Working with KANA IQ Knowledge Objects. KANA IQ Windows Version 9R5.5

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Working with KANA IQ

Knowledge Objects

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Preface

. . . .ix

Chapter 1 Introduction to Knowledge Editor

. . . 1

Features

. . . 2

Problem Resolution Process

. . . 4

Traditional Methodologies . . . 5

The Expert Reasoning Methodology . . . 6

Process of Building a New Knowledge Base

. . . 8

Chapter 2 Getting Started with Knowledge Editor

. . . 11

Introduction to Objects

. . . 12

Starting and Exiting from Knowledge Editor

. . . 15

Saving Your Work

. . . 17

Knowledge Editor Windows

. . . 19

Main Window . . . 20

Viewer Window . . . 22

Form Window . . . 24

Chapter 3 Working with Windows

. . . 27

Window Mechanics

. . . 28

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Resizing Windows and Form Fields . . . .33

Working with Multiple Windows

. . . .34

Opening Multiple Windows . . . .34

Moving Between the Viewer and Form Windows . . . .35

Broadcasting Between Windows . . . .36

Working with the Viewer Window

. . . .37

Setting the Viewer Window Style . . . .38

Setting and Finding the Home Object . . . .39

Displaying Information in Object Boxes . . . .40

Displaying Objects by Their Relationships . . . .41

Expanding and Collapsing the Structure . . . .45

Showing and Hiding Objects . . . .46

Focusing and Unfocusing Objects . . . .46

Showing Only Selected Objects . . . .47

Showing Only Highlighted Objects . . . .47

Working with the Form Window

. . . .49

Chapter 4 Creating Objects

. . . .53

Introduction

. . . .55

Guidelines for Building a Knowledge Base

. . . .60

Default Objects and Titles

. . . .63

Creating Objects in the Viewer Window

. . . .67

Creating Objects in the Form Window

. . . .71

Creating Objects Automatically

. . . .75

Linking and Unlinking Objects

. . . .84

Knowledge Authoring with Workflow

. . . .87

Using Workflow with Knowledge Editor

. . . .88

Identifying Objects That Have Been Assigned to You . . . .88

Assigning Objects to Yourself . . . .92

Passing Objects Through Workflow . . . .92

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Contents

Using Reference Names

. . . .97

Adding Keywords

. . . .98

Adding Scores to Objects

. . . .100

Setting the Additional Score of Objects

. . . .101

Setting an Expiration Date for an Object

. . . .104

Storing Objects in Folders

. . . .107

Renaming Objects

. . . .109

Copying Objects

. . . .110

Undoing and Redoing Actions

. . . .112

Deleting Objects

. . . .113

Searching a Knowledge Base

. . . .115

Search Dialog Box . . . .116

Performing an Initial Search . . . .120

Performing a Combination Search . . . .121

Working with Search Results . . . .122

Working with Listed Results . . . .123

Lookup Dialog Box . . . .127

Replacing Information

. . . .128

Replace Dialog Box . . . .129

Performing a Replace Operation . . . .131

Replacing Scores . . . .132

Replacing Attributes . . . .133

Using Wildcards

. . . .135

Checking Spelling in a Knowledge Base

. . . .137

Spell Checker Dialog Box . . . .137

Performing a Spell-Checking Operation . . . .140

Printing Your Knowledge Base

. . . .142

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Entire Knowledge Base

. . . .148

Saving Revisions of the AOB file . . . .148

Comparing Revisions of the AOB file . . . .150

Restoring objects from a prior Revision . . . .152

Titles and Descriptions

. . . .155

Chapter 7 Attachments

. . . .159

Where to Find Attachment Information

. . . .161

Creating Attachments

. . . .162

Chapter 8 Cases

. . . .165

Where to Find Case Information

. . . .166

Creating Cases

. . . .167

Chapter 9 Causes

. . . .171

Where to Find Cause Information

. . . .173

Creating Causes

. . . .174

Chapter 10 Decision Trees

. . . .175

Where to Find Decision Tree Information

. . . .177

Guidelines for Building Decision Trees

. . . .179

Creating Decision Trees

. . . .180

Using Sub-Decision Trees . . . .182

Building Fuzzy Decision Trees . . . .184

Chapter 11 Documents

. . . .187

Where to Find Document Information

. . . .189

Creating Documents

. . . .190

Chapter 12 Entitlements

. . . .195

Where to Find Entitlement Information

. . . .198

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Contents

Chapter 13 Folders

. . . .201

Overview

. . . .202

Where to Find Folder Information

. . . .203

Creating Folders

. . . .204

Draft Folders . . . .204

Default Folders for New Objects . . . .205

Chapter 14 Knowledge Sources

. . . .207

Where to Find Knowledge Source Information

. . . .208

Creating Knowledge Sources

. . . .209

Chapter 15 Main Object

. . . .215

Where to Find Main Object Information

. . . .217

Templates for New Objects

. . . .218

Chapter 16 Problems

. . . .221

Problem Hierarchies

. . . .223

Where to Find Problem Information

. . . .224

Creating Problems

. . . .226

Chapter 17 Categorization

. . . .227

Where to Find Categorization Information

. . . .228

Using Categorization

. . . .230

Chapter 18 Questions

. . . .231

Where to Find Question Information

. . . .233

List Questions

. . . .235

Questions for Categorizing Problems . . . .235

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Components of Advanced Questions . . . .240

Creating Questions

. . . .244

Activated List Questions

. . . .246

Example . . . .247

Manual Input Questions

. . . .250

Example . . . .250

Activated Client-Side Questions

. . . .253

Example . . . .254

Activated Server-Side Questions

. . . .257

Expression Only Questions

. . . .259

Example . . . .260

Setting Scores for Answers

. . . .261

Using Special Scores . . . .263

Viewing Scored Answers and Resolutions . . . .266

Chapter 19 Solutions

. . . .267

Where to Find Solution Information

. . . .268

Creating Solutions

. . . .269

Chapter 20 User-Defined Fields

. . . .271

Where to Find User-Defined Field Information

. . . .273

Creating User-Defined Fields

. . . .274

User-Defined Field Attributes

. . . .275

Values . . . assigned to Text Options objects

277

Index

. . . .279

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Preface

Purpose

Working with KANA IQ Knowledge Objects describes how to use KANA IQ’s Knowledge Editor to build and maintain the content of Knowledge Bases.

Audience

This book is intended for knowledge authors who create and edit the content of Knowledge Bases.

For more information. See Working with KANA IQ Knowledge Bases to learn how to create, test, deploy, and maintain Knowledge Bases.

Organization

Working with KANA IQ Knowledge Objects is organized as follows:

Chapter Description

Chapter 1, Introduction to Knowledge Editor

Introduces Knowledge Editor’s main features and describes KANA’s Expert Reasoning methodology

Chapter 2, Getting Started with Knowledge Editor

Describes Knowledge Base objects and Knowledge Editor windows and

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Typographical Conventions

This document uses the following typographical conventions:

Chapter 4, Creating Objects Explains how to create Knowledge Base objects in the Viewer and Form windows, how to link objects, and how to use workflow with Knowledge Editor

Chapter 5, Editing Objects Describes ways to edit Knowledge Base objects, and how to search a Knowledge Base, check spelling, and display a Knowledge Base in another language Chapter 6, Revision Management Describes options available for

managing read-only revisions of the Knowledge base.

Chapter 7, Attachments Chapter 8, Cases Chapter 9, Causes

Chapter 10, Decision Trees Chapter 11, Documents Chapter 12, Entitlements Chapter 13, Folders

Chapter 14, Knowledge Sources Chapter 15, Main Object Chapter 16, Problems Chapter 17, Categorization Chapter 18, Questions Chapter 19, Solutions

Chapter 20, User-Defined Fields

Each chapter explains how to work with a particular Knowledge Base object — where to find information about the object and ways to create the object.

Chapter Description

Convention Usage

Bold File names and URLs

Input User input and system output

Italic Emphasis and book titles Arrow (

➤

) Indicates the start of a procedure Pipe symbol ( | ) Identifies the path of menu

commands used in a procedure (File | Save, for example)

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Preface

Demonstration Knowledge Bases

KANA IQ comes with two demonstration Knowledge Bases, HomeTheater and Accessories. These Knowledge Bases are used to demonstrate some of the capabilities and features of the KANA IQ’s knowledge-related components. Many of the examples in this book are drawn from these Knowledge Bases.

The HomeTheater and Accessories Knowledge Bases are created by default for every company. They cannot be deleted.

To view or edit a demonstration Knowledge Base in Knowledge Editor, you must first make a copy of the Knowledge Base.

Other Sources of Information

You might need information that is not contained in the printed or online documentation, or you might have questions that are not related to a particular product. Following are some additional resources for you. Company news To learn more about KANA products, services, and company news, visit

our Web site at www.kana.com. Technical Support To contact KANA Technical Support:

• Visit support.kana.com • Call (866) 753–KANA • Write [email protected]

KANA ResponseIQ Integration Guide Describes the integration of the KANA IQ and KANA Response products, the features the integration provides, and how to configure the products to support the integration.

Using KANA IQ Introduces KANA IQ and describes its main features and applications. Explains how to start the KANA IQ Console and describes its user interface.

Working with KANA IQ Knowledge Bases

Describes how to use the KANA IQ Console to create, build, test, deploy, and maintain Knowledge Bases.

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C h a p t e r

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Introduction to Knowledge Editor

Knowledge Editor is the KANA IQ application that knowledge authors use to build a Knowledge Base or knowledge library. It allows knowledge authors to capture the expertise of top service technicians and organize that expertise so that it is useful to end users in a self-service session or to service agents in assisting customers with requests.

This chapter introduces Knowledge Editor’s main features and describes the problem resolution process and methodologies for building a

Knowledge Base. It also explains the process of building a Knowledge Base with Knowledge Editor.

Prerequisite This manual assumes you are familiar with the information about KANA IQ and its applications presented in Using KANA IQ.

In this chapter This chapter contains the following sections:

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Features

Knowledge Editor provides many features to help you build Knowledge Bases that meet your end users’ needs. This section introduces Knowledge Editor’s main features.

Intuitive environment

Knowledge Editor uses familiar concepts and terms to capture the expertise of your service organization. For example, you build Knowledge Bases by creating objects such as Problems, Questions, and Solutions. The Knowledge Editor environment provides a graphical user interface and drag-and-drop editing that make it easy to visualize, organize, and maintain Knowledge Base objects and their relationships.

Expert Reasoning Knowledge Editor implements a sophisticated methodology, called Expert Reasoning, that integrates a full range of knowledge building strategies. This methodology lets you focus on providing information and solving problems, rather than learning expert system technologies. Rapid development With Knowledge Editor, you can rapidly generate a useful Knowledge

Base. You can leverage existing resources by importing information into your Knowledge Base, adding questions, and providing solutions to your end users’ most common problems. Using the KANA IQ Console, a user with the system or company administrator role can immediately test your Knowledge Base to see how it works for the end user.

Customized objects The objects you use to develop a Knowledge Base are open and extensible. User-defined fields let you enhance objects with additional information that Knowledge Server displays for your end user. For example, you might create a user-defined field that specifies the unit of measure the end user should enter in response to a question.

Flexible authoring Knowledge Editor is the tool that experienced knowledge authors use to build and maintain a Knowledge Base. However, KANA IQ offers additional authoring options designed to let other users, such as service agents and customers, contribute information to a Knowledge Base. • Web Authoring is a tool that lets service agents, other employees, or end

users add information to a Knowledge Base using their web browsers. • Collaborative Authoring is a set of templates that let service agents view

Knowledge Base information and add or change objects using their web browsers. Agents use Collaborative Authoring as part of their normal problem solving workflow.

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Features

For more information. See Working with KANA IQ Knowledge Bases for more information about KANA IQ’s browser-based authoring tools.

Team authoring In addition to the browser-based authoring tools, KANA IQ supports team authoring with Knowledge Editor. Team authoring allows multiple authors to work on the same Knowledge Base at the same time.

Process management

KANA IQ’s workflow feature lets you implement a review process for new or modified Knowledge Base objects. You can enable workflow with Knowledge Editor, Web Authoring, and Collaborative Authoring.

Easy maintenance As the needs of your service organization evolve, Knowledge Editor’s visual, object-oriented environment lets you quickly implement changes, whether you are adding, modifying, or reorganizing information in your Knowledge Base.

Knowledge libraries With Knowledge Editor, you can build knowledge libraries of objects you want to use in more than one Knowledge Base. Knowledge libraries provide a way of sharing and standardizing objects across Knowledge Bases.

International language support

KANA IQ supports an international languages feature for Knowledge Bases. With this feature, you can prepare and deploy full-featured Knowledge Bases in a number of languages other than English.

For more information. See Working with KANA IQ Knowledge Bases for more information creating and working with Knowledge Bases that support multiple languages. See Displaying a Knowledge Base in Another Language on page 145 for information about viewing a translated Knowledge Base in Knowledge Editor.

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Problem Resolution Process

This section presents an overview of the problem resolution process as it is typically handled by a customer and a service representative. Following sections provide a brief explanation of the traditional methodologies for building Knowledge Bases and introduce Expert Reasoning methodology. What is a problem? In the world of e-service, a problem can be many different things to

different users. Here are a few examples:

• A repair technician needs help fixing a piece of equipment. • A new computer user wants to know how to set up a printer. • A customer needs help with product selection.

• A service representative wants to e-mail an application form to a customer.

The traditional process

To resolve a problem, a customer or end user and a service representative typically follow these steps:

1 The end user calls or sends e-mail to the service representative explaining a general problem.

2 To clarify the problem, the service representative asks questions and the end user supplies answers.

3 Step 2 is repeated until the specific problem is identified.

4 The service representative asks additional questions to determine the specific solution for the end user.

During the question and answer process, the service representative might identify the cause of the problem, which can narrow the list of possible solutions.

Success depends on expertise

Service representatives use their training and experience to make

associations among problems or requests, questions and answers, causes, and solutions. The more knowledgeable and experienced the service representative is in making such associations, the more efficient the representative is in providing a solution for the end user.

With Knowledge Editor, you can capture the expertise of your most knowledgeable service representatives and make that information available to your customers and other service representatives.

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Traditional Methodologies

Storing and automating this expertise

Over time, various systems for storing and automating the expertise of service representatives and technicians have been developed. These systems store the knowledge experts have learned through training and experience in answering customer requests.

With Knowledge Editor, you can quickly build Knowledge Bases that cover even the most time-consuming and costly customer requests or problems.

In this section This section contains the following topics:

Traditional Methodologies

This section presents a brief overview of the four traditional methodologies for building a Knowledge Base.

The four methodologies

Traditionally, the following methodologies have been used to solve problems and as a result have been required to develop Knowledge Bases. • Natural Language Retrieval

• Case-Based Reasoning • Decision Tree

• Expert Systems (or Causal) Modeling

These methodologies are standard ways of getting an answer for a problem. Each methodology requires that the knowledge be structured and retrieved in a particular way.

Natural Language Retrieval

Natural Language Retrieval associates a problem description (a search query) with a set of information that might contain a solution to the problem. A Natural Language Retrieval Knowledge Base is the easiest to create because it requires only an index of the Knowledge Base

information and a search box for the end user.

This methodology is best for expert end users who are familiar with the

Topic Page

Traditional Methodologies 5

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Case-Based Reasoning

Case-Based Reasoning searches for problems (symptoms) that are similar to a stated issue. Once a set of possible matches is found, it uses questions to identify the closest matching case. Because of the design and

organizational requirements of the knowledge for Case-Based Reasoning, this approach takes more time to implement than Natural Language Retrieval.

Case-Based Reasoning is better for intermediate users than it is for novices.

Decision Tree Decision Trees guide end users to solutions by asking an ordered set of questions. As end users answer questions, different branches of the tree are followed and additional questions are presented. End users answer questions until a solution is found. Of the four traditional methodologies, Decision Trees are typically the most difficult types of Knowledge Bases to maintain.

Decision Trees are best suited for novice users who require a significant amount of support with problem resolution.

Expert Systems Modeling

Expert Systems Modeling defines causal relationships between problems and faulty components (or causes), and thus isolates solutions. The end user is presented with questions to identify the component. Next to Decision Trees, Expert Systems Modeling takes the most time to implement.

This methodology is best for intermediate users because it requires some understanding of the Knowledge Base domain in order to find a solution. Using multiple

methodologies

Each of the traditional methodologies addresses some aspect of the problem resolution process and meets the needs of a specific type of user. Until recently, these methodologies could not be combined in the same Knowledge Base. For example, if you wanted to use Case-Based Reasoning in a Knowledge Base, you could not also use Decision Trees. As you’ll see in the next section, Expert Reasoning lets you use the methodologies that best meet your end users’ needs — all within the same Knowledge Base.

The Expert Reasoning Methodology

Expert Reasoning is a breakthrough methodology for retrieving knowledge from Knowledge Bases. It supports all the capabilities of traditional problem resolution methodologies in the same Knowledge Base, allowing

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The Expert Reasoning Methodology

you to cover basic as well as complex problem resolution and to meet the needs of end users with varying skills.

Benefits Among Expert Reasoning’s many benefits, you will find

• The ability to combine all four of the traditional knowledge building methodologies in one Knowledge Base, thereby supporting all levels of end users and types of information within a single Knowledge Base • Knowledge bases that make it easier for end users to find the

information they require

• Knowledge bases that are easy to build and modify because they are based on common concepts and terms

• The flexibility needed to accommodate the changing needs of your organization

Object-oriented development

Expert Reasoning is based on the observation that each of the traditional approaches to problem resolution can be described in terms of the common objects of the problem resolution process.

When viewed from the perspective of the underlying objects, Knowledge Base development becomes a set of associations among objects. The Knowledge Base author analyzes these associations to identify the best questions to ask the end user and the most likely solutions for reported problems.

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Process of Building a New Knowledge Base

The creation of a new Knowledge Base is an iterative process that begins with a system or company administrator creating the Knowledge Base using the KANA IQ Console and an author building the initial set of Knowledge Base objects and relationships using Knowledge Editor. Once an initial set of objects and relationships has been created, the knowledge author with the appropriate permissions or an administrator indexes and tests the Knowledge Base, and the author makes changes using

Knowledge Editor.

At this point, knowledge authoring can be distributed among users who add content using Collaborative Authoring, Web Authoring, Team Authoring, and Knowledge Editor.

The editing and testing process continues until the Knowledge Base is complete and ready to be published. An administrator also creates templates, which determine what end users see in their browsers, and finally publishes the Knowledge Base.

This section explains the general process by which an author builds a Knowledge Base using Knowledge Editor.

For more information. See Working with KANA IQ Knowledge Bases for information about tasks an administrator performs, such as indexing, testing, editing templates, publishing a Knowledge Base.

Requirements Before you can build objects and relationships using Knowledge Editor: • A user with the system or company administrator role must create the

Knowledge Base using the Console.

• You must have the Edit permission on the Knowledge Base to work with Knowledge Editor.

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Process of Building a New Knowledge Base

Stages in authoring a Knowledge Base

The following table lists the major tasks in building a new Knowledge Base with Knowledge Editor.

Stage Task See

1 Plan your Knowledge Base. Determine the domain, scope, and audience for the Knowledge Base.

Working with KANA IQ Knowledge Bases 2 Start Knowledge Editor and learn about

the user interface.

Chapter 2, Getting Started with Knowledge Editor, on page 11

Chapter 3, Working with Windows, on page 27 3 Create Knowledge Base objects and

their relationships. Include legacy information such as solution

documents and problem descriptions.

Chapter 4, Creating Objects, on page 53

Chapters on specific object types

4 After testing, edit the Knowledge Base to add or change objects. Learn about features, such as linking objects, searching, and printing, that can help in the editing process.

Chapter 5, Editing Objects, on page 95

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C h a p t e r

2

Getting Started with Knowledge

Editor

This chapter introduces the objects you use to build a Knowledge Base and explains how to start and exit from Knowledge Editor and how to save your work. It also describes the Knowledge Editor user interface. In this chapter This chapter contains the following sections:

Section Page

Introduction to Objects 12

Starting and Exiting from Knowledge Editor 15

Saving Your Work 17

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Introduction to Objects

Each object you create in a Knowledge Base has a graphical representation and a form for detailed information. This section introduces the types of objects you can create in a Knowledge Base. The objects are grouped by their functional area.

Objects that organize a Knowledge Base

The following table describes objects that help you organize information in a Knowledge Base.

Objects that represent knowledge

The following table describes objects that represent knowledge; that is, objects that contain information for end users.

Object Type Description See

Main The highest-level object in a Knowledge Base. There is one Main object; it represents the Knowledge Base. The Main object links only to folders.

Chapter 15, Main Object, on page 215

Folder Organizes objects in a Knowledge Base. For new Knowledge Bases, Knowledge Editor creates default folders for many object types. You can create a hierarchy of folders to help structure your Knowledge Base.

Chapter 13, Folders, on page 201

Problem An issue or symptom observable by the end user, or a category of information of interest to the end user.

Chapter 16, Problems, on page 221

Case A container object that associates one or more Problems, a specific Cause, and one or more Solutions.

Chapter 8, Cases, on page 165

Solution Information that resolves a specific end-user problem. Solutions are usually part of a Case object or a Decision Tree.

Chapter 19, Solutions, on page 267

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Introduction to Objects

Cause An object that identifies the cause of a Problem. Causes often provide end users with information about problem prevention.

Chapter 9, Causes, on page 171

Question A test object that helps identify a precise problem or isolate a specific solution. A Question has Answers that are scored according to their likelihood of resolving or identifying the linked problem.

Chapter 18, Questions, on page 231

Decision Tree An ordered set of Questions and Answers that leads the end user to a resolution or set of resolutions. A Decision Tree provides a guided path through the problem-resolution process.

Chapter 10, Decision Trees, on page 175

User-Defined Field A reusable object you create to extend information about other objects. User-defined fields let you display object-specific information (such as the unit of measure required for a field) to help the end user. Chapter 20, User-Defined Fields, on page 271 Entitlement (standard and composite)

An object that shows collections of resolutions through the association of sets of objects with criteria such as security levels or the objects the user has purchased. A composite Entitlement is a set of Entitlement objects arranged in logical relationships. Chapter 12, Entitlements, on page 195

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Objects that reference external knowledge

The following table describes Knowledge Base objects that reference external data.

External documents for object descriptions. In the Description field on an object’s form, you can specify an external text file or a web page to serve as the object’s description. For more information, see Guidelines for Building a Knowledge Base on page 60.

Resolution objects In this manual, the term resolution refers to any Knowledge Base object that contains a solution to a problem. In general, a resolution can be a Case, Document or Knowledge Source, because each can contain a solution.

Links between objects

In Knowledge Editor, object relationships are represented by links between objects. For example, a Problem can be linked to one or more resolutions. A Case is usually linked to one or more Problems, a single Cause, and one or more Solutions.

Document An external text file that serves as a resolution to a specific Problem.

Chapter 11, Documents, on page 187 Attachment An external media file that

serves as clarifying

information about a specific Problem. An Attachment can contain an audio or video clip or a graphic.

Chapter 7, Attachments, on page 159

Knowledge Source An external data source that represents another KANA IQ Knowledge Base or a non-KANA source such as a database.

Chapter 14,

Knowledge Sources, on page 207

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Starting and Exiting from Knowledge Editor

You start Knowledge Editor from the KANA IQ Console. This section explains the background and procedural information you need to start and exit from Knowledge Editor.

Before you begin Before you start Knowledge Editor,

• A company administrator must create the Knowledge Base or knowledge library using the Console.

• You must have the company administrator role or the knowledge author role for the Knowledge Base or knowledge library you want to edit.

• You must be logged in to the Console.

For more information. See Using KANA IQ for information about roles and about starting and logging in to the Console.

How to start Knowledge Editor

➤

To start Knowledge Editor:

1 If necessary, select the company console group that contains the Knowledge Base or knowledge library you want to edit.

The console group expands to display the shortcuts you can access.

2 Click the Knowledge Bases shortcut.

In the details pane, the Console displays a tabbed dialog box of knowledge components.

3 Select the Knowledge Bases tab to display the Knowledge Bases available to you.

4 Click the Knowledge Base you want to edit and then click the Edit button on the toolbar of the details pane.

Alternatives: Double-click the Knowledge Base name or right-click the Knowledge Base and select Edit from the shortcut menu.

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For more information. For information about elements of the Knowledge Editor interface, see Knowledge Editor Windows on page 19.

How to exit from Knowledge Editor

➤

To exit from Knowledge Editor, select File | Exit from the menu bar.

Alternative: Click the Close button on the Knowledge Editor window. Knowledge Editor closes the application, returning you to the Console.

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Saving Your Work

This section explains how Knowledge Editor saves your work and how you can save a backup copy of your Knowledge Base and save the layout of your Knowledge Editor windows.

Automatic save Knowledge Editor saves your Knowledge Base changes as soon as you make them. This feature ensures that you do not lose work because of a system failure during a Knowledge Editor session.

Where information is saved

Your Knowledge Base is stored on the host machine where KANA IQ is installed. The Knowledge Base is stored in a file named

knowledge_base.aob in the following directory:

installation_directory\Kana\Data\company_name\KnowledgeBase\ knowledge_base_name\knowledge_base_name.aob

Saving a backup copy

At any time, you can save a backup copy of your Knowledge Base in a new .aob file. The backup copy is a complete snapshot of the Knowledge Base, including changes made to the Knowledge Base during the current session.

➤

To save a backup copy of your Knowledge Base: 1 Select File | Save Backup from the menu bar.

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Saving your workspace

Your workspace is the current layout of Knowledge Editor windows and the information displayed in those windows. When you save your workspace, the window layout and contents are preserved for subsequent Knowledge Editor sessions.

➤

To save your workspace, select File | Save Workspace from the menu bar.

For more information. See Knowledge Editor Windows on page 19 and Chapter 3, Working with Windows, on page 27 for information about Knowledge Editor windows and the information displayed in them.

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Knowledge Editor Windows

Knowledge Editor has a main window that contains Microsoft Windows standard features such as a menu bar and a toolbar. Within the main window, the Viewer window and the Form window show the structure of your Knowledge Base and details about objects, respectively. This section introduces the elements of the Knowledge Editor windows.

Topic Page

Main Window 20

Viewer Window 22

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Main Window

This section describes the Knowledge Editor main window. Parts of the main

window

When you start Knowledge Editor, its main window appears. The following figure shows the main window as it appears for a new Knowledge Base.

menu bar toolbar

status bar

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Main Window

Menu bar Menu bar items display lists of commands you can use to create and edit a Knowledge Base. The items displayed on the menu bar depend on the active window (either the Viewer or Form window).

The availability of menus and commands depends on your current context. For example, the Viewer menu is available only when the Viewer window is active. If you have not selected a document, the

Edit | Edit Document command is not available.

For more information. For descriptions of each of the menu commands, see the Knowledge Editor on-line Help.

Toolbar The toolbar contains buttons that let you quickly select most of the menu commands. Like the menu bar, the toolbar content depends on the active window, and the availability of buttons depends on your current context. Tool tips. If you hover the mouse pointer on a toolbar button, the name of the button appears.

Viewer window The Viewer window presents a graphical view of the structure of your Knowledge Base. It shows the organization of objects and the

relationships among objects.

Using the toolbar buttons and the Knowledge Editor’s drag-and-drop feature, you can quickly create objects and relationships. With Knowledge Editor’s display modes, you can choose the types of relationships you want to see in the Viewer window.

For more information. See Viewer Window on page 22 for information about the Viewer window’s graphic elements.

Form window The Form window presents all the information about a particular object. You can use the Form window to enter details about objects you created in the Viewer window, to create new objects, and to edit object properties. Many of the fields on one form are links to other forms, allowing you to enter the maximum amount of information without having to open multiple windows.

Integration with the Viewer window. The Viewer and Form windows are tightly integrated. Changes you make in one window are reflected in the other. For example, if you change the name of an object in the Viewer window, the new name appears in the object’s form and in the forms for

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Status bars Both the Viewer and Form windows have status bars that display information such as

• Number of objects currently selected

• Current display mode for the Viewer window

Viewer Window

The Viewer window uses graphic elements to show the structure of your Knowledge Base. This section introduces those graphic elements.

Viewer window elements

In the Viewer window, boxes represent Knowledge Base objects such as folders for organizing your Knowledge Base and Problems for identifying user issues. Lines between objects represent relationships.

The following figure shows the major graphic elements of the Viewer window.

Main object The Main object is the top-level object in a Knowledge Base. It contains the highest-level folders and usually has the same name as the Knowledge

Main object Folders

Knowledge objects

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Viewer Window

Base. A red diamond marks the Main object. On the form for the Main object, you can specify default folders for new objects you create, default object templates, and workflow folders.

Folders Folders are objects that organize your Knowledge Base. They contain knowledge objects such as Problems and Solutions. Knowledge Editor creates a set of default folders for a new Knowledge Base. You can create additional folders and subfolders to meet your Knowledge Base design needs.

Knowledge objects Knowledge objects (called objects throughout this manual) form the heart of a Knowledge Base. They define the information of interest to your end user, including Problems (also known as issues or categories), Solutions to those Problems, and Questions to guide the end user to a Solution. For a complete list of the objects you can create in Knowledge Editor, see Introduction to Objects on page 12.

An icon marks each object type. For example, a light bulb indicates a Solution and a question mark indicates a Question. The same icons are used on toolbar buttons and in the Viewer and Form windows to help you create and display objects of a specific type.

Ancestors and descendants. In general, the Viewer window shows the structure of a Knowledge Base as a hierarchy of objects. Objects that have subordinate objects are called ancestors. (For example, the Problems folder is the ancestor of a Problem object.) Objects that have superior objects are called descendants. (For example, a Problem object is the descendant of the Problems folder.)

Lines The Viewer window uses solid lines and dotted lines to connect objects in a Knowledge Base.

Solid lines connect

• Highest-level folders to the main object • Folders to subfolders

• Objects to folders

Dotted lines represent links between objects. The following figure shows solid lines connecting folders to folders and objects to folders, and it

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shows dotted lines connecting objects to each other (a Solution and a Question to a Case).

Arrows A dotted line ending with a left arrow indicates that the object closest to the arrow is a descendant of another object and that the link between the two objects has a score. (A score indicates the likelihood that a

combination of objects will resolve a problem or lead to a resolution for the end user.)

A dotted line ending with a right arrow indicates that the object closest to the arrow is an ancestor of another object and that the link between the two objects has a score.

Circles Circles indicate that objects have ancestors or descendants that are not currently displayed. A circle on the left side of an object means that the object has ancestors. A circle on the right side of an object means that the object has descendants.

For more information

For information about working with the Viewer window, see Chapter 3, Working with Windows, on page 27. For information about creating objects in the Viewer window, see Chapter 4, Creating Objects, on page 53.

Form Window

The Form window consists of a series of tabs that contain fields for entering and viewing detailed information about an object. This section shows a sample form and describes the Form window tabs.

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Form Window

Sample form The following figure shows the form for a Case object. It shows the General tab, which contains the title of the Case and lists the objects linked to the Case.

Form tabs The Form window uses the following tabs to present information about an object:

Tab Displays

General The object’s title and Solutions linked to this object.

Links Problems, Causes, Questions and Entitlements linked to this object.

Advanced User-Defined Fields and Attachments linked to this object, Reference Name and any Keywords.

Status The user who created/modified the object, and the date and time the object was last modified,workstages assigned, workflow history, comments, folders contained in, any decision trees used in and the GUID and Object number.

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Information can be customized

You can choose the fields you want to appear on each tab in the Form window. For example, you might want the Workflow History field, which is on the Status tab by default, to appear on the General tab.

For more information

For information about working with forms, see Chapter 3, Working with Windows, on page 27. For information about creating objects in forms, see Chapter 4, Creating Objects, on page 53.

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C h a p t e r

3

Working with Windows

This chapter contains background and procedural information for working with Knowledge Editor’s Viewer window and Form window. In this chapter This chapter contains the following sections:

Section Page

Window Mechanics 28

Working with Multiple Windows 34

Working with the Viewer Window 37

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Window Mechanics

Knowledge Editor has many features to help you work with objects in the Viewer window and the Form window. This section explains features that apply to both the Viewer and Form windows.

Selecting Objects

Selecting an object in Knowledge Editor identifies the target of your next action. This section explains the ways you can select objects in Knowledge Editor.

How to select objects

The following table summarizes the ways you can select objects in the Viewer and Form windows.

Topic Page

Selecting Objects 28

Scrolling Windows and Form Fields 30

Changing Window Magnification 32

Resizing Windows and Form Fields 33

To select Follow these steps Result

A single object Click the object. The object appears in reverse video. Multiple objects Ctrl + click each object. Each object appears in reverse video

as you select it.

Use this method to select a noncontiguous group of objects. Range of objects Use either of the following methods:

• Click the first object in a range of objects and then Shift + click the last object in the range.

Tip: In the Viewer window, click the top left and then Shift + click the lower right of the range.

All the objects appear in reverse video when you select the last object.

Use this method to select a contiguous group of objects.

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Selecting Objects

Status bar The status bar at the bottom of the Knowledge Editor window indicates the number of objects currently selected.

How to unselect objects

➤

To unselect objects in the Viewer or Form window, do one of the following:

• Click the Viewer or Form window background. Knowledge Editor unselects all objects.

• Choose Select | Unselect All from the menu bar. • Ctrl + click each object to unselect one object at a time. • Select another object or group of objects.

Other helpful features

Knowledge Editor has several features that help you focus on a subset of your Knowledge Base. Focusing on a subset of objects can make it easier to select objects you want to work with.

• At the top left of the range, press and hold the left mouse button on the window background and drag the pointer diagonally to the lower right of the range. Release the mouse button.

As you drag the pointer, a frame appears around the objects. When you release the mouse button, the objects within the frame appear in reverse video.

All objects shown in

the Viewer window From the menu bar, choose

Select | Select All Shown.

All objects displayed in the Viewer window appear in reverse video. Objects and their

descendants in the Viewer window

1 Use one of the preceding methods to select the objects whose descendants you want to select.

2 From the menu bar, select Select | Select Descendants.

Tip: If the descendent objects are not displayed in the Viewer window, double-click the ancestor object or select a display mode from the tool bar. (For information about display modes, see Displaying Objects by Their Relationships on page 41.)

The ancestor (the object selected first) and all its descendants appear in reverse video.

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The following table introduces Knowledge Editor features that help you display part of a Knowledge Base, search for information, and use multiple windows to focus on a subset of objects.

Scrolling Windows and Form Fields

In Knowledge Editor, you can scroll the Viewer window, Form window, and some form fields such as list boxes and multiline entry fields. This section describes the ways you can scroll these elements.

Ways to scroll You can scroll a window or form field using either

• Scroll bar on the right or bottom of the window or field

• Hand pointer (available when the hand button on the toolbar is selected, as explained in Hand button on page 31)

• Arrow keys Scroll bars in form

fields

When the data in certain form fields exceeds the height of the box, Knowledge Editor displays scroll bars on the right side of the box.

Feature Description See

Display modes Display specified types of objects and objects linked to them (either all linked objects or a particular type of linked object).

Displaying Objects by Their Relationships on page 41 Focusing on an object Displays one level of objects above and one

level below a selected object.

Focusing and Unfocusing Objects on page 46 Search Locates information in your Knowledge Base.

The information is highlighted (displayed in a different color). You can choose to display only highlighted objects.

Searching a Knowledge Base on page 115

Multiple windows You can choose to display subsets of your Knowledge Base in separate Viewer windows and then perform actions on those subsets. You can also open multiple Form windows to see the details of more than one object or different details about the same object.

Working with Multiple Windows on page 34

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Scrolling Windows and Form Fields

How to scroll using the scroll bars

➤

To scroll a window or field using the scroll bars, use the methods explained in the following table.

Hand button The hand button on the toolbar controls the behavior of the right mouse button when you click the background of the Viewer window, the Form window, or a form field.

• When selected (the button appears in a gray box), the right mouse button lets you scroll a window or field.

• When unselected (the default), the right mouse button displays a shortcut menu of frequently used commands.

Note:When the hand button is selected, you can display a shortcut menu by pressing and holding the right button and clicking the left mouse button.

How to scroll using the hand pointer

➤

To scroll a window or field using the hand pointer: 1 If necessary, select the hand button on the toolbar.

To Scroll Do This

Vertically Drag the scroll bar on the side of the window or field up or down.

Horizontally Drag the scroll bar at the bottom of the window or field left or right.

One page at a time Click the background of the scroll bar area. To a relative location Ctrl + click the background of the scroll bar at a

location relative to the form location you want to display. For example, Ctrl + clicking near the top of the scroll bar takes you to the top of the form.

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3 Move the pointer in the direction you want to scroll the window or field.

4 When the window or field shows the information you want, release the mouse button.

How to scroll using the arrow keys

➤

To scroll a window or field using the up, down, left, or right arrow key, use one of the methods explained in the following table.

Changing Window Magnification

When working in the Viewer or Form window, you might want to change the magnification of information in the window. To change magnification, you use Knowledge Editor’s zoom feature.

Zoom feature The zoom feature lets you change the magnification of a window by selecting

• Zoom In or Zoom Out, which changes the magnification of the window each time you select the command

• A preset magnification level: Minimum, Standard, or Maximum How to change

magnification

➤

To change the magnification of the Viewer or Form window: 1 If necessary, click the window’s title bar to make it active. 2 Do one of the following:

• Click the Zoom In or Zoom Out button on the toolbar.

• Select one of the following commands from the Zoom submenu of the Viewer window or Form window shortcut menu:

– Zoom In – Zoom Out – Minimum – Standard – Maximum To Scroll Press

A quarter of the window or field The relevant arrow key. Half of the window or field Shift + arrow key An edge of the window or field Ctrl + arrow key

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Resizing Windows and Form Fields

• Select one of the preceding commands from the Viewer | Zoom menu or the Form | Zoom menu.

Resizing Windows and Form Fields

When working with a Knowledge Base, you will want to change the size of the Viewer window, Form window, or a form field to see more or less information. This section explains the Knowledge Editor features that let you change the size of screen elements.

Ways to resize You can increase or decrease the size of a window or form field in either of the following ways:

• Use the standard Minimize, Maximize, and Restore buttons in the upper right corner of a window

• Drag a window or form field border

Resizing form fields Knowledge Editor automatically adjusts the width of form fields to fit the width of the Form window. You can change the height of a form field to display more information, eliminating the need to scroll the field. For example, when you have entered a number of objects in a list box or several lines in a Description field, you might want to change the height of the box to display all the information it contains.

How to resize by dragging a border

➤

To resize a window or form field by dragging a border:

1 If necessary, click the title bar to make the Viewer window or Form window active.

2 Position the pointer on a border or corner of the window or form field you want to change.

The pointer changes to a double arrow.

3 Drag the border vertically, horizontally, or diagonally to increase or decrease the size of the window or form field.

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Working with Multiple Windows

By default, Knowledge Editor displays one Viewer window and one Form window side by side (tiled). Using toolbar buttons and menu commands, you can easily open multiple instances of both the Viewer and Form windows, and you can easily move from one window to another. In this section This section contains the following topics:

Opening Multiple Windows

As your Knowledge Base grows, it can be useful to open multiple Viewer windows or multiple Form windows. This section contains background and procedural information about opening multiple windows.

Uses for multiple windows

With multiple Viewer windows open, you can display different parts, or subsets, of your Knowledge Base in each window. For example, you might display only Case objects in one Viewer window and only Question objects in another. Similarly, you might open multiple Viewer windows to compare different branches of a Decision Tree.

Opening multiple Form windows lets you compare details about two or more objects or view different details about the same object. For example, you might want to compare the Solutions contained in two different Cases.

How to open a new Viewer window

➤

To open a new Viewer window:

1 In a Viewer window that is already open, select the objects you want to display in the new window.

2 Select Window | New Viewer from the menu bar.

Topic Page

Opening Multiple Windows 34

Moving Between the Viewer and Form Windows 35

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Moving Between the Viewer and Form Windows

How to open a new Form window

➤

To open a new Form window:

1 In either the Viewer or the form for an object, select the object you want to display in the new Form window.

2 Select Window | New Form from the menu bar.

Arranging multiple windows

Once you have opened multiple windows, you can use other commands on the Windows menu to arrange the windows and bring hidden windows into view.

• Use the Tile and Cascade commands on the Window menu to arrange your windows.

• Select the window title from the Window menu to bring a hidden window into view.

Moving Between the Viewer and Form Windows

This section explains how to display

• The form for an object that is visible in the Viewer window

• An object in the Viewer window when its title is selected in a form field

How to display the form for a Viewer window object

➤

To display the form for an object that is visible in the Viewer window, do one of the following:

• Select the object in the Viewer window and click the Form button on the toolbar.

• Ctrl + double-click the object in the Viewer window, or double-click the object if it has no descendants

• Select the object in the Viewer window and then select Display | Display in Form from the menu bar.

How to display a Viewer window object from a form

➤

To display an object in the Viewer window using the object title in a form field, do one of the following:

• Select the title in the form field and then click the Viewer button on the toolbar.

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If the object was already visible in the Viewer window, Knowledge Editor selects the object in the Viewer window. If the object was not visible in the Viewer window (its folder was collapsed, for example), Knowledge Editor displays, selects, and focuses the object. For more information about the focus feature, see Focusing and Unfocusing Objects on page 46.

Broadcasting Between Windows

Broadcasting is a method of displaying objects in a selected window when you have multiple windows open. Broadcasting is useful for quickly finding selected objects in another Knowledge Editor window.

Example Imagine you have two Viewer windows and a Form window open. Using the broadcasting feature, you can select objects in the Form window and then choose in which of the Viewer windows you want to display those objects.

How to broadcast between windows

➤

To broadcast information between windows:

1 Select one or more objects in the window you want to broadcast from. 2 Select Display | Broadcast To from the menu bar.

The Broadcast dialog appears, displaying a list of all open windows.

3 Select the window you want to broadcast to and click OK. Knowledge Editor displays the objects and their ancestors in the window you selected.

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Working with the Viewer Window

A Knowledge Base can become very complex. To help you focus on a particular object or a subset of your Knowledge Base, the Viewer window has numerous ways to show and hide objects. For example, if you are working on a particular Case object, you can display just the Case and its descendants or the Case and all Problems linked to it.

This section provides an overview of Viewer window features, followed by background and procedural information for using the features.

Tip:Many of the Viewer window display features act on selected objects. For information about ways to select objects in the Viewer window, see Selecting Objects on page 28.

Expand button After selecting certain display features, you might need to click the Expand button on the toolbar to see the objects specified for the feature.

Multiple Viewer windows

Knowledge Editor lets you open multiple Viewer windows, as explained in Working with Multiple Windows on page 34. Using the display features explained in this chapter, you can show different subsets of your Knowledge Base in different Viewer windows.

Features The following table provides brief descriptions of the features covered in this section.

Display Feature Description

Viewer window style Specifies the orientation of the objects displayed in the Viewer window

Home object A specified object to which you can return with the click of a button on the toolbar

Showing object information Displays additional information about objects you select in the Viewer window

Expanding and collapsing the structure

Ways of showing and hiding one or more levels of the Knowledge Base structure

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Setting the Viewer Window Style

The Viewer window style determines the orientation of the Knowledge Base objects displayed in the active Viewer window. By default, branches of the Knowledge Base extend to the right of the main object. You can, however, make the branches extend to the left of the Main object, or above or below it.

Styles The following table describes the Viewer window styles.

Showing only selected objects Displays objects you have selected and their ancestors

Showing only highlighted objects

Displays only objects that are highlighted as the result of a search operation

Display Feature Description

Topic Page

Setting the Viewer Window Style 38

Setting and Finding the Home Object 39

Displaying Information in Object Boxes 40

Displaying Objects by Their Relationships 41

Expanding and Collapsing the Structure 45

Showing and Hiding Objects 46

Focusing and Unfocusing Objects 46

Showing Only Selected Objects 47

Showing Only Highlighted Objects 47

Style Description

Left to Right The Main object is at the left with the branches extending to the right. This is the default style. Top to Bottom The Main object is at the top with the branches

extending to the bottom.

Right to Left The Main object is at the right with the branches extending to the left.

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Setting and Finding the Home Object

Affects the active window

Any change you make to the Viewer window style affects only the active Viewer window.

How to change the style

➤

To change the Viewer window style:

1 Select Viewer | Viewer Style from the menu bar.

2 From the submenu, select the style you want to apply to the Viewer window.

Setting and Finding the Home Object

The home object is a specified Knowledge Base object that lets you return to the same location in your Knowledge Base with the click of a button. By default, the home object is the Main object.

Setting a different home object is particularly useful when you want to work with a branch of your Knowledge Base. You set the top-level object in the branch (a Case object, for example) as the home object. After working on part of the branch, you can quickly return to the top-level object to start work on another part of the branch.

How to set the home object

➤

To set an object as the home object:

1 Select the object you want to use as the home object. 2 Select Viewer | Set Home.

Alternative: Press Ctrl + L. How to return to the

home object

➤

To return to the home object, click the Home button on the toolbar. The Viewer window changes to display the home object.

Bottom to Top The Main object is at the bottom with the branches extending to the top.

Compact The entire Knowledge Base structure is compressed and displayed with the Main object at the left and the branches extending to the right.

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How to reset the default

➤

To reset the Main object as the home object, select Viewer | Unset Home.

Alternative: Press Ctrl + K. Home is reset when

you exit

When you exit from Knowledge Editor, the home object is automatically reset to the Main object unless you save your workspace. See Saving Your Work on page 17 for information about saving your workspace.

Displaying Information in Object Boxes

By default, Knowledge Editor displays only titles in the object boxes in the Viewer window. However, you can choose to display additional

information for one or more objects. Information

Knowledge Editor displays

When you choose to show information in object boxes, each selected object displays

• Object ID and reference name (if it exists) on all object types

• Object-specific information such as the file name and keywords for Documents, object descriptions for Solutions, and the costs of Cases Example The following figure shows a Problem with its attribute and object ID

displayed in addition to its title.

How to show or hide object information

➤

To show or hide object information in the Viewer window:

1 Select the objects for which you want to show or hide information. 2 Select Viewer | Information | Show or Viewer | Information | Hide

from the menu bar.

Alternatives: Select Information | Show or Information | Hide from the shortcut menu or Ctrl + right-double-click the object.

Each object’s box either expands to show additional information or collapses to show only the object’s title.