Knowledge Base Assisting at Identification of Secondary Changes during the Maintenance Process

Modeling is one of the most important factors in the process of computer systems development. Recent trends in computer engineering have also revealed the asset of usage of the abstract models through the entire software life cycle. Abstract models streamline and speed up not only development but suitable models can also improve maintenance process to be more effective and safe. One manner howto utilize software’s models for improving the maintenance process is to use them for simplifying the process of uncovering the secondary changes, which are the consequence of primary changes required by users of software or by the changes of the environment in witch the system is used. This paper briefly presents proposed knowledge representation, which helps to a maintainer to expose all required changes in one step, without the need for repetitive system’s modification. Entire knowledge base consists of frame representation, typifying coherences among system elements and of the production rules, which represent knowledge crucial for uncovering of the secondary changes. With this knowledge the maintainer is able to expose chain reaction of secondary changes which are consequence of required, primary changes further before required changes are really performed to software system’s source code. By this manner the time portion needed for proper system’s change is markedly reduced.