Configuring computer systems through constraint-based modeling and interactive constraint satisfaction

A major problem in the computer industry, as with many other industries, is ensuring that the products ordered by a customer are viable products and that they can be delivered at the quoted price. The inability of companies to solve this problem results in an enormous expense for a company. In this paper we present an approach to solving this problem in the computer industry through constraint-based modeling and interactive constraint satisfaction. pc/con, a Personal Computer Configuration System, has been built within a computer-based environment called Saturn. The development of pc/con and related work is discussed. Saturn's architecture is presented and an example session with pc/con is demonstrated. We show how Saturn and pc/con have the features and capabilities necessary to support the extremely large variety of products and to support the maintenance of a configuration system for a rapidly and continuously changing product line. This approach would also appear to be applicable to other industries where there is a wide product variety.