Delta Configuration List

Problem: Complex system is acting strange. Technician suspects that some obscure setting has been inadvertently changed.

Solution: A DeltaConfigurationList that shows only those settings different from default and/or outside of expected range. (A complete list would also be nice as an option.)

Example

An operating system DeltaConfigurationList could look something like:

 USER INTERFACE:
   Pull-down list length: 400px (default: 200px)
   Double-click wait gap: 8000ms (default: 400ms) ** FAR OUTSIDE OF TYPICAL RANGE **
 PRINTING:
   Double-sided: On (default: off)
   Orientation: Landscape (default: auto)
 Etc...

Discussion

A common cause of problems is some doofus fiddling with settings out of boredom or naivety and making a system act strange by flipping some obscure setting. I've seen technicians eyeball through hundreds of parameter and configuration settings trying to find something out-of-the-ordinary. I admire their patience and keen eyes, but it seems anti-automation. If there was a way to generate a delta-list, then hunting down such problems would be easier. (If vendors would tablize their config settings into standard DBMS, then writing our own comparison queries would at least be an option.) --top

CategoryComplexity, CategoryUserInterface