Knowledge based field replaceable unit management

Apparatus for controllably managing the replacement of field replaceable units in a customer system, which customer system includes a plurality of operational elements, each interconnected to at least one other operational element via an interconnection path, said operational elements being mounted on a plurality of field replaceable units, comprising:

• means for storing data identifying all said operational elements and said interconnection paths;
• means for detecting the presence of a failure in said customer system;
• means for generating a failure report which contains data relevant to said detected failure, including an identification of the failure mode and all operational elements that were cooperatively operative during said detected failure;
• means for storing said failure report;
• means for mapping said stored failure reports to a stored composite failure event containing a list of field replaceable units containing said set of operational elements;
• and
• means, responsive to a craftsperson inquiry, for listing said stored composite failure event and said list in field replaceable units associated with said stored composite failure event;
• means, responsive to said craftsperson selecting one of said field replaceable units identified in said list, wherein said identified field replaceable unit is one of a plurality of identical field replaceable units, for instructing said craftsperson to exchange said selected field replaceable unit with one of said plurality of identical field replaceable units;
• means, responsive to said craftsperson performing said exchange, for generating a virtual composite failure event duplicative of said composite failure event associated with said selected field replaceable unit;
• and
• means for mapping said virtual composite failure event to said exchanged selected field replaceable unit and said composite failure event with said exchanged one of said plurality of identical field replaceable units.

A method for controllably managing the replacement of field replaceable units in a customer system, which customer system includes a plurality of operational elements, each interconnected to at least one other operational element via an interconnection path, said operational elements being mounted on a plurality of field replaceable units, comprising the steps of:

• storing data identifying all said operational elements and said interconnection paths;
• detecting the presence of a failure in said customer system;
• generating a failure report which contains data relevant to said detected failure, including an identification of the failure mode and all operational elements that were cooperatively operative during said detected failure;
• storing said failure report;
• mapping said stored failure reports to a composite failure event which contains a list of field replaceable units containing said set of operational elements;
• and
• listing, in response to a craftsperson inquiry, said stored composite failure event and said list of field replaceable units associated with said stored composite failure event.

A method for controllably managing the replacement of field replaceable units in a customer system, which customer system includes a plurality of operational elements, each interconnected to at least one other operational element via an interconnection path, said operational elements being mounted on a plurality of field replaceable units, comprising the steps of:

• storing data identifying all said operational elements and said interconnection paths:
• detecting the presence of a failure in said customer system:
• generating a failure report which contains data relevant to said detected failure, including an identification of the failure mode and all operational elements that were cooperatively operative during said detected failure:
• storing said failure report:
• mapping said stored failure reports to a composite failure event which contains a list of field replaceable units containing said set of operational elements;
• and
• listing, in response to a craftsperson inquiry, said stored composite failure event and said list of field replaceable units associated with said stored composite failure event
• instructing, in response to said craftsperson selecting one of said field replaceable units identified in said list, wherein said identified field replaceable unit is one of a plurality of identical field replaceable units, said craftsperson to exchange said selected field replaceable unit with one of said plurality of identical field replaceable units;
• generating, in response to said craftsperson performing said exchange, a virtual composite failure event duplicative of said composite failure event associated with said selected field replaceable unit;
• and
• mapping said virtual composite failure event to said exchanged selected field replaceable unit and said composite failure event with said exchanged one of said plurality of identical field replaceable units.