Method and apparatus for maintaining and configuring systems

A method for defining a system that can be configured comprising the steps of:

• identifying an element of said system;
• specifying said element as an included element when said element is automatically included in the configuration;
• specifying said element as an optional element when said element is not a necessary component of said system;
• specifying said element as a required choice when said element is a group that contains one or more members from which to choose.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for configuring a system comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to generate a definition for said system, said definition containing one or more elements and being conveyed graphically using a set of product relationships, said product relationships identifying classifications for said one or more elements, said product relationships comprising an includes classification;
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to generate a set of part relationships between said one or more elements, said set of part relationships being conveyed graphically;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to configure said system using said definition and said set of product relationships and said part relationships.

An article of manufacture comprising

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for defining a system that can be configured comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to identify an element of said system;
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to specify said element as an included element when said element is automatically included in the configuration;
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to specify said element as an optional element when said element is not a necessary component of said system;
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to specify said element as a required choice when said element is a group that contains one or more members from which to choose.

A method of configuring a system comprising the steps of:

• translating a system definition from an external representation comprising a set of intuitive relationships between components of said system definition into an internal representation comprising a set of internal relationships;
• validating configuration input using said internal representation;
• and
• modifying a configuration state based on said user input.

A method of configuring a system comprising the steps of:

• generating a definition for said system, said definition containing one or more elements and being conveyed graphically using a set of product relationships;
• generating a set of part relationships between said one or more elements, said set of part relationships being conveyed graphically using a set of part relationships;
• and
• receiving input from a configuration user;
• validating said input based on said definition, said set of product relationships, said set of part relationships, and a current configuration state;
• and
• identifying a set of valid configuration options using said definition, said set of product relationships, said set of part relationships and said current configuration state.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for configuring a system comprising:
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to generate a definition for said system, said definition containing one or more elements and being conveyed graphically using a set of product relationships;
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to generate a set of part relationships between said one or more elements, said set of part relationships being conveyed graphically using a set of part relationships;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to receive input from a configuration user;
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to validate said input based on said definition, said set of product relationships, said set of part relationships, and a current configuration state;
• and
• computer readable program code configured to cause a computer to identify a set of valid configuration options using said definition, said set of product relationships, said set of part relationships and said current configuration state.