Requirements Analysis Document

Learning Team: Jon Hsieh, James Lampe, Yun-Ching Lee, Wing Leung, Rudy Setiawan, Jon Wildstrom, Andrew Zimdars

1.0 General Goals

The subsystem monitors the network and database activity and stores information about these activities. The subsystem then analyzes the data to expedite the decision making process of the PAID system. First, it will deal with a large number of clients (over 6000). Second, it will utilize machine learning and other intelligent algorithms in its data analyzation process. Third, it will investigate existing monitoring and diagnosis tools. Finally, it will provide reports of its analyzation with a graphical user interface.

2.0 Current System

Daimler-Benz currently uses a variety of mediums for the distribution of aftersales infomation, such as CDROM's, Online, Microfiche and Paper. This system is inefficient in that information is typically sent out once a month. It is also inaccurate as service outlets frequently have outdated information. Any means of intelligently streamlining the information distribution process is nonexistent.

3.0 Proposed System

3.1 Overview

The proposed learning subsystem will watch for "triggers" (data transactions) from the main Database. The system will selectively analyze this data and determine a more intelligent, streamlined and efficient way to handle future data transactions.

3.2 Functional Requirements

The learning subsystem will analyze behaviors and suggest actions to implement. It does this by monitoring the behavior noted by the database and responding to database triggers. Specifically, it will store frequently accessed records in the local database and reschedule updates over the network to avoid congestion and waiting lines. Second, responses to triggers from the database need to be at least semi intelligent, with a lower bound on unreasonable or erroneous prompts. Depending on the user's specification of a cost/speed balance, the learning system should recommend only behaviors that will enhance the cost/speed performance of the system. Third, the system should be user friendly, in that it never completely take control of the system from the user. This can probably be accomplished using preference setting at the client side. Finally, the decision making process should be done in a reasonably short period of time.

3.3 Non-Functional Requirements

3.3.1 User Interface and Human Factors

There are three ways the user interacts with the learning subsystem. First, the subsystem will have a learning preferences panel on the client side. The user can use this panel to decide how much control they wish to give to the system, or how frequently they wish to be prompted for updates or changes. Second, the server can access reports of the network activity that the learning subsystem monitors through the server-side user interface. In general, these two interfaces may be more advanced features of the entire user interface, but detailed documentation should help expedite the learning process. Finally, when the user wishes to download large files and may not desire to keep their connection open long enough to finish the download, the subsystem will let the user know of the problem. In the form of a button panel, it will inform the user of the estimated download time and give the user the opportunity to refine their request or cancel it.

3.3.2 Documentation

Documentation will include an explanation of both the learning preferences panel on the client side and the network activity reports on the server side. It will include a description (as examples) of the functionality that selection of the learning preferences panel options enable. Also, it will include an interpretation of the statistics generated by the network activity reports for the server interface.

3.3.3 Hardware Consideration

The Java based subsystem should ideally be running on any platform. Due to the fact that the subsystem will need to analyze data transactions from as many as 6,000 dealers, considerable RAM will be needed to carry out the complex calculations. On the client side, the learning subsystem must pay attention to the user's connection speed and download size. It will inform the user of the estimated download time and prompt the user in the event that they wish to refine their download request. If the user's cache or memory resources are too small, the subsystem may prioritize file downloads, given that a file hierarchy is provided.

3.3.4 Performance Characteristics

The subsystem will perform off-line data analyzation, which will be the most time consuming process. Nonetheless, the decision making process should be relatively fast if optimal algorithms are implemented. The actions that the decision making process recommends, however, should speed up the information transaction process for the different scenarios. However, if the user's available memory or connection speed limits their downloading capabilities, the subsystem will either prompt the user to refine their request or automatically prioritize the download.

3.3.5 Error Handling and Extreme Conditions

The major sections of the subsystem are persistant storage (event logs and behavior files), the data analyzation functions, and the connection to the database/event service. We assume that the persistant data is robust and stable. In the situation that we are unable to reach persistent data, we are crippled. In the event that we get too many triggers/events to process, we fall back to a less intelligent yet fast algorithm (logging, and a default response) to process requests. They will be handled later by the data analyzation cycles. In the event that the data analyzation process incorrectly recommends actions, the learning preferences panel on the client side will have an option to reevaluate the behaviors recommended.

To minimize the cases where the user cannot finish their download before they disconnect, the subsystem will inform them of the estimated download time. If the user disconnects before the download is complete, the subsystem must forget the download.

3.3.6 System Interfacing

The learning subsystem interacts only with the database/event service subsystem. It receives input of database events from the database and outputs recommended actions to the database. Additionally, the learning subsystem is the only subsystem using its data, so we can safely choose any desired data format. We assume that the database will allow as much granularity as possible, so that we may break downloads into individual files.

3.3.7 Quality Issues

Fundamentally, the subsystem will attempt to recommend near optimal actions. For it to be reliable, data transactions will need to be substantially more streamlined and efficient for each of the applicable scenarios. The system needs to realize when it is making erroneous recommendations and correct the process, either by user input or a system checking process. In cases where the network goes down or there are database malfunctions rendering the system unable to access new data, the system will recognize this and not act until connections are restored. Due to the fact that the data analyzation process restarts at arbitrary time intervals, if the subsystem itself were to crash it will easily resume operations once restarted. Data files will be continually saved to insure this.

3.3.8 System Modifications

The data analyzation process is a good candidate for future modifications. If the subsystem relies on one major data mining algorithm to analyze data, multiple, more optimal data mining algorithms for specific scenarios may be added. The object oriented system will be easily extendable to accomodate such modifications.

3.3.9 Physical Environment

The subsystem resides on the server side, with no interaction with a physical environment.

3.3.10 Security Issues

The internal subsystem needs to deal with no authentication or security issues to deal with.

3.3.11 Resource Issues

The learning subsystem needs to rely on persistent data storage from the database subsystem.

3.4 Constraints

The learning problem is essentially an issue of data mining. The resources needed to carry out the calculations are the greatest concern to the system. The Java development environment is needed. Thus, if the subsystem uses third party software packages not implemented in Java, it must be wrapped in Java. Finally, domain specific knowledge may be limited.

3.5 System Model

3.5.1 Scenarios

Sams Busy Workshop (Scenario 3)


Participating Actor Instances

eventDispatcher: EventServices
samUpdateEvent, samBehaviorEvent: Event
samRecord: EventRecord
dealerUpdateLog: LogDB
behaviorFile: LearnedBehavior

Flow of Events

  1. (Entry) The event dispatcher posts Sams update event on a subscribed channel.
  2. Sams record notes this event and updates itself in the dealer update log.
  3. Sams record also orders the behavior file to recommend an action.
  4. (Exit) Based on previous events it has learned, the behavior file publishes a behavior event specialized to Sams needs to the event dispatcher.

Bratts Impatient Customers (Scenario 3)

Participating Actor Instances
eventDispatcher: EventServices
brattDelayUpdateEvent, brattUpdateReminder: Event
brattRecord: EventRecord
dealerUpdateLog: LogDB
behaviorFile: LearnedBehavior

Flow of Events

  1. (Entry) The event dispatcher posts Bratts "delay-update" event on a subscribed channel.
  2. Bratts record notes this event and updates itself in the dealer update log.
  3. Bratts record also orders the behavior file to recommend an action.
  4. (Exit) Based on previous events it has learned, the behavior file will later publish an update reminder to the event dispatcher.

 

Klaus and the M-Class (Scenario 4)

Participating Actor Instances

eventDispatcher: EventServices, Scheduler
klausInfoEvent, klausStatusQuoEvent, klausStoreLocalEvent: Event
klausRecord: EventRecord
dealerUpdateLog: LogDB
dealerInfoMiner: DataMiner
alarmClock: Scheduler
behaviorFile: LearnedBehavior

Flow of Events (Early accesses)

  1. (Entry) The event dispatcher posts Klauss information request event on a subscribed channel.
  2. Klauss record notes this event and updates itself in the dealer update log.
  3. Klauss record also orders the behavior file to recommend an action.
  4. (Exit) Based on previous events it has learned, the behavior file publishes an event recommending no change in Klauss local storage to the event dispatcher.

Flow of Events (Data mining)

  1. (Entry) The scheduler wakes up the dealer information mining agent.
  2. The data miner analyzes the dealer update log.
  3. (Exit) Based on its analysis, the data miner updates the recommendations in the behavior file.

Flow of Events (Later access)

  1. (Entry) The event dispatcher posts Klauss information request event on a subscribed channel.
  2. Klauss record notes this event and updates itself in the dealer update log.
  3. Klauss record also orders the behavior file to recommend an action.
  4. (Exit) Based on previous events it has learned, the behavior file publishes an event, recommending local storage of the M-class information for Klaus, to the event dispatcher.

 

Sams Free Connection (Scenario 5)

Participating Actor Instances

eventDispatcher: EventServices
samEvent, samBehaviorEvent: Event
samRecord: EventRecord
dealerUpdateLog: LogDB
behaviorFile: LearnedBehavior

Flow of Events

  1. (Entry) The event dispatcher posts Sams event on a subscribed channel.
  2. Sams record notes this event and updates itself in the dealer update log.
  3. Sams record also orders the behavior file to recommend an action, providing the information that Sam has an inexpensive network connection.
  4. (Exit) The behavior publishes a recommendation to the event dispatcher that does not attempt to minimize connection costs.

Klauss Expensive Connection (Scenario 5)

Participating Actor Instances

eventDispatcher: EventServices
klausEvent, klausBehaviorEvent: Event
klausRecord: EventRecord
dealerUpdateLog: LogDB
behaviorFile: LearnedBehavior

Flow of Events

  1. (Entry) The event dispatcher posts Klauss event on a subscribed channel.
  2. Klauss record notes this event and updates itself in the dealer update log.
  3. Klauss record also orders the behavior file to recommend an action, providing the information that Sam has an expensive network connection.
  4. (Exit) The behavior publishes a recommendation to the event dispatcher that attempts to minimize connection costs.

 

Bratts Mobile Garage (Scenario 6)

Participating Actor Instances

eventDispatcher: EventServices
frankInfoEvent, mobileInfoEvent: Event
truckMobileFixRecord: EventRecord
mobileRepairLog: LogDB
behaviorFile: LearnedBehavior

Flow of Events

  1. (Entry) The event dispatcher posts Bratts request for Franks truck information on a subscribed channel.
  2. The mobile repair record for that type of truck notes this event and updates itself in the mobile repair log.
  3. Sams record also orders the behavior file to recommend an action.
  4. (Exit) Based on previous events it has learned, the behavior file publishes a request for the list of records that Bratt will need to the event dispatcher.

    5. 3.5.3 Use Case Model

    Participating actors are EventService and the Scheduler. EventService (database) posts the event which is put into the log database ("update dealer log"). The dealer log requests information and puts it into the behavior file. The behavior file sends recommendations back to EventService. The scheduler, meanwhile, wakes up the DataMiner, which analyzes data and updates the Behavior File.

    3.5.3 Object Model

    Object Explanations:

    EventService: publishes requests through patchRequest() that learning is interested in monitoring

    Event Record: a record of the request patched through EventService.

    LogDB: Contains many Event Records. Submits events through submitEvent() when DataMiner requests EventRecords and makes new EventRecord through LogEvent()

    Data Miner: More than one exists for each scenario. Performs learning functions through analyzeBehavior(). Activated by scheduler to minimize likely expensiveness of its computation. Requests EventRecords from logDB through requestER(). Updates LearnedBehavior object after analyzing data through updateBehavior().

    Scheduler: Activates data miner and periodic intervals through startDM()

    Learned Behavior: Based on recommendations of DataMiner, sends requests to EventService through sendEvent() to perform its intelligent functions. Modifies scheduler through modifyScheduler() so scheduler can more intelligently activate DataMiner. After receiving initial request from EventServicer, dispatches it to LogDB to make a new EventRecord through postRequest()

    3.5.4 Dynamic Model

    The scheduler wakes up the DataMiner. The DataMiner requests an EventRecord(s) from the LogDB. The LogDB sends this EventRecord(s) to the DataMiner. The DataMiner analyzes the data and updates the LearnedBehavior object. LearnedBehavior then updates the Scheduler so the Scheduler can wake the DataMiner at a more intelligent time interval.
    EventService patches a request to the LearnedBehavior object. Based on what LearnedBehavior "knows", it will send an event back to EventService. LearnedBehavior posts a request to the LogDB which logs the event posted by EventService.

    This page is hosted by the Chair for Applied Software Engineering of the Technische Universität München.
    Imprint (Impressum)