Expert system for processing errors in a multiplex communications system
AssigneeIBM Corporation
InventorsMark E. Clark, Richard G. Greever, Larry J. Schmier, Jerome D. Wong
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for detecting and analyzing errors in a communications system is described. The method employs expert system techniques to isolate failures to specific field replaceable units and provide detailed messages to guide an operator to a solution. The expert system techniques include detailed decision trees designed for each resource in the system. The decision trees also filter extraneous sources of errors from affecting the error analysis results.
Claims11
A method to analyze errors in a system, the system having a plurality of resources with replaceable units, a display, a processor, and memory means for storing decision trees, data structures, and error analysis tasks, the resources including a diagnostics card having a processor and memory means for storing resource analysis tasks, and communication resources, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) testing said resources intermittently by said error analysis tasks invoking a card analysis task on said diagnostics card to test for an error in said communication resources in said system;
- (b) detecting an error and invoking an appropriate error analysis task to further diagnose the cause of said error;
- (c) isolating said error to a replaceable unit by automatically traversing said decision trees in said error analysis task on said diagnostics card;
- (d) writing data to record said error in said data structure in said memory of said system;
- and
- (e) displaying a message indicative of said error on said display of said system.
Apparatus for analyzing errors in a system having a plurality of communications resources with replaceable units, a display, a processor and memory means for storing data structures, decision trees, failing resource manager tasks and error analysis tasks comprising:
- (a) means for testing said plurality of communications resources by an error analysis task to detect an error in a communication resource in said system and generating a signal indicative of said error;
- (b) means for detecting said signal indicative of said error and invoking an appropriate error analysis task to further diagnose the cause of said error;
- (c) means for insolating said error to said replaceable units by automatically traversing said decision trees in said error analysis task on said diagnostics card;
- (d) means for writing data to record said error in said data structure in said memory of said system;
- and
- (e) means for displaying a message indicative of said error on said display of said system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.