Extensible configuration engine system and method

• US 20070143238A1
• Filed: 12/19/2005
• Published: 06/21/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: CommVault Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Gokhale, Parag, Prahlad, Anand, Kottomtharayil, Rajiv, Klose, Michael, Kochunni, Jaidev
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,790 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 706/45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for facilitating decision making through an improved recommendation system. The data used in the system, such as the questions and business logic for navigating between questions, is stored in relational database tables that are easy to access and edit by users. A backend application program reads the data and processes the navigation logic depending upon answers received from users to automatically generate a decision tree. Users are allowed to select questions earlier in the tree, and the application can regenerate a tree from the point of the selected question and on. The application program stores the questions to be presented in a structured document which is handed off to a user interface generation program.

Claims

1. A computerized method for facilitating decision making by presenting questions to and receiving answers from a user, the method comprising:

storing one or more user-editable question tables containing a plurality of questions and navigation logic data for navigating between questions;

maintaining one or more dynamic tables containing question history data identifying which of the questions have been presented in a decision making session and answer data identifying answers received from the user;

at a given point in a decision making session, determining which one or more questions to present based on the question history data and the navigation logic data;

generating a structured document containing the one or more questions determined to be presented; and

generating a user interface using the structured document for presenting the one or more questions and receiving the answers.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein storing one or more user-editable question tables comprises storing a first table containing the plurality of questions and a second table containing the navigation logic data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein storing the first table comprises storing question type data in the first table identifying a type of expected answer to each question in the first table.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein storing the first table comprises storing profile link data identifying groups of entities to which questions relate.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein maintaining one or more dynamic tables comprises maintaining separate question history data for different groups of entities based on the profile link data.

6. The method of claim 2, comprising storing a third table containing expression data including a plurality of expression data components and one or more expression operators linking the expression data components, the expression data evaluating an expression as true or false based on any of the answers.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein storing the second table comprises storing a link in the second table to an expression data entry in the third table, and wherein determining which one or more questions to present comprises determining whether the expression corresponding to the linked expression data entry evaluated to true or false.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein storing one or more user-editable question tables comprises storing, in the navigation logic data, jump question data identifying one or more jump questions to be presented after a given question and call question data identifying one or more questions to be presented before the given question.

9. The method of claim 1, comprising allowing a user to select a question previously presented during the decision making session to be presented again at any point during the decision making session.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining which one or more questions to present comprises determining from the navigation logic data which one or more questions to present before or after the user selected, previously presented question.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining which one or more questions to present comprises comparing a first answer received based in response to the previously presented question to a second answer received for the same question presented based on the user selection and determining which question to present based on whether the first answer is the same as the second answer.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a structured document comprises generating the structured document to contain decision tree data representing one or more sequences of questions to be presented during the decision making session based on the received answers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein generating a user interface comprises generating a decision tree graphical image showing the one or more sequences of questions contained in the decision tree data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a structured document comprises generating an XML file.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a user interface comprises parsing the structured document to identify the one or more questions to be presented and generating the user interface to present the identified one or more questions according to display preferences stored in a display preference file.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising computing a recommendation based on the received answers.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the questions relate to a configuration of a network and wherein computing the recommendation comprises computing a recommended installation of one or more software programs to be installed on the network.

18. A software system for facilitating decision making, the system comprising:

one or more user-editable question tables stored on a computer readable medium and containing a plurality of questions and navigation logic data for navigating between questions;

one or more dynamic tables stored on a computer readable medium and containing question history data identifying which of the questions have been presented in a decision making session and answer data identifying answers received from the user;

first computer readable code which, when executed on a computer, is programmed to determine, at a given point during a decision making session, which one or more questions to present based on the question history data and the navigation logic data and to generate a structured document containing the one or more questions determined to be presented; and

second computer readable code which, when executed on a computer, is programmed to generate a user interface using the structured document, the user interface being configured to present the one or more questions and receive the answers.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the first computer readable code is included in a first application program separate from a second application program in which the second computer readable code is included.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first computer readable code is programmed to maintain the one or more dynamic tables during a decision making session by updating the question history data based on questions presented and answers received during the session.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the one or more user-editable question tables comprise a first table containing the plurality of questions and a second table containing the navigation logic data.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the first table includes profile link data identifying groups of entities to which questions relate, and wherein the one or more dynamic tables include separate question history data for different groups of entities based on the profile link data.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the one or more user-editable question tables comprise a third table containing expression data including a plurality of expression data components and one or more expression operators linking the expression data components, the expression data being used in evaluating an expression as true or false based on any of the answers;

the second table includes a link to an expression data entry in the third table; and

the first computer readable code is programmed to determine whether the expression corresponding to the linked expression data entry evaluated to true or false.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the second table contains jump question data identifying one or more jump questions to be presented after a given question and call question data identifying one or more questions to be presented before the given question.