1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to hardware and software installation and maintenance, and more particularly to software programs for diagnosing product issues.
2. Description of the Related Art
Computer networks and other products may have multiple components. When a product issue affects one component, the product issue may eventually affect the other similar components on the products in a comparable way. For example, if an installer installed several similar components on multiple products, the same error may have been made in each installation. Once the error is detected on one component, it may need to be remedied on similar components of other products. In addition, many product issues with components may not be detected until later if product issue symptoms are delayed. In addition, product issues discovered on one product may affect other similar products over the course of the product's lifetime.
Expert repairmen and on-site expert personnel may fix many product issues. Repair manuals may be consulted to aid with unfamiliar product issues. In addition, experts may watch or consult other experts to find out how to fix a product issue they are unfamiliar with. However, the spread of knowledge from expert to expert may be slow and incomplete. In many repair instances, the repairs for similar product issues may not be uniform and therefore, the results of these repairs may be unreliable. Furthermore, product issue solutions may change with time. Previously repaired products may need to be repaired again or inconsistent repairs across products may affect the product's reliability.