Expert based system and method for managing error events in a local area

Abstract

An expert based system for managing error events in a local area network (LAN) includes an inference engine and a knowledge base storing data defining a plurality of causal relationships. Each of the causal relationships associates an error message with a cause, at least one implied relationship, and at least one trigger relationship. The inference engine accesses said knowledge base in response to a receiver error message to identify the error message and retrieve from the knowledge base its possible causes. The received error message is compared with other already received error messages to filter out repeated error messages. Already received error messages are examined to determine whether a triggering error message has arrived and, if so, the received error is discarded. The received error message is compared with existing diagnostic problems, termed a cluster, to determine if the received error message shares common causes with all error messages in the cluster and, if so, the received error message is added to the cluster. The causes in a cluster are evaluated to determine whether one cause in a cluster implies another cause and, if so, the implied cause is discarded. A user interface connected to the inference engine is used for reporting problems including correlated error messages, a cause and a recommended action for fixing the cause.