Sidebar: Advise or Control

By Sue Hildreth

May 23, 2005 12:00 PM ET

Recommended

(5)

Digg

Twitter

Share/Email

Computerworld - James Sinur, an analyst at Gartner Inc., explains that rules engines are used either to control transactions and processes or to provide advice and analysis.
"About 50% of business rules engines are used in an advisory role: 'Should I do this or that?' The other 50% are used in business processes," he says.
According to Sinur, there are three categories of rules systems.
1. Simple rules externalization. This system allows an organization to express its rules in a standard format, house them in a repository, view them in decision trees or tables, and edit them as needed.
2. Inference engine. If the questions you need to put to a rules engine tend to be more sophisticated than simple "yes" or "no" equations, then you may need an inference engine, which uses probabilities and backward chaining through the rules to discover multiple possible solutions to the same end.
3. Behavioral learning. These advanced systems use case-based reasoning and are "trained" to recognize a variety of scenarios.

Recommend Digg Twitter ShareThis

Email Print Send Feedback Reprints

Jump to comments

Software

Additional Resources

Xerox

Win a color printer!

By using solid ink technology only from Xerox, you could save up to 65% by printing color for the cost of black and white. Enter for a chance to WIN a PhaserTM 8860 network color printer!

Microsoft

Upgrade to Internet Explorer 8 today.

Save time and mitigate security risk. Deploy it now.

Sybase

NEXT-GENERATION MOBILITY PLATFORMS

In this white paper, IDC analyzes the role of next-generation mobile enterprise platforms as organizations seek a more strategic deployment of mobile solutions.

Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.

White Papers & Webcasts

Keeping hold of your customers, especially in tough economic conditions
Download Now!

The Commercialization of ITIL: Lessons Learned
Register for this event today!

Oracle Accelerate - Not Just Smart but Timely
Download Now!

Key Findings: Accelerating ROI with BPM
Click here to watch now!

Why BI is Ripe - Now! - For Businesses of Any Size
Download Now!

Top to Bottom Performance Management Excellence at the City of Chicago
View now.

How Midsize Businesses Are Using ERP To Gain Competitive Advantage in a Tough Economy
Download Now!

Strategies for Driving Down IT Support Costs with Lite ITIL Practices
View this now!

Leveling the Field: Powerful Software Solutions for Midsize Companies
Download Now!

Data Protection is not an insurance policy -you cannot buy-back lost data
Find out why you need to maintain access to critical information to run your business and remain competitive.

All White Papers | All Webcasts