Decision Tables Modeling Lab

In this lab, you explore using decision tables to model decisions for automated rule evaluations. You explore a policy quote business case. Based on a guided analysis of performance indicators, you modify the existing business assets to adjust to changes that drive operational decisions to a different result.

Goals

  • Explore an existing decision table in a policy quote use case

  • Create a decision table based on new requirements

  • Create and execute test cases for the newly created decision table

  • Deploy the decision table to Decision Server

Prerequisites

  • Successful completion of the Environment Setup Lab

  • Successful login to Decision Central

1. Import and Deploy Policy Quote Project

In this lab, you explore how easy it is to maintain a predefined set of rules that drive operational decisions based on actions taken as a result of the monitoring of key performance indicators and/or service level agreements (SLAs).

You use a predefined policy quote project, which provides an insurance company with an automated insurance policy quoting process. Customers use a web application to request and receive quotes for their car insurance. Based on the information gathered from the web page, Decision Server determines the correct price of the insurance quote.

images/execution-server-usage.png

The business manager changes the decision rules when performance indicators show that the current rules are inadequate. These changes are made in Decision Central and impact the decisions made by Decision Server.

In this section, you import the policy quote project and deploy it to Decision Server.

  1. From the Projects list, select Import Project from the context menu:

    images/import-project-dm.png

  2. For Repository URL, enter https://github.com/gpe-mw-training/bxms_decision_mgmt_foundations_lab.git and then click Import:

    images/import-dmf_lab.png

  3. From the list of available projects, select the policy-quote project and click Ok:

    images/import-policy-quote.png

  4. Wait for the assets to load.

  5. When the loading process is complete, click Build & Deploy from the policy-quote library view:

    images/policy-quote-library.png

  6. After the success message appears, click the Home icon to load the home page.

  7. From the home page, click Deploy.

  8. Verify that the policy-quote_1.0.0 container is up and running:

    images/policy-quote-container.png

2. Test Current Functionality

In this section, you test the policy quote component of the GPTE demonstration application.

  1. Navigate to the GPTE demonstration application by locating its external route in the OpenShift console as you did in the Assets Navigation Lab:

    images/external-route-ng-dmf.png
    Tip
    		 Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform is accessible from the URL found in your lab confirmation email.

  2. From the menu on the left, select the Policy Quote demonstration:

    images/ng-dmf-main.png

  3. Complete the Car Policy Quote request form with these values:

    Field Value

    Driver Name

    John Doe

    Age

    24

    Credit Rate

    450

    Accidents

    0

    Tickets

    0

    Car Year

    2015

    Plates

    AZ3441

    Plates State

    AL

  4. Click Submit.

    • Expect to see a pop-up message showing the results of the policy quote evaluation:

      images/policy-quote-result.png

  5. Change the number of accidents, the number of tickets, the driver’s age, and the car’s year to evaluate different policy quotes.

3. Explore Data Gathering Process

Red Hat Decision Manager does not provide an out-of-the-box monitoring tool for rules execution. The authors of any decision management solution must define how the components external to Decision Server gather and persist information from the resulting decisions.

In this business use case example, the insurance company retrieves information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding winter car accidents. This information indicates an increase in fatal accidents in Ohio and Michigan over the last two years. To maintain a sustainable business model for those states, the insurance company decides to apply a surcharge to new policies coming from those states.

images/020617-WinterCarAccidents_bars.png

4. Change Decision Operation

In this scenario, the insurance company decides that it must change the model to accommodate a decision in new policy applications—car owners with Ohio or Michigan plates must include a surcharge. This change is made within Decision Central.

  1. From the project list, select the policy-quote project:

    images/projects-perspective.png

  2. Click Settings, and from the project settings view, change the project version to 1.1.0 and save the changes:

    images/policy-quote-settings.png

  3. Find and open the Determine State Surcharge decision table:

    images/find-state-surcharge.png

  4. In the Determine State Surcharge decision table, right click row 1 and select Insert row above:

    images/insert-row-above.png

  5. Add a row for Ohio to the decision table to include these values:

    images/oh-state-surcharge.png

  6. Repeat the steps to add a row for Michigan with a surcharge price of 50 dollars.

  7. Save the changes to the decision table.

5. Test Updated Functionality

In this section, you use the GPTE demonstration application to test the updated functionality.

  1. Create a test scenario called OH State Surcharge to verify the new price surcharge for Ohio:

    images/oh-state-surcharge-scenario.png

  2. Execute the test scenario and verify that it succeeds.

  3. Save the changes and publish the project by executing the Build & Deploy operation from the project’s library view.

  4. Using the GPTE demonstration application, select either MI (Michigan) or OH (Ohio) for Plates State and submit the quote to see whether the surcharge and price changes are as you expect.