International Business Machines Corporation

Janet E Geddes

Andrew Coleman

Robert Bradley Bennett

Joseph M Gdaniec

Michael Randy May

Wendy E Stephens

A method and system for assisting a user having a role and a qualification. In accordance with this method, a software tool is provided that is adapted to limit a user to a functional limitation predefined by a first role and a data access limitation predefined by a qualification. The method comprises the steps of receiving a request for assistance from said user, accessing said software tool with a customer care role having a view functionality only limitation, and simulating said first role and said qualification while operating in said customer care role, to assist said user. In the preferred embodiment, the simulation functionalities that the customer care role has, enable that customer care role to simulate update and create functionalities. Also, preferably, the customer care role may use the user's identification to obtain access to the software tool.

Simulation of computer application function to assist a user

A method and system for constructing rule-based intelligent agents that process events on behalf of one or more users. The intelligent agents have event-generating modules that supply events to be processed, and event-processing modules that process the events by evaluating rules. Each event-processing module of the agent includes multiple sets of rules, one or more such sets for each user of the agent. A selection key related to the user is associated with a rule set, and for event-generating modules a selection key indicates the user on whose behalf the event was generated. When the event-processing module receives an event with a selection key, the module locates and evaluates the rule set(s) which have a matching key to launch the corresponding actions. Addition, replacement or removal of rule sets for a user is made by temporarily suspending the initiation of new events for the user designated by the rule set's selection key; completing all in-progress events for that user; effecting the modification to the rule set within the event-processing modules; and the resuming the initiation and processing of events for the user. While the rule sets are being modified for a particular user, event generating and processing continues unimpeded for the other users of the agent.

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Endwell, NY, United States of America

Janet E Geddes