A Survey on State-of-the-Art Knowledge-based System Development and Issues

Abstract

The human brain can store countless folds of knowledge. Still, we cannot fully utilize a single human brain to solve a specific problem. Knowledge-based systems (KBSs) are computer programs specifically developed to perform problem solving like human experts. These systems effectively expand efficiency and flawlessly solve problems in various fields. The structure of a KBS can be divided into five standard components, which are described in detail. The component used for storage is called a knowledgebase, while an inference engine is a software module that processes the knowledge stored in the knowledgebase. Different tools, shells and programming languages can be used to develop and utilize KBSs. The most popular development languages are List Programming (Lisp), Prolog, Java Expert Systems Shell (JESS) and C Language Integrated Production System (CLIPS). This paper highlights various known issues in the phases of the development, deployment and maintenance of KBSs. Developers, as well as end users, may face various issues in the life cycle of these systems. The key personalities involved in the development and maintenance of KBSs are knowledge engineers and domain knowledge experts. Most issues are related to the experts’ availability, their behavior and long-term cooperation.