Knowledge-based support for management of end user computing resources: Issues in knowledge elicitation and flexible design.

Abstract

Effective resource management requires tools and decision aides to help determine users' needs and appropriate assignment. The goal of this research was to design, implement, and test technological tools that, even in a dynamic environment, effectively support the matching of users and resources. The context of the investigation is the Information Center, the structure used to manage and control the computing resources demanded by end users. The major contributions of the research lie in two areas: (1) the development and use of a knowledge acquisition called Resource Attribute Charts (RAC), which allow for the structured definition of the resources managed by the IC, and (2) the design, implementation, validation, and verification of the transportability of Information Center Expert, a system that supports the activities of the IC personnel. Prototyping, the system development methodology commonly used in software engineering, was used to design the general architecture of the knowledge acquisition tools, the knowledge maintenance tool, and the expert system itself. The knowledge acquisition tools, RAC, were used to build the knowledge base of ICE (Information Center Expert). ICE was installed at two corporate sites, its software recommendations were validated, and its transportability from one location to another was verified experimentally. The viability of a rule-based consultation system as a mechanism for bringing together knowledge about users, problems, and resources for the purpose of effective resource management was demonstrated.