IBM Operational Decision Manager: Tutorial: Getting ... · IBM Operational Decision Manager Version...

IBM Operational Decision ManagerVersion 8 Release 0.1

Tutorial: Getting Started with theDecision Center Business Console

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NoteBefore using this information and the product it supports, read the information in “Notices” on page 11.

This edition applies to version 8, release 0, modification 1 of Operational Decision Manager and to all subsequentreleases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions.

© Copyright IBM Corporation 2008, 2012.US Government Users Restricted Rights – Use, duplication or disclosure restricted by GSA ADP Schedule Contractwith IBM Corp.

Contents

Tutorial: Getting started with theDecision Center Business console . . . 1Task 1: Starting the Decision Center Business consoleand logging in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Step 1: Start the sample server . . . . . . . 2Step 2: Start the Decision Center Business consoleand log in . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Step 3: View the Library tab and open a ruleproject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Task 2: Viewing rules, posting a comment, andmodifying a profile . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Step 1: View the rules in a folder and follow therules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3Step 2: View a rule . . . . . . . . . . . 4Step 3: View a decision table . . . . . . . . 4

Step 4: Post a comment and attach a file . . . . 5Step 5: Modify a profile. . . . . . . . . . 5

Task 3: Creating and editing rules . . . . . . . 6Step 1: Log in and view the recent activity . . . 6Step 2: Modify an action rule . . . . . . . . 6Step 3: Create an action rule . . . . . . . . 7Step 4: Find a decision table . . . . . . . . 8Step 5: Modify a decision table . . . . . . . 8

Task 4: Comparing versions and creating snapshots . 9Step 1: Create a snapshot . . . . . . . . . 9Step 2: View the timeline . . . . . . . . . 9Step 3: Compare snapshots . . . . . . . . 10

Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Trademarks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2008, 2012 iii

iv IBM Operational Decision Manager: Tutorial: Getting Started with the Decision Center Business Console

Tutorial: Getting started with the Decision Center Businessconsole

This tutorial shows you how to create snapshots, add comments, and do searchesas you review, manage, and create business rules in the Decision Center Businessconsole.

The tutorial demonstrates some of the activities that you can do in the DecisionCenter Business console. The tutorial is based on a fictitious rule project of anonline lender. The rule project determines whether a customer is eligible for a loan.The eligibility criteria include the amount of the loan, the yearly income of theborrower, and the duration of the loan.

As you proceed through the tutorial, you log in as two different users, Adam andBea, to simulate the collaborative work that takes place in the console. Adam is amanager who initiates and reviews changes. Bea is a rule author who implementsthe changes.

Learning objectives

You learn how to collaborate with other users to modify rules, manage changes byusing timelines and snapshots, and compare versions of rules.

Time required

This tutorial takes about 1 hour.

Audience

This tutorial is for nontechnical users who want an introduction to rule authoringand management in the Decision Center Business console.

Prerequisites

Before you start the tutorial, make sure that the following software is installed:v Decision Center. This tutorial uses the my-validation-rules rule project, which

is deployed to Decision Center.v A supported browser.

If the tutorial was run previously, you must restore the sample server.

The rule project and tutorial files are in English.

Task 1: Starting the Decision Center Business console and logging inIn this task, you start the sample server, log in, and view the tabs of the DecisionCenter Business console.

© Copyright IBM Corp. 2008, 2012 1

Operational Decision Manager provides a sample server to run the tutorials andsamples and to demonstrate Decision Center. Before you can log in and use theDecision Center Business console with the sample files, you must start the sampleserver.

This task takes about 5 minutes, plus the time that it takes to start thesample server on your computer.

Step 1: Start the sample serverYou start the sample server so that you can run the tutorial and use the tutorialfiles.

To start the sample server:1. Click Start > All Programs > IBM > package_group > Sample Server > Start

server.The package_group is the package group that is specified in IBM® InstallationManager during installation. The default package group is Operational DecisionManager V8.0.1.

Note: On Windows 7, if you installed the product in the Program Files orProgram Files (x86) directories, you must be an administrator to start thesample server. You can run the sample server as an administrator, or obtain thewrite permissions on the Operational Decision Manager installation directory.

2. Wait until the server starts.It can take a while for the server startup procedure to complete. The commandwindow displays server trace messages as the server starts. A message indicateswhen the server is ready.

Step 2: Start the Decision Center Business console and log inAfter the sample server is started, you can start the Decision Center Businessconsole and log in as Adam.

To start the Decision Center Business console:1. Click Start > All Programs > IBM > package_group > Sample Server >

Decision Center Business console.2. Log in by using the user name Adam and the password Adam. No new items are

displayed on the Home tab for Adam to review.

Step 3: View the Library tab and open a rule projectAdam received a request from the underwriting department to change the loaneligibility rules. He wants to open the my-validation-rules project so that he canview its current business rules and assign some changes to the rules to hiscolleague, Bea.

To open the rules project:1. Click Library.2. Click the my-validation-rules project. The rules of the project are displayed,

organized by name in alphabetical order.

In the next task, Adam determines what must be modified in themy-validation-rules rule project.

2 IBM Operational Decision Manager: Tutorial: Getting Started with the Decision Center Business Console

Task 2: Viewing rules, posting a comment, and modifying a profileIn this task, Adam explores the business rules of the my-validation-rules ruleproject and assigns the work of updating the business rules to Bea. He also adds aphoto to his profile.

In this tutorial, the company has updated its policies on the approval of loans. Thechanges to the policy are outlined in an external document, which is representedby a simple text file.

In the original policy, the input data is checked to ensure that the age is in therange 0 - 150. The loan amount is unlimited, and the credit score of the borrower isincreased depending on their income.

The new policy requires the following changes to the rules:v More checks on the input data are required: The borrower must be at least 18 to

ask for a loan, and the loan cannot exceed 1 000 000.v The score that is assigned to borrowers who have a yearly income of 170000 -

200000 must increase by 280 points.

This task takes about 10 minutes.

Step 1: View the rules in a folder and follow the rulesAdam first wants to review the business rules, and he wants to keep track of thechanges made to them.

Related action rules and decision tables are packaged into folders. In this tutorial,the rule project has four folders:

Folder Description

computation The rules in this folder make the preliminary checks forloan approval.

eligibility The rules in this folder determine whether the loan can beapproved.

insurance The rules in this folder manage the insurance policy, whichis not used in this tutorial.

validation The rules in this folder make the preliminary checks todetermine whether data is rejected immediately. The rulesin this folder are affected by the changes to the policy.

To view the rules in a folder and follow its rules:1. Click Folder. The four folders that are in the rule project are displayed.

Because Adam wants to keep track of the changes to the rules in the validationfolder, he decides to follow the entire folder.

2. Hover over the validation folder. The Follow folder and Unfollow foldericons are displayed beside the folder name. Beside these icons is an actionmenu, and an icon that shows the number of items in the folder.

Tutorial: Getting started with the Decision Center Business console 3

3. Click Follow folder. A yellow star is displayed beside each rule in the folder.By marking the folder as followed, all future changes to the rules will bedisplayed on Adam's home page.

Step 2: View a ruleAn action rule is a natural-language business rule. Each action rule has a conditionand an action. The condition determines whether the rule applies. If the ruleapplies, the action determines what occurs.

Adam wants to view the action rule so that he understands the business policythat it implements.

To view a rule:1. In the validation folder, click the checkAge rule. The action rule is displayed:

definitionsset ’minAge’ to 0 ;set ’maxAge’ to 150 ;

ifit is not true that the age of ’the borrower’ is between minAge and maxAge

thenin ’the loan report’ , reject the data with the message "The borrower’s age

is not valid." ;

The rule ensures that the age of the borrower is within a sensible range. If theage is outside of the range, the rule rejects the data that was provided by theuser of the application.

2. In the project path, click main, which is the branch of the project. The rules areredisplayed, sorted by folder.

Step 3: View a decision tableDecision tables provide a way of viewing and managing sets of similar businessrules. A decision table contains condition columns and actions columns.

After he views the checkAge rule, Adam wants to view the decision table so thathe understands the business policy that it implements.

To view a decision table and follow changes to it:1. In the computation folder, click the salary2score decision table.

In the decision table that is displayed, the first column defines the condition,and the second column defines the action.


The yearly income is the amount that the borrower earns in one year. Thecredit score is a number that represents the likelihood that a borrower willrepay a debt. The decision table adds an amount to the score according to theincome range of a borrower.Adam knows that the salary2score decision table must change because theupdated policy requires a new income range and credit score modification.Adam wants to keep track of the changes made to this decision table.

2. Click the star that is beside the name of the decision table. The star becomesyellow, indicating that Adam is following the decision table. All future changesto the decision table will be displayed on Adam's home page.

3. Click Home. In the Followed Rules section on the side of the console, Adamcan see the list of rules that he chose to follow, including all the rules in thevalidation folder and the salary2score decision table.

Step 4: Post a comment and attach a fileAdam reviewed the current business rules and has chosen to follow the rules sothat he will be informed of any changes to the rules. Next, he wants to ask hiscolleague, Bea, to implement the changes. He can ask Bea by posting a commentand attaching the file that explains the new business policies.

To post a comment:1. Click Stream.2. Click Post a new comment here.3. Type the following text in the comment box:

Hi Bea. There is a new policy. Could you please implement it by Friday?Thanks, Adam.

4. Click the Attach a file icon.5. Browse to InstallDir/gettingstarted/BusinessConsole/ and select the file

newpolicy.txt.6. Click Post.7. Click newpolicy.txt and review the policy updates that are described in the

file.8. Close the newpolicy.txt file.

Step 5: Modify a profileWhen Adam did the previous tasks, he noticed that his profile does not contain animage. He decides to add one because he has a recent picture on his notebook.

To modify the profile:1. Click Adam > Profile.2. In the profile window, below the default image, click Change.3. Browse to InstallDir/gettingstarted/BusinessConsole/ and select the file

adam.jpg.4. Click Update.5. Log out by clicking Adam > Log out.

In the next task, you log in as Bea, view the comment from Adam, and implementthe policy changes.


Task 3: Creating and editing rulesIn this task, you learn how to modify a rule and a decision table, and how tocreate a rule in the Decision Center Business console.

Changes to business policies can occur frequently. You need to know how to editthe business rules in the Decision Center Business console to implement thechanges. In this task, you log in as Bea, who is part of the maintenance team, torespond to the request from Adam to update some of the business rules.


Step 1: Log in and view the recent activityIn this step, Bea logs in and sees the request from Adam.

To log in:1. Log in by using the user name Bea and the password Bea. In the New

Comments in Activity Stream section, Bea sees the new post from Adam.

2. In the comment, click the Go to the posting icon. The comment and the fileattachment are displayed.

3. Click newpolicy.txt and view the file that Adam attached to his comment, thenclose the file.

Bea studies the policy document so that she knows what changes to make in thebusiness rules.

Step 2: Modify an action ruleIn this step, Bea implements the requirement for a minimum age of 18.

She worked on the rules before, so she knows that the policy is implemented inthe checkAge rule.

To modify the action rule:1. Click Library, then click my-validation-rules.

Bea sees the rules organized in alphabetical order.2. Click checkAge.

The checkAge rule is displayed:definitions

set ’minAge’ to 0 ;set ’maxAge’ to 150 ;

ifit is not true that the age of ’the borrower’ is between minAge and maxAge

thenin ’the loan report’ , reject the data with the message "The borrower’s age

is not valid." ;


As currently defined, the data is rejected if the age of the borrower is 0 or less,or 150 or more. Bea also sees that the version of the rule is 1.0, because theversion number is displayed beside the name of the rule.

3. Click Edit Rule.4. In the definitions part of the rule, click the minimum age value 0, and change it

to 18.5. Click End Edit.6. In the Create New Version window, type the comment I have changed the

minimum age to 18 and click Create New Version. The checkAge rule nowdisplays v1.1 to indicate that it is a new version.

7. Click main. Bea observes that in the list of rules, the checkAge rule that shemodified has a yellow star. Because she modified the rule, it is followed bydefault. In her profile, she could change the items that she follows by default.

Step 3: Create an action ruleIn this step, Bea implements the change to the policy that loans cannot exceed 1000 000. The policy currently does not check for the amount, so she must create arule.

To create the rule, you use the completion menu, which provides a list of phrasesto help you populate the action and condition statements. To ensure that the rule iscreated correctly, follow the steps exactly as described.

To create the rule:1. Click Folder. Bea sees that all the other checking rules are in the validation

folder.2. Click New Rule.3. In the Create new rule window, ensure that Text based rule is selected, type

the name checkAmount for the new rule, select the validation folder, and clickCreate.

4. Build the following condition by using the completion menu:if

the amount of ’the loan’ is more than 1,000,000

a. Click next to <condition> and press the spacebar. The spacebar enables thecompletion menus.

b. Click <condition>.c. Click the amount of <a loan>.d. Click 'the loan'.e. Press the spacebar, then press Ctrl+Spacebar.f. Click is more than <a number>.g. Click <number>.h. In the condition statement, select 0 and type 1000000.

5. Build the following action by using the completion menu:then

in ’the loan report’, reject the data with the message "The loan cannotexceed 1000000";

a. Click <action>.b. Click in <a report>, reject the data with the message <a string>.c. Click 'the loan report'.d. Click <string>.


e. Type The loan cannot exceed 1000000.The checkAmount rule is complete:if

the amount of ’the loan’ is more than 1000000then

in ’the loan report’, reject the data with the message "The loan cannotexceed 1000000";

6. Click End Edit.7. In the Create New Version window, type Implemented new version of the

policy and click Create New Version.

Step 4: Find a decision tableBea now wants to implement the second major change to the policy: the score forborrowers that have a yearly income of 170000 - 200000 must be increased by 280points.

She remembers that when she created rules previously, the variable customized isused in the decision table. However, she cannot remember the name of the actionrule. She decides to search the rules to find the right one.

To find the decision table:1. Click main.2. In the Search field, type cust and wait a few seconds for the proposed list from

the vocabulary to be displayed.3. Click customized and press Enter. The Search Results page shows all the rules

and decision tables in which the word customized occurs, including two rulesand three decision tables. It is evident to Bea that she wants the salary2scoredecision table.

4. Click salary2score.

Step 5: Modify a decision tableNow that she has found the decision table, in this step Bea can implement thesecond major change to the policy: the score for borrowers with a yearly income170000 - 2000000 must be increased by 280 points. In the initial policy, that incomerange adds 250 points.

To modify the salary2score decision table:1. Click Edit Rule.2. In the salary2score window that opens, keep the default settings and click

OK. The window is used to choose the editor and specify how rows aresorted.

3. Hover over the line between rows 7 and 8, and click the Add Row icon.4. In the new row, double-click the condition cell, which is in the "Yearly

income" column. The characters [ ; [ are displayed, in which you can specifythe range.

5. Type the new range values so that the range is displayed as [170000;200000[.

6. Double-click the action cell, which is in the "Add to customized credit score"column, and enter the value 280. The new row 8 is now complete, but row 7must be adjusted.

7. Double-click in the condition cell of row 7 and change the value 200000 to170000. This change eliminates the overlap of the ranges in rows 7 and 8.


8. Click End Edit.9. In the Create New Version window, type the comment Added a new income

range of 170000 to 200000 to add 280 points and click Create NewVersion.

10. Log out.

Bea has finished her updates to the action rules to adhere to the new businesspolicies. In the next task, Adam does some management activities in the DecisionCenter Business console.

Task 4: Comparing versions and creating snapshotsIn this task, you learn about the various management activities that you can do inthe Decision Center Business console, including viewing a timeline and creating asnapshot.

In this task, Adam logs in, creates a snapshot, and views a timeline of events foran action rule.


Step 1: Create a snapshotAdam determines that now is a good time to create a snapshot of the policy.Snapshots capture the state of a project or branch at a specific moment.

To create a snapshot:1. Log in by using the user name Adam and the password Adam.2. Hover the mouse over the New Updates on Followed Rules section. Adam can

see the rules and decision table that Bea modified.3. Click Library, then click my-validation rules.4. Click Take Snapshot.5. In the Take a Snapshot window, type the name NewPolicy, type the description

Includes Bea's updates for the policy changes, and click Create.6. Click the Snapshots tab.7. Click the NewPolicy snapshot.8. Close the snapshots page.

You can review the snapshot at any time.

Step 2: View the timelineAdam wants to review the activities that took place on the my-validation-rulesproject. The timeline shows the activities, and includes the type of change, theperson who made the change, and the comments that are added.

To view the timeline:1. Click Timeline. All the changes that Bea and Adam made are displayed, along

with their comments. The Timeline icon changes to the Exit Timeline icon.2. Click the Exit Timeline icon.


Step 3: Compare snapshotsYou can compare snapshots to see the details side by side. By comparingsnapshots, you can ensure that the right version of each rule is included so that thesnapshot can be deployed. You can also keep track of the date and time whenchanges are made.

To compare snapshots:1. Click the Snapshots tab.2. Hover over NewPolicy, click the arrow to display the menu, and click

Compare.3. In the Compare Snapshots window, click InitialPolicy and click Compare. A

table shows the versions, user, and date information for the rules in thesnapshots. Information about added and updated rules is also shown.

4. Close the snapshot comparison page and log out.

The Decision Center Business console tutorial is complete. During the tutorial, youbecame familiar with the Decision Center Business console features and learnedhow to author, edit, organize, and find business rules in its collaborativeenvironment.


Notices

This information was developed for products and services offered in the U.S.A.

IBM may not offer the products, services, or features discussed in this document inother countries. Consult your local IBM representative for information on theproducts and services currently available in your area. Any reference to an IBMproduct, program, or service is not intended to state or imply that only that IBMproduct, program, or service may be used. Any functionally equivalent product,program, or service that does not infringe any IBM intellectual property right maybe used instead. However, it is the user's responsibility to evaluate and verify theoperation of any non-IBM product, program, or service.

IBM may have patents or pending patent applications covering subject matterdescribed in this document. The furnishing of this document does not grant youany license to these patents. You can send license inquiries, in writing, to:

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For license inquiries regarding double-byte character set (DBCS) information,contact the IBM Intellectual Property Department in your country or sendinquiries, in writing, to:

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The following paragraph does not apply to the United Kingdom or any othercountry where such provisions are inconsistent with local law:INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION PROVIDES THISPUBLICATION "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHEREXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIEDWARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT, MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESSFOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Some states do not allow disclaimer of express orimplied warranties in certain transactions, therefore, this statement may not applyto you.

This information could include technical inaccuracies or typographical errors.Changes are periodically made to the information herein; these changes will beincorporated in new editions of the publication. IBM may make improvementsand/or changes in the product(s) and/or the program(s) described in thispublication at any time without notice.

Any references in this information to non-IBM Web sites are provided forconvenience only and do not in any manner serve as an endorsement of those

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Licensees of this program who wish to have information about it for the purposeof enabling: (i) the exchange of information between independently createdprograms and other programs (including this one) and (ii) the mutual use of theinformation which has been exchanged, should contact:

IBM United Kingdom Laboratories,Mail Point 151,Hursley Park,Winchester,Hampshire,England SO21 2JN

Such information may be available, subject to appropriate terms and conditions,including in some cases, payment of a fee.

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