MIDA: a knowledge-based system supporting diagnostic operators in ISDN customer trouble management

The Multifunction ISDN Diagnostic Advisor (MIDA) is a PC-based software product providing assistance to Telecom Italia diagnosis operators in ISDN customer complaint management. It supports the dialogue with the customer, by collecting information about faults, and performs a knowledge-based diagnostic process, providing a fast and effective guide to the sequence of operations needed to correctly locate the ISDN trouble (by suggesting network element tests, interpreting data/measures, achieving trouble diagnosis and recommending recovery actions). It also integrates some guides on particular tele-diagnosis commands, on the configuration/diagnostic procedures of the most common clients´ terminals and on problems at the customer´s premises. An ISDN guide to access technical and commercial information about Telecom Italia ISDN service is also provided within the MIDA environment. Auxiliary features are also included, concerning the possibility to suspend/resume diagnostic sessions, a context-sensitive help for novice users, on-line notebooks, etc