Method for facilitating problem resolution

• US 7,440,933 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2004
• Issued: 10/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Wilding, Mark Francis, Chen, Sean, Etgen, Michael Peter, Abrashkevich, Alexander, Abrashkevich, Dmitri, Cottingham, James B., Ratnala, Vijaya, Wamboldt, Michael LaVerne, Bailey, John H., van Veen, Frederick O. G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Vincent; David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BUSS, BENJAMIN J
• Application Number:
  US10/871,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20050283451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,586 Days
• Field of Search: 705/4, 705 10- 11, 706 45- 46
• US Class Current: 706/46
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition

Abstract

Disclosed is a data processing system-implemented method. The data processing system-implemented method includes configuring a symptom pathway that leads to a solution, and associating a usage indicator with the symptom pathway, the usage indicator indicating a frequency in which the symptom pathway was previously implemented for successfully resolving previously experienced problems.

Claims

1. A method for troubleshooting computer system problems using a master taxonomic structure which classifies the computer system problems, the master taxonomic structure comprising a plurality of symptom pathways, the method comprising:

opening a session for resolving a computer system problem;

generating a copy of the master taxonomic structure;

displaying symptom pathways included in the generated copy of the master taxonomic structure, each of the symptom pathways being associated with a displayed usage indicator indicating a frequency in which the respective symptom pathway was previously implemented for successfully resolving the computer system problem, and enabling a user to select one of the displayed symptom pathways based on the respectively displayed usage indicators associated with each of the plurality of the symptom pathways and a symptom associated with the computer system problem;

displaying the selected symptom pathway, wherein the displayed, selected symptom pathway includes nodes and connectors, each node indicating a symptom or solution related to the computer system problem, each node being interconnected to a neighboring node by a connector, wherein node usage indicators are displayed in association with each respective node of the displayed, selected symptom pathway, each of the node usage indicators indicating frequency of the respective node'"'"'s usage to solve the computer system problem relative to other nodes of the displayed, selected symptom pathway,

traversing at least a first portion of the displayed, selected symptom pathway responsive to further user selection to resolve the computer system problem, the further user selection being informed by the displayed node usage indicators associated with each respective node;

adding, to each node included in the first portion, a node history indicator indicating that the respective node is included in the first portion;

updating the displayed, selected symptom pathway by updating the node usage indicators of the nodes included in the first portion responsive to receiving an update request from the user; and

updating the master taxonomic structure responsive to receiving user indication that the computer system problem is resolved, including updating node usage indicators and node history indicators of nodes included in a portion of a symptom pathway in the master taxonomic structure corresponding to the first portion of the updated symptom pathway, wherein the node usage indicators and the node history indicators of the nodes included in the portion of the symptom pathway in the master taxonomic structure are updated based on the updated node usage indicators and the added node history indicators, respectively, of the nodes included in the first portion.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

after updating the displayed, selected symptom pathway, enabling the user to select between i) saving the copy of the master taxonomic structure, including the updated symptom pathway, for a predetermined time, wherein the copy includes the added node history indicators and the updated node usage indicators, and ii) closing the session; and

if the user selects to save the copy and an indication is then received from the user within the predetermined time that the computer system problem was not resolved by traversing the first portion of the previously displayed symptom pathway, displaying the saved copy of the master taxonomic structure, including the added node history indicators and the updated node usage indicators, such tat the computer system problem is resolved by traversing at least a second portion of the displayed symptom pathway that includes at least one node not included in the first portion, based on the displayed node history indicators associated with nodes included in the first portion.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the displaying the selected symptom pathway further comprises displaying node status indicators associated with each node of the displayed, selected symptom pathway, wherein a color of each node stabs indicator indicates a status of each respective node as a newly added node, an unused node, an unconfirmed solution node, a confirmed solution node, or a node indicating a most likely solution to the computer system problem.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the traversing at least the first portion of the displayed, selected symptom pathway further comprises traversing at least the first portion of the displayed, selected symptom pathway based on the displayed node status indicators.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the displayed, selected symptom pathway comprises:

a starting node representing a place to begin investigation of the computer system problem;

intermediate level nodes indicating at least one symptom related to the computer system problem; and

a terminus node representing a potential solution resolving the at least one symptom indicated in the intermediate level nodes,

wherein said connectors interconnect the starting node, the intermediate level nodes and the terminus node.