Check creation and maintenance for product knowledge management

• US 20040078726A1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Published: 04/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle America, Inc. (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Bingham, Paris E. Jr., Martin, Rex G., Treece, Alan J., Helgren, Matthew J., Little, Mike E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,100,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/48
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/2257 using expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/00 Computing arrangements using knowledge-based models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/025 Extracting rules from data

Abstract

A system for creating and editing checks for a knowledge automation engine to use in detecting product issues on products. A knowledge automation engine may evaluate a check against a fact to detect a product issue on a product and provide a user of the product remediation information. A check may contain a product issue description, a rule to evaluate against a fact in order to detect the product issue, and remediation information to help a user address the product issue if the product issue is detected on the product. Product issues may include product installation validation and known product bugs. Facts used by the knowledge automation engine may include product configuration facts. Checks may be created and edited using a standard interface.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a knowledge repository configured to store product knowledge for a plurality of products, wherein the product knowledge comprises one or more checks, wherein each check comprises a rule to detect an issue for one or more products;

a check management interface for managing checks in the knowledge repository, wherein the check management interface is accessible over a network, and comprises;

a check creation interface for adding checks to the knowledge repository, wherein the check creation interface is configured to provide a standard interface for adding checks to the knowledge repository; and

a check maintenance interface for editing a check from the knowledge repository;

wherein the check maintenance interface is configured to provide a standard interface for editing a check from the knowledge repository.

2. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein a new check is automated in the check creation interface before the new check is put into the knowledge repository.

3. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein a new check is tested in the check creation interface before the new check is put into the knowledge repository.

4. The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the check is removed from the knowledge repository and checked into a check maintenance interface before editing the check.

5. The system as recited in claim 4, wherein the check is tested in the check maintenance interface before the check is sent back to the knowledge repository.

6. The system as recited in claim 1, further comprising assigning the check a state wherein the state indicates a check'"'"'s current functionality.

7. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the check is assigned a state to indicate whether the check can detect the product issue automatically.

8. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the check is assigned a state to indicate whether the check requires human intervention to detect a product issue.

9. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the check is assigned a state to indicate whether the check has been separated from the knowledge repository to correct an error in the check.

10. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the check is assigned a state to indicate whether the check is in the knowledge repository and available for use by applications accessing the knowledge repository.

11. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the check is assigned a state to indicate whether the check is being reviewed for errors.

12. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the check is assigned a state to indicate whether the check is being automated.

13. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the check is assigned a state to indicate whether the check is being tested.

14. The system as recited in claim 6, wherein the check is assigned a state to indicate whether the check has been reviewed and tested.

15. A method, comprising:

creating a check for a plurality of products, wherein the check is created in a standard format and comprises a rule to detect an issue for one or more products and remediation information for the issue;

adding a created checks for a product over a life cycle of the product to a knowledge repository;

maintaining a check over a life cycle of the product in the knowledge repository comprising;

separating the check from the knowledge repository into a maintenance environment;

editing the check in the maintenance environment; and

returning the edited check to the knowledge repository.

16. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein creating a check includes identifying a product issue and remediation information to resolve the product issue.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the rule is created using rule language to detect the identified product issue using a fact related to the product issue being detected.

18. The method as recited in claim 15, wherein the creating a check further includes automating the check by providing executable program instructions based on the rule.

19. The method as recited in claim 18, wherein the executable program instructions are in a knowledge predicate language.

20. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising testing the check after creating the check or after editing the check and prior to putting the check into the knowledge repository.

21. The method as recited in claim 20, wherein the testing the check includes executing the check with a set of facts expected to result in the check passing and executing the check with a set of facts expected to result in the check failing.

22. The method as recited in claim 15, further comprising storing a record of the editing the check in a history file for the check.

23. A method, comprising:

identifying a product issue, a process for detecting the product issue on a product, and remediation information to address the product issue;

formatting a check using a standard interface to include the process for detecting the product issue on the product and the remediation information to address the product issue; and

automating the process included in the check to detect a product issue;

wherein the automating the process takes place in the standard interface.

24. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising testing the check after automating the check;

wherein the test the check takes place in the standard interface.

25. The method as recited in claim 24, further comprising adding the check to a knowledge repository after testing the check.

26. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising reviewing the check for technical errors.

27. The method as recited in claim 23, further comprising putting a manual version of the check in a knowledge repository prior to automating the check.

28. A method, comprising:

separating a check from a knowledge repository to conduct maintenance on the check;

updating the check in the maintenance environment;

testing the updated check in the maintenance environment; and

putting the updated check into a knowledge repository.

29. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising reviewing the check for technical errors.

30. The method as recited in claim 28, further comprising automating the updated check prior to putting the updated check into the knowledge repository.

31. A carrier medium comprising program instructions, wherein the program instructions are computer-executable to:

creating a check for a plurality of products, wherein the check is created in a standard format and comprises a rule to detect an issue for one or more products and remediation information for the issue;

adding a created checks for a product over a life cycle of the product to a knowledge repository;

maintaining a check over a life cycle of the product in the knowledge repository comprising;

separating the check from the knowledge repository into a maintenance environment;

editing the check in the maintenance environment; and

returning the edited check to the knowledge repository.

32. The carrier medium as recited in claim 31, wherein creating a check includes identifying a product issue and remediation information to resolve the product issue.

33. The carrier medium as recited in claim 32, wherein the rule is created using rule language to detect the identified product issue using a fact related to the product issue being detected.

34. The carrier medium as recited in claim 31, wherein the creating a check further includes automating the check by providing executable program instructions based on the rule.

35. The carrier medium as recited in claim 34, wherein the executable program instructions are in a knowledge predicate language.

36. The carrier medium as recited in claim 31, further comprising testing the check after creating the check or after editing the check and prior to putting the check into the knowledge repository.

37. The carrier medium as recited in claim 36, wherein the testing the check includes executing the check with a set of facts expected to result in the check passing and executing the check with a set of facts expected to result in the check failing.

38. The carrier medium as recited in claim 31, further comprising storing a record of the editing the check in a history file for the check.