Mechanism and method for continuous operation of a rule server

• US 6,993,514 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2001
• Issued: 01/31/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fair Isaac Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fair Isaac Corporation
• Inventors: Majoor, Johannes W. F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Knight, Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P.
• Application Number:
  US09/948,991
• Publication Number:
  US 20020049691A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,607 Days
• Field of Search: 706/47, 706/14, 706/12, 706/649, 706/634, 846/49, 846/34
• US Class Current: 706/47
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/04 Inference or reasoning models
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/043 Distributed expert systems; Blackboards

Abstract

An improved method and mechanism is disclosed for updating rules used by a rule server. An embodiment is directed to a method and mechanism for connecting one or more rule service agents to a rule server, in which rules may be changed and put into operation without taking the rule server offline.

Claims

1. A method for updating rules at a rule server, said rule server comprising a first rule engine connected to a first rulebase and one or more agents to handle service requests on behalf of clients, the method comprising:

said rule server receiving a request to update rules in said first rulebase by any of;

changing, deleting, and adding to one or more rules contained in said first rulebase, wherein said request comprises information usable to identify a new set of rules;

responsive to said rule server receiving a said request to update rules in said first rulebase, creating a second rulebase comprising said new set of rules at said rule server, said second rulebase concurrently existing with said first rulebase;

servicing new service requests with said second rulebase; and

removing said first rulebase when no further service requests from said one or more agents are being serviced by said first rulebase.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein second rulebase is comprised of a different set of rules than said first rulebase.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

initiating a second rule engine at said rule server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said step of servicing new service requests with said second rule engine further comprises:

said rule server determining a particular rule engine to service said service requests.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

removing said first rule engine when said first rule engine is no longer servicing work requests from said one or more agents.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said rule server is not taken offline and restarted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said first rule engine and said second rule engine is designed using a programming language that can operate on different machine platforms.

8. A computer-readable medium having thereon instructions for performing a process for updating rules at a rule server, said rule server comprising a first rule engine connected to a first rulebase and one or more agents to handle service requests on behalf of clients, said process comprising:

said rule server receiving a request to update rules in said first rulebase by any of;

changing, deleting, and adding to one or more rules contained in said first rulebase, wherein said request comprises information usable to identify a new set of rules;

responsive to said rule server receiving said request to update rules in said first rulebase, creating a second rulebase comprising said new set of rules at said rule server, said second rulebase concurrently existing with said first rulebase;

servicing new service requests with said second; and

removing said first rulebase when no further service requests from said one or more agents are being serviced by said first rulebase.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein second rulebase is comprised of a different set of rules than said first rulebase.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising:

initiating a second rule engine at said rule server.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein said step of servicing new service requests with said second rule engine further comprises:

said rule server determining a particular rule engine to service said service requests.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 further comprising:

removing said first rule engine when said first rule engine is no longer servicing work requests from said one or more agents.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein said rule server is not taken offline and restarted.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, wherein at least one of said first rule engine and said second rule engine is designed using a programming language that can operate on different machine platforms.