Conference heron::euro_swas_ai

104.0. "Rebel: A New Demo/System to Review" by KORAL::TURNER (SPYDER::TURNER or DTN 768-5411) Fri Apr 28 1989 15:01

    The following is from Dave Wickert of New York Software Services.
    I suggest you try installing the demo he describes and mailing
    him your comments.  Even though it's tailored for the American
    market, Dave feels that it can be customized to handle retail
    bank products (loans, insurance, and mortgages) elsewhere.
    
    If you're interested in using this software as the basis for
    a customer project and would like the source code, please get
    in touch with me.
    
    
    						Regards,
    
    
    						Mark
    
    
                <<< AITG::AITG$FILES:[NOTES$LIBRARY]OPS5.NOTE;1 >>>
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Note 356.0     REBEL -- Announcing a new AI system for your review    No replies
PHOBOS::WICKERT "Dave. DTN:321-5206"                185 lines  26-APR-1989 17:21
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Over the past year, I have been developing a "commercial loan advisor"
system here in the New York Area AI Development Group.  The system, called
REBEL (Retail Banking Expert Lender), is now complete and is being used
as a demo at DECUS, IJCAI, and other road shows.  I am making a copy of
the kit available across the Enet for everyone's review and comments.

The New York Area SIC is selling REBEL (and it's associated front-ends) as
a "solution shell" for interested customers.  Feel free to show this demo to
any and all of your customers... and contact me if you develop anything
interesting.  I would position the system as a large "proof-of-concept" 
system.  As with most (if not all) AI systems, extensive tailoring and
customization services would be required to bring it up to a functional
system.

In this Enet kit I have provided a pre-release copy of a DECwindows'
front-end -- called PLA (Platform Loan Advisor), that you can run
to see REBEL functionality.  Try it.. the DECwindows stuff is really
pretty.  Your comments and suggestions are welcome.

There is limited documentation on REBEL and PLA available right now.  THERE
IS NO SCRIPT, but I do include two sample loan applications on the kit.  If
you are interested in a good overview of REBEL then I suggest that you print
off the two .LN03 files on the kit (use $PRINT/NOFEED/PASS on your LN03-PLUS
or $PRINT/QUE=ANSI_your_LPS40_queue).  I am using these files as the basis
for my customer overhead presentations.

For our European friends, please contact Mark Turner (AITCU::TURNER) for
further information.  Everyone else should contact me.

_-_- Dave

PS.  The system is written in:

	VAX C -- all the DECwindows stuff.
	VAX OPS5 -- to generate, evaluate, and rank the "recommendations"
			(about 200 rules -- takes about 2000 rule firings
				per run)
	VAX FORTRAN -- all number crunching.. monthly payments, insurance
		premiums, etc.



README.1ST from the kit:


    Welcome to the first release of VAX PLA.


Requirements to install:

1) DECwindows V1 SDC installed.

2) PLA uses about 1500 blocks on the disk where you install it.  Using
   these installation procedures it uses about 3000 blocks peak during
   installation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

     To install the kit:

1) Create a directory on your local system.  We will assume DUA0:[PLA],
   but you can put the system anywhere.

	$ CREATE/DIR DUA0:[PLA]

2) Copy a kit across the net from PHOBOS.

	$ COPY/LO PHOBOS""::PLA$KIT:PLA010.BCK DUA0:[PLA]*

3) Restore the kit. Afterwards you could optionally delete the PLA
   save set to make some more room on the disk.

	$ SET DEF DUA0:[PLA]
	$ BACKUP/LOG PLA010.BCK/SAVE *.*
	$ DELETE PLA010.BCK;1

4) Create some initial logical names and the PLA symbol.

	$ @PLA$STARTUP

5) Start it up!  Make sure that you are running on a DECwindows V1 SDC
   workstation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

     How to get PLA up and running:

1) Execute the startup file if you have not done so yet.

	$ @PLA$STARTUP

2) The format of the PLA command line is:

	$ PLA [input_file|none] [output_file]

   Some examples:

	$ PLA COLLINS.LOAN_APPLICATION SELECTION.DAT

	PLA uses a file called COLLINS.LOAN_APPLICATION in the default
	directory as the input file.  By specifying an input file, the
	user disables the PLA menu option that would allow him or her
	to change the loan application file.  If the user selects a
	recommendation, it is written to a file called SELECTION.DAT in
	the default directory.  In this case the default directory is
	used in both input and output files since it was not specified
	on the file name.

	$ PLA PLA$:JONES.LOAN_APPLICATION

	PLA uses a file called JONES.LOAN_APPLICATION in PLA$: as the input
	file.  By specifying an input file, the user disables the PLA menu
	option that would allow him or her to change the loan application
	file.  No output file is specified so that option is not enabled in 
	the PLA menus.

	$ PLA none SELECTION.DAT

	Same as the first example, but no input file is specified so the user
	is free to use "SELECT" option to move around to any loan application
	file.  If the user selects a recommendation, it is written to a file
	called SELECTION in the default directory.

3) If you just run PLA via:

	$ RUN PLA$:PLA

   Then you can select a loan application from anywhere, but you will be
   unable to write a selection output file.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

The format of the selection output file is:

PRODUCT
AMOUNT
TERM

as the three lines in the file.  All three lines are present in any selection.
If the user exited without selecting a recommendation then the file is not
created.


------------------------------------------------------------------------

Also in the PLA$ directory are:

REBEL_PRESENTATION.LN03		A fairly complete overhead presentation of
				VAX REBEL (the underlying expert system used
				in PLA).

REBEL_SITUATIONS.LN03		Some sample situations used with REBEL and
				made available as sample loan application
				files (see below).

HARRISON.LOAN_APPLICATION	Two sample loan application files that
COLLINS.LOAN_APPLICATION	match the situations as outlined above.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

To get some interesting colors on your workstation I have also included
a color setup file that you might find interesting.  To enable the setups
in this file:

	$ copy PLA$:DECW$PLA.DAT DECW$USER_DEFAULTS:DECW$PLA.DAT

This file is read each time PLA starts up -- so feel free to play with the
setups as defined.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you have any comments, feel free to contact me at:

	Dave Wickert
	DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION
	US Route 1 CN-2
	Princeton, NJ 08543

	(609)987-5206

	DTN: 321-5206
	Enet: PHOBOS::WICKERT