Hierarchical business rule model

In an approach to create a rule hierarchy model, a computer receives from a user a set of rules and an association between each rule in the set of rules and a concept of the plurality of concepts in a concept hierarchy. The computer receives set of rules is stored separately from the concept hierarchy. The computer determines a rule hierarchy where a rule of the set of rules is associated with one or more concepts. Furthermore, the computer creates a rule hierarchy model based on the concept hierarchy and the rule hierarchy wherein grouping related rules in a common structure provides efficient management that facilitates rule authoring, browsing, and extraction.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates generally to the field of business rule management systems, and more particularly to a method for creating a hierarchical business rule model and optimizing a hierarchical business rule model.

A business rule management system (BRMS) is a software system used to define, deploy, execute, monitor, and maintain a variety and a complexity of decision logic that is used by operational systems within an organization or enterprise. A BRMS includes, at least, a repository allowing decision logic to be externalized from core application code, tools allowing both technical developers and business experts to define and manage decision logic, and a runtime environment allowing applications to invoke decision logic managed within the BRMS and execute it using a business rules engine. The decision logic, also referred to as the business rules, includes policies, requirements, and conditional statements that are used to determine the tactical actions that take place in applications and systems. Business rules create an unambiguous statement of how a business uses information to decide a proposition. Using a business rules approach formalizes an enterprise's business rules in a language that both managers and technologists or programmers understand. BRMS allow business experts to define, manage, and deploy an enterprise's operational business as services, available for use by any enterprise application or business process.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for creating a rule hierarchy model includes one or more computers processors receiving from a user a set of rules and an association between each rule in the set of rules and a concept of the plurality of concepts in a concept hierarchy. The received set of rules is stored separately from the concept hierarchy. The method includes one or more computers processors determining a rule hierarchy where a rule of the set of rules is associated with one or more concepts. Furthermore, the method includes one or more computers processors creating a rule hierarchy model based on the concept hierarchy and the rule hierarchy wherein grouping related rules in a common structure provides efficient management that facilitates rule authoring, browsing, and extraction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the present invention recognize that known solutions for the construction and management of rule hierarchies in existing BRMS rely on a number of platform features such as rule folders, rule properties, overriding relationships, and runtime rule selection, which can make the construction and management of rule hierarchies difficult for business users. Rule properties provide context for the rules, but not a physical rule organization making navigation of the rule hierarchy difficult. Additionally, overriding relationships may be used to filter rules for execution, but need to be carefully re-arranged in a time consuming and error prone process when the rule hierarchy changes.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method for creating a rule hierarchy model program that uses two main data entities or data structures. The rule hierarchy model program is based on a concept hierarchy and a rule hierarchy as the two main data structures. The first entity or data structure of the rule hierarchical model is a concept hierarchy, which is a collection of business concepts organized as a hierarchical tree structure. The concept hierarchy is developed and defined independently from the rules. Embodiments of the present invention provide a concept hierarchy that can be reusable with one or more rule hierarchies, can provide shared business concepts, and a shared hierarchical structure. The second entity of the hierarchical rule model is a rule hierarchy. The rule hierarchy is a collection or set of rules or rule artifacts that are indexing one or more entries for values or nodes defined in the concept hierarchy. Additionally, grouping related rules grouped in a common structure or rule hierarchy provides efficient rule management and ease of rule authoring, rule browsing, and rule extraction.

The rule hierarchy model described in the embodiments of the present invention separates the concept hierarchy of the business structure from the rule definition or rule hierarchy associated with the concepts in the rule hierarchy model program. Embodiments of the present invention provide a rule hierarchy model program allowing simplified rule management where inserting and removing a rule in the rule hierarchy structure is a straightforward operation. Embodiments of the present invention, additionally, provide dedicated editors using one or more filtering algorithms that can be designed to review the rule hierarchy structure, retrieve lists of rules overridden by another list of rules, and perform batch operations such as deleting or removing a sub-tree of rules, updating, or adding a sub-tree of rules. In various embodiments, the rule hierarchy model optimization occurs at one more of the following operations: during rule hierarchy design by the user, during compilation of the rule hierarchy program (i.e., compiling the program for the rule hierarchy model) and before they are deployed to the rule engine, and at runtime. The rule hierarchy model can be optimized automatically to retain only the required or a minimum number of required rules for execution by the rule engine for the rule hierarchy model program in embodiments of the present invention.

The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the Figures.FIG. 1is a functional block diagram illustrating a distributed data processing environment, generally designated100, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Distributed data processing environment100includes server computer120, computer130, and other computing or client devices (not shown) interconnected over network110. Network110can be, for example, a telecommunications network, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), such as the Internet, or a combination of the three, and can include wired, wireless, or fiber optic connections. Network110can include one or more wired and/or wireless networks that are capable of receiving and transmitting data, voice, and/or video signals, including multimedia signals that include voice, data, and video information. In general, network110can be any combination of connections and protocols that will support communications between server computer120, computer130, and other computing devices (not shown) within distributed data processing environment100.

Server computer120can be a standalone computing device, a management server computer, a web server computer, a mobile computing device, or any other electronic device or computing system capable of receiving, sending, and processing data. In various embodiments, server computer120represents a computing or server computer system utilizing clustered computers and components (e.g., database server computers, application servers, etc.) that act as a single pool of seamless resources such as used in a cloud-computing environment when accessed within distributed data processing environment100. In another embodiment, server computer120can be a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a netbook computer, a personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a smart phone, or any programmable electronic device capable of communicating with computer130, and other computing devices (not shown) within distributed data processing environment100via network110. Server computer120may include internal and external hardware components, as depicted and described in further detail with respect toFIG. 5. Server computer120includes BRMS121, rule hierarchy model program122, and model database125.

BRMS121is a software system to define, deploy, execute, monitor, manage, and maintain the decision logic or business rules used by operational systems or groups within an enterprise to determine actions within the system. As known to one skilled in the art, BRMS121may use business rules such as policies, requirements, or conditional statements and take into account rules, which may result in different results for a data element based on the location of the data element in a hierarchical rules classification. For example, the geographical location from which a data element such as a transaction is occurring (e.g., purchasing insurance in Nevada) or the position of an employee in company organization chart (e.g., data that must have management title to be viewed). In various embodiments, BRMS121allows business experts to define, manage, and deploy an enterprises business decisions as services available for use by any enterprise or business process. BRMS121utilizes rule hierarchies or sets of rules. The definition of the rule hierarchies is associated to and may depend on a hierarchical concept that is a part of the context of the data (i.e., payload) on which the rules apply. In BRMS121, the expected runtime behavior for a rule hierarchy is that for a given rule hierarchy, only one rule from the hierarchy is selected and applied and that the selected rule is associated with the hierarchical concept that is the same as the data (i.e., payload) or the closest ancestor of the hierarchical concept for the data. BRMS121is depicted on server computer120, however in other embodiments; BRMS121may reside on another server computer, another computing device, or on several server computers or computing devices. BRMS121hosts rule hierarchy model program122. In one embodiment, the routines and codes of rule hierarchy model program122are included in the routines and code of BRMS121. In an embodiment, BRMS121retrieves and stores data such as rule hierarchies, concept hierarchies, and rule hierarchy models in model database125. BRMS121receives and sends information and data such as rule hierarchy models, rule hierarchies, concept hierarchies, and selected rules to a user on computer130via network110. In another embodiment, BRMS121includes model database125.

Rule hierarchy model program122resides in BRMS121on server computer120. Rule hierarchy model program122creates a rule hierarchy model. Rule hierarchy model program122receives from a user operating via user interface (“UI”)133user input or data for constructing a concept hierarchy and a rule hierarchy and the associations between the concept hierarchy and the rule hierarchy used in the constructing the rule hierarchy model. In various embodiments, rule hierarchy model program122receives via network110natural language input or data from the user on UI133for the construction of a concept hierarchy and a rule hierarchy. The user on computer130also provides data and information on the relationships and associations between the concepts in the concept hierarchy and the rules within the rule hierarchy. Rule hierarchy model program122creates a rule hierarchy model utilizing the user provided concept hierarchy, the rule hierarchy and the relationships or association between the rules and the concepts hierarchy. In various embodiments, the rule hierarchy model is created by indexing a rule or node in the rule hierarchy to one or more concepts or nodes in the concept hierarchy where the associations or relationships between the rules and the concepts are provided by a user via one or more input methods (e.g., voice, touch screen, keyboard, or links).

Rule hierarchy model program122allows for insertion or deletion of rules or performing batch operations such as deletion of a sub-tree or branch of rules in the rule hierarchy. The rule hierarchy utilized by rule hierarchy model program122allows overriding of rules. Additionally, in various embodiments, rule hierarchy model program122provides the ability to optimize the rules hierarchy model to maintain only the essential or minimum required rules. For example, at runtime or compile, rule hierarchy model program122optimizes the rule hierarchy model using various techniques such as eliminating unnecessary equivalent rules (e.g., eliminating rules with rule equivalence). In various embodiments, rule hierarchy model program122after runtime, compiles natural language user input for the concept hierarchy, the rules hierarchy along with the indexing or user specified associations between the concept hierarchy and the rule hierarchy into executable code for a rule hierarchy model. In an embodiment, rule hierarchy model program122resides on computer130, or on one or more computing devices (not shown) in distributed data processing environment100.

Computer130is a client to server computer120. Computer130may be a notebook, a laptop, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, a smart phone, wearable computing device, or other computing system connected to server computer120via network110. Computer130sends and receives data and information such as user inputs for concept hierarchies, rule hierarchies, the relationships or linkages (e.g., indexing) between the concepts (e.g., nodes) in the concept hierarchy and the rules (e.g., nodes) in the rules hierarchy in addition to sending any queries or requests for information from BRMS121or from rule hierarchy model program122. Computer130may receive, display, or send on UI133data or user input on concepts for creating a concept hierarchy and rules such as constraints, restrictions, or policies used in creating a rules hierarchy, in addition to related business queries, in natural language from the user. Computer130includes software applications and/or known programming code that supports voice recognition. Computer130may send and receive data from model database125on server computer120. Computer130may send and receive data from other computing devices (not shown). While computer130is depicted as a single client device, multiple computing devices or client devices may communicate and exchange data with BRMS121and rule hierarchy model program122via network110. In general, computer130represents any programmable electronic device or combination of programmable electronic devices capable of executing machine readable program instructions and communicating with server computer120and other computing devices (not shown) within distributed data processing environment100via network110. While computer130is depicted as a single client device, computer130may be multiple computing devices or client devices used to communicate and exchange data with rule hierarchy model program122and model database125on server computer120via network110.

UI133on computer130is a user interface providing an interface between a user of computer130and server computer120, and enables a user of computer130to interact with programs and data on server computer120, computer130, and other computing devices (not shown). UI133may be a graphical user interface (GUI), an active area or line for text inputs, a web user interface (WUI), or other type of user interface and can display text, documents, user options, application interfaces, and instructions for operation such as queries, and include the information that a program present to a user. In an embodiment, UI133receives a user input via a voice, a touch screen, a key board, a mouse, a display, an audio, visual or motion sensing device or other peripheral device standard in computer devices. UI133may be used by a user to receive information for the creation or alterations of a concept hierarchy and a rule hierarchy for a rule model to be created by rule hierarchy model program122. UI133may receive and display to the user rule models and/or query results from rule hierarchy model program122, model database125, or BRMS121.

FIG. 2is an example of a unified modeling language (UML) class diagram for a rule hierarchical model created from rule hierarchy model program122in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. UML language is a standard visual modelling language for use in modelling business processes and similar processes. UML class diagrams are visual representations of the structure and composition of a particular system using the conventions determined in UML. In a UML class diagram, in the definition of a class (e.g., node), the class can be associated to itself; the parent of a node is itself a node, and children of a node are also nodes. The UML class diagram inFIG. 2depicts two data structures for the creation of a rule hierarchy model. As illustrated inFIG. 2, a rule hierarchy is related to a rule table where multiple instances (denoted by * in UML class diagrams) of rule hierarchies may occur for multiple instances of rules. The rule hierarchy identified by a name (e.g., string) can perform the operations depicted under the name (e.g., getEffectiveRule, getRuleBranch, etc.). The rule hierarchy is related to a concept hierarchy where one concept hierarchy (denoted by 1 in UML class diagrams) can be related to multiple instances of a rule hierarchy. The concept hierarchy may have multiple nodes for concept hierarchy nodes but, only one root related to the concept hierarchy node where multiple children may exist in a reflexive association for each concept hierarchy node and one parent may be reflexively associated in multiple instances for the concept hierarchy node where each concept hierarchy node may be related to a single concept.

FIG. 3is flowchart300depicting operational steps of rule hierarchy model program122, on a server computer120within the data processing environment ofFIG. 1, for creating a rule hierarchy model for a set of rules, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Rule hierarchy model program122receives concepts and relationships for a concept hierarchy (302) from a user on computer130. In an embodiment, the user inputs to UI133using natural language the various elements or concepts for nodes in the concept hierarchy and the relationships and associations between the concepts or nodes for creating a concept hierarchy used by an enterprise or organization. In another embodiment, the user imports the concept hierarchy from an enterprise reference data repository or database. For example, an organization chart may be imported from an organization or a product line-up or hierarchy for an enterprise may be imported for a concept hierarchy. The concept hierarchy may be based, for example, on a hierarchical structure for a geography, an organizational structure (e.g., an organization chart), or a product line or product category. A concept hierarchy, for example as depicted inFIG. 4A, may be a geographical representation of the enterprise or organization hierarchy, in this example the geographical organizational structure is based on some areas of the state of Florida. As depicted inFIG. 4A, the concept hierarchy for the state of Florida includes some geographic relationships between the state, county, and cities. As depicted inFIG. 4A, the concept hierarchy is used with a rule hierarchy corresponding to alcohol sales. The concept hierarchy illustrated (in a partial or an abbreviated form inFIG. 4A) for the state of Florida may be re-usable with another rule hierarchy such as with a rule restriction hierarchy for cigarette sales in Florida or for property tax regulations in Florida, for example.

In various embodiments, rule hierarchy model program122on server computer120receives from the user via UI133and network110, the elements or concepts (e.g., nodes), the relationships, and the associations between the concepts or nodes used to create a concept hierarchy using a hierarchical tree structure for the data. A hierarchical tree structure or data structure for simulating a hierarchical tree structure is a collection of nodes representing values for the concepts starting at a root node. The tree data structure may be defined where each node is a data structure consisting of a value with a list of references to nodes (i.e., children or child nodes), for example.

As known to one skilled in the art, a node is a structure that may contain a value, a condition, or a separate data structure (e.g., may be a tree). Each node has zero or more child nodes (i.e., children) below it in the tree. A node with at least one child below it is a parent node and only one parent node exists for each child node. The originating or top node in the tree is the root. A node without children is a leaf and a sub-tree corresponds to the node and each of the node's descendants (i.e., nodes connected below a node in the tree). In one embodiment, the values or nodes are input in a software code to create the concept hierarchy.

Upon receiving from the user an indication that the input for the concept hierarchy is complete (e.g., a verbal input, a keyboard or mouse input), rule hierarchy model program122creates the concept hierarchy for the received user inputs on the concepts (e.g., nodes or values) and the relationships between them. In various embodiment, rule hierarchy model program122creates the concept hierarchy using methods known to one skilled in the art. The concept hierarchy is sent to model database125for storage, possible edits, and re-use in other potential rule hierarchy models.

In various embodiments, rule hierarchy model program122receives a set of rules for a rule hierarchy (304) from a user input on UI133. In various embodiments, a plurality of rules are sent by computer130via network110to rule hierarchy model program122on server computer120. In an embodiment, rule hierarchy model program122receives the rules in a set of rules that are in a rules table. The user inputs via voice (e.g., natural language) or other known input method (e.g., keyboard and/or touchscreen) on UI133to rule hierarchy model program122in BRMS121the various rules such as conditions, restrictions, or policies for the values or nodes in a rule hierarchy. For example, as depicted inFIG. 4A, a rule from the set of rules for the state of Florida prohibits alcohol sales between the hours of 3 am and 7 am. The set of rules is stored in a repository, for example in model database125or in another database, independent of the concept hierarchy.

Rule hierarchy model program122receives relationships between a rule and a concept for a rule hierarchy (306) from the user via UI133. In various embodiments, a rule hierarchy is represented by a rule table that associates the concepts from the concept hierarchy with rules. A rule hierarchy connects existing rules to existing concepts from the concept hierarchy, and records the association in the rule table. For example, a rule hierarchy is created using an empty rule table and an existing concept hierarchy. Each element or row of the rule table is a pair (i.e., a row with 2 cells) of the form <rule, associated concept> indicating a relationship between the rule and the concept received from a user. Rule hierarchy model program122receives the input for the relationships indicating the rule and the associated concept from the user on UI133. Rule hierarchy model program122progressively adds new <rule, associated concept> pairs according to received user input until the rule hierarchy is complete.

The rule hierarchy indexes rules to concepts in a hierarchical model according to the user supplied relationships for associations. The dashed lines drawn between rules (e.g., nodes) in the rule hierarchy and the associated concepts in the concept hierarchy inFIG. 4Aillustrate indexing between the rules and concepts in a rule hierarchy. The user provides associations or relationships for indexing rules to related concepts (e.g., nodes) in the concept hierarchy, which are indicated by lines between the rule (e.g., node) and a related concept (e.g., node) for a value or element representing a geographical area (e.g., state, county, or city) in the concept hierarchy depicted inFIG. 4A. In an embodiment, a concept hierarchy is re-used with a different rule hierarchy. For example, the concept hierarchy for the state of Florida depicted inFIG. 4Amay be used with a rule hierarchy created for age restrictions on tobacco sales or for example, with a rule hierarchy created for county and local sales taxes in Florida.

A rule (e.g., node) in a hierarchical model created using rule hierarchy model program122is associated with one or more concepts in the concept hierarchy. For example, as depicted inFIG. 4A, Rule 1 (R1) for no sale of alcohol between 3 am and 7 am in the state of Florida applies to Polk, Leon, and Dade counties. In various embodiments, rule hierarchy model program122associates a concept with zero to one rule in a rule hierarchy where the associations are provided through user input on UI133sent via network110.

The user indicates via a verbal or another user interface input (e.g., an entry via a keyboard or touch screen) that the inputs for the rule hierarchy are complete, and rule hierarchy model program122creates the initial rule hierarchy for the received set of rules. The rule hierarchy is sent by computer130to rule hierarchy model program122on server computer120and to model database125.

After receiving the previously defined concept hierarchy and organizing the rules into a separate data structure for a rule hierarchy by creating the associations for the rules to one or more concepts in the concept hierarchy according to provided user input, rule hierarchy model program122creates an initial rule hierarchy model (308). An example of an initial rule hierarchy model for alcohol sales in Florida is depicted inFIG. 4Bbased on user input for associations between examples of a rule hierarchy and a concept hierarchy depicted inFIG. 4A.

The basic operations that may be performed on the rule hierarchy model in various embodiments of the present invention include: associating or adding a rule to a given concept, removing a rule associated with a given concept, removing the rules (or sub-tree) associated to the concepts below a given concept, retrieving the rule that effectively applies or is associated to a given concept, and retrieving the ancestor rules (or branch) for a given concept. Using the two data structures for a rule hierarchy and concept hierarchy, the resulting structures and the operations that may be performed on the structures provide easier creation and management of rule hierarchies where rules may be more easily added or deleted from rule hierarchies.

Additionally, in various embodiments, dedicated editors review the rule hierarchy to retrieve which list of rules is overridden by another list of rules, and perform batch operations such as deleting an entire sub-tree of rules. For example, in a banking enterprise providing mortgages to first time homebuyers, the minimum credit score for a first time buyer to receive a mortgage is raised from 650 to 700 for California. The editor traverses the rule hierarchy using rule hierarchy model program122to clear rules associated in a rule hierarchy model below California that use a minimum credit score of 650 for first time buyers, and re-sets the rules to a minimum credit score of 700. When a rule hierarchy is defined and the initial rule hierarchy model is created, rule hierarchy model program122performs a first optimization on the rule hierarchy model (310).

In various embodiments, the first optimization performed automatically simplifies (e.g., trims redundant rules) or optimizes the set of rules in the rule hierarchy to retain only a minimum number of rules for execution by the rule engine. In one embodiment, the first optimization occurs at runtime. In other embodiments, the first optimization occurs at one or more of: during rule hierarchy design by the user and compile time. For example, the first optimization may occur when the rules are compiled into executable code, and before the rules are deployed to the rule engine. The first optimization occurs when a child rule associated to a concept in the initial rule hierarchy model is equivalent to the rule associated with the rule's parent concept (e.g., the rule associated with the parent rule above the child rule), and then the child rule is ignored. In various embodiments, the simplification of the initial hierarchical rule model utilizes a breadth-first recursion starting with the leaves on the rule hierarchy that are a created using a tree structure within the initial hierarchical rule model. A breadth-first recursion on a tree structure traverses the tree in the level order or by searching every node on a level before going to a lower level (e.g., searching the breadth or broadening a search rather than increasing the “depth” of a search of a structure). For example,FIG. 4Bdepicts the result of a breadth first recursion on the initial rule hierarchy model for Florida Alcohol Sales depicted inFIG. 4B. In the initial hierarchical rule model, the child rules for the counties of Leon, Dade, and Polk are equivalent to the parent concept's rules or that is, the rules have the same conditions and the same restrictions (i.e. Florida state rules (R1) for alcohol sales restriction). The equivalent County or children rule associations are trimmed (e.g., removed) simplifying the rule hierarchy and the resulting rule hierarchy model after first optimization. Similarly, the rules for Tallahassee, which are the same as the parent rules for Leon County (i.e., Florida state rules (R1) for alcohol sales restriction) are also trimmed from the rule hierarchy. The rule hierarchy model after first optimization in this example deploys three rules instead of the original seven rules in the initial rule hierarchy model inFIG. 4B.

In various embodiments, rule hierarchy model program122performs a second optimization on the rule hierarchy model (312). The second optimization further simplifies or optimizes the rule hierarchy model by consolidating concepts or nodes in the concept hierarchy that are not associated with a rule in the rule hierarchy. In various embodiments, for each of the nodes in the concept hierarchy not associated with a rule in the rule hierarchy of the rule hierarchy model, the following optimization is applied using breadth first recursion on the rule hierarchy model starting with the leaves on the hierarchical tree structure of the rule hierarchy model. First, apply the second optimization if there is a set of child nodes in the concept hierarchy associated with equivalent rules and this set of children nodes is larger than the rest of the children nodes, then: (1.) ignore the children associated with the equivalent rules and associate one of the equivalent rules to the parent node in the concept hierarchy; and (2.) for each child node in the concept hierarchy not associated with a rule, associate the concept to the first applicable rule from the node's ancestors. In various embodiments, the first and the second optimizations occur automatically at one or more of the following times: at runtime, at rule hierarchy design, and when the rule hierarchy model is compiled (e.g., before the rules are deployed to the execution environment). For example, the first and second optimization processes as depicted and discussed inFIGS. 4B and 4Ccan be applied automatically during the compilation process to simply the rule hierarchy model before the model is deployed to the rule engine.

An example of a second optimization on a rules hierarchy model for alcohol sales restrictions for the state of Illinois (IL) is depicted inFIG. 4C. Rule hierarchy model420illustrates an example of the rule hierarchy model before the second optimization. As depicted inFIG. 4C, concept nodes for Illinois (IL) and Cass County have no rules associated with them. A set of children nodes for Illinois are associated with equivalent rules (i.e., Ry) and the set of children nodes for the equivalent rule (Ry) is larger than the rest of the children nodes (Rz for Cook County). Therefore, in the second optimization inFIG. 4C, the equivalent rules for the children nodes for Adams through Woodford counties may be ignored and one of the equivalent rules (e.g., Adams County rule or Ry) is associated with the parent node originally without an associated rule. Additionally, the child node in the concept hierarchy without an associated rule, i.e., Cass County is associated with the first applicable rule, in this case, US rule Rx for no alcohol sale restrictions. The second optimization of the depicted rule hierarchy model420depicted inFIG. 4Cresults in a simplified rule hierarchy model430.

Rule hierarchy model program122completes the rule hierarchy model (314). Rule hierarchy model program122compiles the optimized rule hierarchy model. The optimized rule hierarchy and concept hierarchy created from user inputs, for example in natural language, are compiled into executable code by rule hierarchy model program122for the rule hierarchy model. In various embodiments, the rule hierarchy model is used in decision processes in a business. For example, the rule hierarchy model is used to generate business decisions. The rule model depicted inFIG. 4Bmay be used to determine store locations in Florida providing the most time for the sale of alcohol, for example.

FIG. 4Ais an example of a rule hierarchy for alcohol sales restrictions and a concept hierarchy representing some areas in the state of Florida, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As depicted,FIG. 4Aincludes an example of a concept hierarchy for some geographical regions of the state of Florida, an example of rules relating to the restriction of alcohol sales by some geographical regions (e.g., county and/or city) in the state of Florida, and dashed lines between the rules and the associated concepts in the concept hierarchy. The dashed line for Rule 1 to FL relates Rule 1 to FL and the children of FL unless otherwise specified as is the case for Lee County (e.g., Rule 2) and Miami (Rule 3). The dashed lines indicating relationships or associations between a rule and one or more concepts in the concept hierarchy are used to create a rule hierarchy for a rule hierarchy model depicted inFIG. 4B.

FIG. 4Bis an example of a first optimization on an initial rule hierarchy model for alcohol sales restrictions in the state of Florida, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As depicted,FIG. 4Bincludes an example of an initial rule hierarchy model and an example of the initial rule hierarchy model after a first optimization.

FIG. 4Cis an example of a second optimization on a rule hierarchy model for alcohol sales restrictions in the state of Illinois, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As depicted,FIG. 4Cillustrates one example of a rule hierarchy model for alcohol sales restrictions in the state of Illinois and the rule hierarchy model after rule hierarchy model program122performs a second optimization. The further discussion ofFIGS. 4A-Care included above in reference to the steps ofFIG. 3.

FIG. 5depicts block diagram500of components of server computer120in accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the present invention. It should be appreciated thatFIG. 5provides only an illustration of one implementation and does not imply any limitations with regard to the environments in which different embodiments may be implemented. Many modifications to the depicted environment may be made.

Memory506and persistent storage508are computer readable storage media. In this embodiment, memory506includes random access memory (RAM). In general, memory506can include any suitable volatile or non-volatile computer readable storage media. Cache514is a fast memory that enhances the performance of computer processor(s)505by holding recently accessed data, and data near accessed data, from memory506.

Communications unit510, in these examples, provides for communications with other data processing systems or devices. In these examples, communications unit510includes one or more network interface cards. Communications unit510may provide communications through the use of either or both physical and wireless communications links. Rule hierarchy model program122may be downloaded to persistent storage508through communications unit510.

I/O interface(s)512allows for input and output of data with other devices that may be connected to server computer120. For example, I/O interface512may provide a connection to external devices516such as a keyboard, keypad, a touch screen, and/or some other suitable input device. External devices516can also include portable computer readable storage media such as, for example, thumb drives, portable optical or magnetic disks, and memory cards. Software and data used to practice embodiments of the present invention, e.g., rule hierarchy model program122can be stored on such portable computer readable storage media and can be loaded onto persistent storage508via I/O interface(s)512. I/O interface(s)512also connect to a display518.

Display518provides a mechanism to display data to a user and may be, for example, a computer monitor.