Developers Learn from Appulse and Appulse Learns from Developers

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

From a developer point of view, the best way to understand the relationship between the developer and Appulse, is one of mutual learning and collaborative solution-making. We define Appulse as “smart,” and rightly so. It is able to learn, to respond, and to resolve enterprise-wide operational issues efficiently and effectively.

But we need to understand that, fundamentally, Appulse is as smart as the developers who work with it. What does that mean? For starters, it means that, even though Appulse recognizes issues on its own, it only resolves issues using solutions from “wise solutions database” which is initially loaded with a number of solution-templates and can be enlarged with solutions that developers load. So, while Appulse itself does not create a solution that is not loaded to it, it does trigger the need for a solution faster than a human might be able to notice there is a problem.

Over time, Appulse, thanks to an AI module, is then able to suggest solutions based on the solutions that have existed, and those solutions that have been  added to it. And based on the information that it collects about operational issues.

The speed and accuracy of issue recognition, the initiation of solutions, and issue resolution, is part of what makes the relationship between Appulse and the developers who use it one that is truly smart. It is also one that saves time and money, while keeping the most vital systems running well .

All that starts with learning.

How Appulse Learns

In the most basic sense, Appulse learns exactly the same way that each one of us learns. Every time Appulse encounters a new operational issue, it gathers information about what occurs and what the effect is. Then, just like humans gather and save knowledge in our “memory banks,” Appulse records and saves that information in its knowledge base with the help of an application support person using Appulse.

This is important, but it is only the beginning. Yes, Appulse stores the information related to specific scenarios across the enterprise. It gathers and saves knowledge. However, it also takes the next step, with the help of all the developers and engineers who use Appulse and work to make it smarter. And that next step is why we can call Appulse a truly smart resource.

In every new case – every time Appulse encounters a new scenario or operational issue – it also learns all the solutions that can resolve that issue. This is where the power of the developers and the engineers comes in to make Appulse smarter and more valuable to the enterprise. Developers assess the information that Appulse provides related to the operational issue. Then, the developers teach Appulse all the solutions that can work to resolve the issues that it reports. In this way, Appulse gets smarter with every issue it encounters. It continues to learn, increasing the knowledge base and improving efficiencies and responses over time.

So, the next time the same issue, or a similar issue, comes up, Appulse is able to search for necessary solutions, based on what it already knows will work. This is all based on what, with the help of developers, Appulse has learned and, effectively, remembered.

How Does Appulse Store Solutions?

Let’s return that idea of the human memory bank to understand a bit more about how Appulse stores solutions. Whenever a developer teaches Appulse how to resolve an issue, that developer loads the solution itself into Appulse. This is how Appulse comes to connect specific operational issues or scenarios with a specific solution (or a stable of solutions) that could work for those scenarios.

If you are thinking that there is a certain amount of complexity here, you are absolutely correct. One of the key values of Appulse is that it helps to simplify these complexities in a way that gets issues recognized and resolved more quickly.

Now, back to our memory bank. Appulse has a bit of an advantage here over our human brains. Our brains tend to forget important details and complicated, multi-step processes, even those that we have stored in our memory banks. Appulse, on the other hand, is designed to store, save, retrieve, and apply information efficiently. Every time a developer loads a solution into Appulse, that solution is stored in a template. Calling up and applying those templates to the right scenarios becomes a straightforward, efficient process.

Specific Templates for Specific Solutions

There are as many templates as there are solutions. And each is unique to the issue or issues it resolves. Because smart developers mean a smarter Appulse, developers fill each template with the needed parameters for exactly the situation at hand. This eliminates workarounds and trial and error. It also means that you will no longer face a situation where one Team Member is the only person who can fix a certain problem or apply the right solution to a specific operational problem.

Appulse stores that Team Member’s knowledge, along with the knowledge of all the other Team Members. So, whether that person is at work or available in the moment a specific issue arises, the problem can be resolved, thanks to the solution templates that Appulse stores and recalls.

As the developer, all you need to do is review the solution and run it.

Why Smarter Appulse is a Smart Ally

As streamlined a process as this is, we need to note again, that the complexities are real. That is why it is so important to have an Appulse that gets smarter by the day, along with a team of experienced developers who work together and share their knowledge with each other using Appulse.

One of the reasons that Appulse exists, is because the process of identifying issues and applying solutions to resolve those issues is as complex as it is essential to keeping large-scale businesses running. Often, the solutions in question are multi-stepped and complex.

But all that would be made more difficult without Appulse. For one, Appulse defines the problem quickly, often before it has the chance to have a significant negative impact on operations. For another, as soon as Appulse identifies that problem, it initiates a ticket that shows the problem needs a resolution.

That way, as soon as the developer opens the ticket, he/she sees the problem. But, they also see the solution Appulse recommends based on what it has learned. This helps move the resolution process along much faster, because the developer is not “reinventing the wheel” every time he/she encounters a problem. Making the process even more efficient – and more effective over time – the developer then submits the solution directly onto the mainframe.

Making Appulse – and Problem Solving – Even Smarter

We referred to the relationship between the developer and Appulse as collaborative. And that is exactly what it is. Appulse helps the developer see problems faster. And, based on its stored solutions, it helps developers see possible solutions more quickly, too. But Appulse only learns with the help of developers who are on a mission to solve problems.

In fact, the best kind of problem solving does not stop the moment that an issue is resolved. The best kind of problem solving gathers more information, provides feedback, and reviews scenarios to make sure that the next time a problem is encountered, it is resolved even more quickly.

The developer-Appulse relationship is this kind of problem solving in action. Once a solution is proven successful, the developer gives feedback and adds more information to Appulse. That creates a richer knowledge base for Appulse. As a result, everyone else who works with Appulse after that can choose from multiple solutions the next time the same or similar situation occurs.

Collaboration Continues

The developer-Appulse relationship is just a piece of the collaboration puzzle for keeping the biggest, most essential systems functioning optimally. Appulse enables large teams of developers and engineers to collaborate with each other through a centralized tool. Appulse makes it possible for colleagues to find solutions that other Team Members have imported. It also enables them to add new solutions other colleagues can use.

This makes the team smarter. It makes business applications smarter. And it makes work easier for everyone. In our next article, we are talking about how Appulse-enabled collaboration makes life easier for large teams. And how you might actually be able to turn off your work phone while you are on vacation!