(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2003/0084009 Al
Bigus et al. (43) Pub. Date: May 1,2003
(54) PRODUCT SUPPORT OF
COMPUTER-RELATED PRODUCTS USING
INTELLIGENT AGENTS
(75) Inventors: Joseph Philip Bigus, Rochester, MN
(US); Carol Ann Egan, Rochester, MN
(US); Earl Walter Emerick, Rochester,
MN (US); Terry C. Reed, Rochester,
MN (US)
Correspondence Address:
WOOD, HERRON & EVANS, L.L.P.
2700 Carew Tower
441 Vine St.
Cincinnati, OH 45202 (US)
(73) Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
(21) Appl. No.: 10/021,203
(22) Filed: Oct. 30, 2001
Publication Classification
(51) Int. CI.7 G06F 15/18; G06E 1/00;
G06F 17/00
(52) U.S. CI 706/6; 706/15; 706/48
(57) ABSTRACT
An apparatus, program product, and method utilize a dynamic, automated, extensible and flexible intelligent agent-based product support "framework" to lacilitate the provision ol product support services to customers ol computer-related products. Agent platforms are utilized on both a customer computer and a product support computer, with different agents configured to execute on one or both ol such computers. Automated analysis and/or creation ol remedial actions, based upon cross-customer operational data, and often relying upon intelligent agents for many or all ol such actions, may be used to decrease product support personnel burden and effort. Publishing control may be provided to limit distribution ol certain intelligent agents, as may multiagent remediation ol undesirable operational conditions, where agents from multiple parties collectively address a problem experienced by a customer.
