Support methodology for diagnostic patterns

• US 20060026466A1
• Filed: 08/02/2004
• Published: 02/02/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: BEA Systems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Pozarycki, Steven, Drechsel, Douglas
• Application Number:
  US10/909,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20060026466A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/0748 in a remote unit communicating with a single-box computer node experiencing an error/fault remote testing G06F11/2294
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/079 Root cause analysis, i.e. error or fault diagnosis in a hardware test environment G06F11/22; in a software test environment G06F11/36

Abstract

A method of providing diagnostic patterns for customer support, comprising identifying a recurring problem type, obtaining a diagnostic pattern to diagnose the recurring problem type where a solution of the recurring problem type is converted into a series of one or more steps taken in solving the recurring problem type, making available the diagnostic pattern to support engineers and customers based upon a generic problem presented, receiving feedback about the effectiveness of the diagnostic pattern and modifying the diagnostic pattern according to the feedback.

Claims

1. A method of providing diagnostic patterns, the method comprising:

identifying a recurring problem type;

obtaining a diagnostic pattern to diagnose the recurring problem type wherein the diagnostic pattern includes a solution of the recurring problem type and wherein the solution can be converted into a series of one or more steps taken in solving the recurring problem type;

providing the diagnostic pattern to at least one of;

a customer and a support engineer, wherein the providing is based upon a generic problem presented by the support engineer or the customer;

receiving feedback concerning effectiveness of the diagnostic pattern from at least one of;

the customer and the support engineer; and

modifying the diagnostic pattern based on the feedback.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of identifying the recurring problem type comprises:

receiving a problem description from at least one of;

a customer and a support engineer.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the recurring problem type is identified by the one or more support engineers;

4. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the recurring problem type is identified by data mining problems previously presented by one or more customers.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the diagnostic pattern is made available to customers via the use of an external website.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the diagnostic pattern is made available to support engineers via the use of an internal website.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reviewing the obtained diagnostic pattern by one or more support engineers before making it available.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

reformatting the diagnostic pattern for external use by knowledge engineering, before making available the diagnostic pattern to the one or more customers.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

interlinking the diagnostic pattern with a second diagnostic pattern based on the recurring problem type.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the diagnostic pattern is obtained from one of;

a highly specialized technician and a support engineer.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the feedback is received from customers who have used the diagnostic pattern.

12. A method of providing diagnostic patterns, the method comprising:

identifying a recurring problem type;

obtaining a diagnostic pattern to diagnose the recurring problem type wherein the diagnostic pattern includes a series of one or more steps for diagnosing the recurring problem type;

receiving a generic problem from one or more customers;

making the diagnostic pattern available to the one or more customers through an external user interface;

making the diagnostic pattern available to one or more support engineers through an internal user interface;

receiving feedback about effectiveness of the diagnostic pattern; and

modifying the diagnostic pattern according to the feedback received.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

interlinking the diagnostic pattern with a second diagnostic pattern based on the recurring problem type.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

reviewing the obtained diagnostic pattern by one or more peer support engineers before making it available.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the external interface is an external website.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the internal interface is an internal website.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

reformatting the diagnostic pattern for external use.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the feedback is received from customers that have used the diagnostic pattern.

19. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the diagnostic pattern is obtained from one of;

a highly specialized technician and a support engineer.

20. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the recurring problem type is identified by the one or more support engineers;

21. The method of claim 12 wherein:

the recurring problem type is identified through data mining.

22. A method for providing diagnostic patterns, the method comprising:

receiving a problem description from one or more customers;

directing the problem description to a first support engineer wherein the first support engineer attempts to diagnose the problem description;

directing the problem description to a second support engineer wherein the second support engineer attempts to diagnose the problem description if the problem description was not diagnosed by the first support engineer;

determining whether the problem description is a recurring problem type;

obtaining a diagnostic pattern for the recurring problem type wherein a series of one or more steps can be documented for diagnosing the recurring problem type;

making available the diagnostic pattern to one or more of;

a customer and a support engineer;

receiving feedback concerning the effectiveness of the diagnostic pattern; and

modifying the diagnostic pattern based on the feedback.

23. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

interlinking the diagnostic pattern with a second diagnostic pattern based on the recurring problem type.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

reviewing the diagnostic pattern by a group of peer support engineers before making it available.

25. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the diagnostic pattern is made available to the one or more customers on an external website.

26. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the diagnostic pattern is made available to the one or more support engineers on an internal website.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

reformatting the diagnostic pattern for external use.

28. The method of claim 22, wherein:

the feedback is received from customers that have used the diagnostic pattern.

29. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the diagnostic pattern is obtained by employing the backline engineer and wherein the backline engineer is a highly specialized technician.

30. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the recurring problem type is identified by the one or more support engineers;

31. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the recurring problem type is identified by data mining problems previously presented by one or more customers.

32. The method of claim 22 wherein:

the first support engineer is a frontline support engineer; and

wherein the second support engineer is a backline support engineer.

33. A method of providing a diagnostic pattern, the method comprising:

receiving a generic problem type;

making available one or more recurring problem types wherein the recurring problem types are common causes of the generic problem type;

selecting a recurring problem type wherein a one or more of customers and support engineers select the recurring problem type; and

making available investigative guidelines wherein the investigative guidelines lead to one or more of solutions or diagnoses of the recurring problem type; and

wherein the one or more recurring problem types are hierarchically related with the generic problem type.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising:

receiving feedback from the one or more of customers and support engineers concerning the effectiveness of the investigative guidelines; and

modifying the investigative guidelines according to the feedback received.

35. The method of claim 33 wherein:

the generic problem type is received from the one or more of customers and support engineers.

36. The method of claim 33 wherein:

the one or more recurring problem types are children of the generic problem type; and

the investigative guidelines are children of the one or more recurring problem types.

37. The method of claim 33 wherein:

the feedback is received from the one or more customers that have used the investigative guidelines.