A blackboard control architecture for model selection and sequencing

Model management systems are computerised systems that facilitate the management of large numbers of decision models used in organizations. Model selection and sequencing in a model management system is the problem of processing a given model base in order to arrive at a sequence of models that can be executed to produce a set of required outputs (goal). Prior solution approaches do not attempt to solve this problem such that the goal is achieved while best meeting the objectives of the user. Instead, research to date has typically provided the first sequence of models which satisfy the goal, without attempting to optimise the objectives of the user. This restricts the applicability of many existing approaches to problems with unique solutions or to situations where users exhibit no preference among the candidate model sequences (i.e. solutions). In many real-world problems, however, multiple solutions may exist and users may prefer a certain solution over the others, based on a variety of criteria such as solution cost, accuracy and so on. In this paper, the authors present an architecture based on the concept of blackboard control that solves the model selection and sequencing problem while attempting to optimise the objectives of the user. They also discuss the applicability of the proposed approach for solving other problems encountered in the area of model management.