R1: A rule-based configurer of computer systems

R1 is a program that configures VAX-11/780 computer systems. Given a customer's order, it determines what, if any, modifications have to be made to the order for reasons of system functionality and produces a number of diagrams showing how the various components on the order are to be associated. The program is currently being used on a regular basis by Digital Equipment Corporation's manufacturing organization. R1 is implemented as a production system. It uses Match as its principal problem solving method; it has sufficient knowledge of the configuration domain and of the peculiarities of the various configuration constraints that at each step in the configuration process, it simply recognizes what to do. Consequently, little search is required in order for it to configure a computer system.