Input validation for the AUTOKNAQ knowledge acquisition program

The objects and structures used within an automatic knowledge acquisition tool for input storage directly affect the types and complexity of the validation process. The validation process can be complicated when inputs are made by a user who is not a domain expert or is unfamiliar with the target system. This is the type of scenario that is being addressed by the AUTOKNAQ tool and is the reason for its extensive validation. The input storage, which is optimized for facilitating inputs, tends to complicate the validation logic. The validation for AUTOKNAQ is performed as a series of five steps, each checks for a certain set of errors or conditions that could corrupt the knowledge and databases. An example is given for the validation of an incorrectly entered target system configuration