, wherein related tags are combined.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein extracting, by one or more processors, installation procedure descriptions, parameters, and prerequisites associated with the identified annotations further comprises:

analyzing, by one or more processors, the identified annotations in the plurality of product installation documents to extract one or more tags and name/value pairs that describe each procedure in the plurality of product installation documents of the plurality of software products, and the parameters and prerequisites of each procedure.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein analyzing, by one or more processors, the identified annotations in the plurality of product installation documents of the plurality of software products further comprises:

determining, by one or more processors, a set of related tasks in the plurality of product installation documents of the plurality of software products;

arranging, by one or more processors, the set of related tasks into a set of grouped tasks; and

tagging, by one or more processors, the set of grouped tasks, wherein the tags define the name/value pairs associated with the identified annotations.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating, by one or more processors, prescriptive step-by-step installation instructions that integrate installation procedures contained within the plurality of installation documents of the plurality of software products further comprises:

grouping, by one or more processors, the installation procedures contained within the plurality of installation documents into a set of grouped tasks.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein grouping, by one or more processors, the installation procedures contained within the plurality of installation documents into a set of grouped tasks further comprises:

determining, by one or more processors, a set of prerequisite tasks within the plurality of installation documents of the plurality of software products; and

arranging, by one or more processors, the set of prerequisite tasks into the set of grouped tasks, such that the set of prerequisite tasks is sequenced in proper order of installation.

6. A computer program product for collating and intelligent sequencing of installation documentation, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer readable storage media and program instructions stored on the one or more computer readable storage media, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to automatically create annotations that include one or more tags and name/value pairs, through natural language processing (NLP), wherein the NLP examines a plurality of product installation documents, searching for procedure names, wherein the procedure names correspond to a plurality of software products that are installed and integrated together, and wherein one or more dependencies between the plurality of software products affect an order and steps involved in the installation;

program instructions to identify parameters and prerequisites associated with the procedure names to generate complete annotations;

program instructions to insert the complete annotations into the plurality of product installation documents using a structured data model;

program instructions to parse the plurality of product installation documents to identify annotations within the plurality of product installation documents associated with installation procedures of the plurality of software products;

program instructions to extract installation procedure descriptions, parameters, and prerequisites associated with the identified annotations; and

program instructions to generate prescriptive step-by-step installation instructions according to the installation procedure prerequisites, wherein related tags are combined.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein program instructions to extract installation procedure descriptions, parameters, and prerequisites associated with the identified annotations further comprise:

program instructions to analyze the identified annotations in the plurality of product installation documents to extract one or more tags and name/value pairs that describe each procedure in the plurality of product installation documents of the plurality of software products, and the parameters and prerequisites of each procedure.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein program instructions to analyze the identified annotations in the plurality of product installation documents of the plurality of software products further comprise:

program instructions to determine a set of related tasks in the plurality of product installation documents of the plurality of software products;

program instructions to arrange the set of related tasks into a set of grouped tasks; and

program instructions to tag the set of grouped tasks, wherein the tags define the name/value pairs associated with the identified annotations.

9. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein program instructions to generate prescriptive step-by-step installation instructions that integrate installation procedures contained within the plurality of installation documents of the plurality of software products further comprise:

program instructions to group the installation procedures contained within the plurality of installation documents into a set of grouped tasks.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein program instructions to group the installation procedures contained within the plurality of installation documents into a set of grouped tasks further comprises:

determining, by one or more processors, a set of prerequisite tasks within the plurality of installation documents of the plurality of software products; and

program instructions to arrange the set of prerequisite tasks into the set of grouped tasks, such that the set of prerequisite tasks is sequenced in proper order of installation.

11. A computer system for collating and intelligent sequencing of installation documentation, the computer system comprising:

one or more computer processors;

one or more computer readable storage media;

program instructions stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by at least one of the one or more processors, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to automatically create annotations that include one or more tags and name/value pairs, through natural language processing (NLP), wherein the NLP examines a plurality of product installation documents, searching for procedure names, wherein the procedure names correspond to a plurality of software products that are installed and integrated together, and wherein one or more dependencies between the plurality of software products affect an order and steps involved in the installation;

program instructions to identify parameters and prerequisites associated with the procedure names to generate complete annotations;

program instructions to insert the complete annotations into the plurality of product installation documents using a structured data model;

program instructions to parse the plurality of product installation documents to identify annotations within the plurality of product installation documents associated with installation procedures of the plurality of software products;

program instructions to extract installation procedure descriptions, parameters, and prerequisites associated with the identified annotations; and

program instructions to generate prescriptive step-by-step installation instructions according to the installation procedure prerequisites, wherein related tags are combined.

12. The computer system of claim 11, wherein program instructions to extract installation procedure descriptions, parameters, and prerequisites associated with the identified annotations further comprise:

program instructions to analyze the identified annotations in the plurality of product installation documents to extract one or more tags and name/value pairs that describe each procedure in the plurality of product installation documents of the plurality of software products, and the parameters and prerequisites of each procedure.

13. The computer system of claim 12, wherein program instructions to analyze the identified annotations in the plurality of product installation documents of the plurality of software products further comprise:

program instructions to determine a set of related tasks in the plurality of product installation documents of the plurality of software products;

program instructions to arrange the set of related tasks into a set of grouped tasks; and

program instructions to tag the set of grouped tasks, wherein the tags define the name/value pairs associated with the identified annotations.

14. The computer system of claim 11, wherein program instructions to generate prescriptive step-by-step installation instructions that integrate installation procedures contained within the plurality of installation documents of the plurality of software products further comprise:

program instructions to group the installation procedures contained within the plurality of installation documents into a set of grouped tasks.