AS level IT chapter 7

Expert Systems

Components
An expert system is a computerised system that tries to replicate human decision-making processes,
usually experts. They are designed to try and reproduce the judgement of a human expert in a
certain field. By doing so, they can be used to replace or assist a human expert.

Expert systems gather data by asking the user questions about the problem. The questions asked will
depend on the user’s responses. Expert systems are composed of three main components: the
knowledge base, the inference engine and the user interface.

Knowledge Base
The knowledge base is a database which allows the storage and retrieval of knowledge provided by a
collection of experts. This is collected by interviewing the experts and using the data obtained to
build the knowledge base.

The rules base is part of the knowledge base. The rules base contains a set of rules (if statements)
which are used by the inference engine to obtain a solution to a problem or a decision.

Inference Engine
The inference engine is the part of the expert system which makes judgements and reasoning using
the knowledge base and user responses. It produces reasoning based on a set of rules. It follows a
line of logic based on the user’s answers to the questions it asks, often using a chaining method. The
chaining method is the sequential process of following logic in order to reach a conclusion.

Chaining can be forward or backwards; forward chaining is where an input is provided and a
conclusion is reached, while backward chaining is when a conclusion is known and the expert system
works in reverse to find the path to it. 

User Interface
The user interface is the way the user interacts with the expert system. The interface will allow the
user to input their answers, and will output the conclusion that the expert system gives.

Uses

Expert systems are usually used for the following purposes:

  Medical Diagnosis
 Car Mechanical Diagnosis
 Playing Chess
 Providing Financial Advice
 Troubleshooting computer and printer issues
 Identifying items, for example plants and birds

Data Processing Systems

Batch Processing Systems

A batch processing system is a system that processes batches of data at set time intervals. These
collections of data are stored together in what is known as batches. By storing the data in batches,
processing can be carried out when the system is in less demand. However, there is a time delay for
data processing, so the output is not always readily available. Also, errors will only be recognised
after the data is processed. Examples of batch processing systems include payroll and stock control
systems.

Online Processing Systems

Online processing systems usually deals with data in transactions. Transactions are small inputs of
data, and once all the data of a transaction is collected, it is processed and the next transaction can
occur. Examples include online booking systems.

Real-time Processing Systems

A real-time processing system processes data as soon as it has been input. They are normally used
when data needs to be processed immediately. However, they require a lot of resources since the
system needs to be ready to process data at a moment’s notice. Examples include air traffic control
systems and real-time computer games.

Master Files
These are collection of fields about a main element of a data system, with its information being
mostly permanent.

Transaction Files
These are files with temporary data used to update master files. In real-time and online processing
systems, the transaction file is matched with the master file and is processed. In a batch processing
system, the transaction files are stored until a suitable time to update the master files.