An engineering approach to model-based troubleshooting in communication networks

A model-based reasoning approach called model refinement, which has been used in an experiment to reason about faults on trunks, is presented. In the model-refinement approach, heuristics are used to generate an appropriate level of description, depending upon symptoms. Related-issues on developing a model-based expert system are also discussed, namely, translating models into rules for efficiency, and user interface requirements for system explanations. Some of the unresolved problems with model-based reasoning are examined, with emphasis on the deficiencies of the model-refinement technique