OPERA-an expert operations analyst for a distributed computer system

OPERA (operations analyst) is a suite of expert systems being developed to improve operations support of a complex distributed computer network in the Space Shuttle Launch Processing System. The two expert systems in the initial OPERA prototype assist users in isolating and correcting network problems. One expert system monitors network error messages, which interprets to hypothesize faults and to suggest troubleshooting and problem recovery procedures. The second system searches a knowledge base containing symbolic digests of error tracking databases, retrieving relevant precedents to network anomalies (detected by the first system). Expert systems are integrated into OPERA by embedding them in blackboard structures. A controller blackboard routes communications among expert systems and coordinates their activities. The architecture supports shared access to external interfaces as well as domain knowledge bases, and is highly extensible