Defining Virtual Agent Queries

The virtual agent is capable of searching many sources of information. The most trusted sources are checked first. After a solution has been found, the virtual agent stops searching any additional sources.

The following sections give information about the default virtual agent queries:

Virtual Agent Queries define the sources of information the virtual agent can search when answering a user's question. For example, the virtual agent might search the artificial intelligence repository, the knowledge management database, or the internet. You configure the parameters for each source in a Virtual Agent Query definition.

Virtual Agent Queries are configured in the Virtual Chat Administration Console under the General Settings section. When you open the Virtual Agent Query Configuration pane, a list of queries appears. You can add, delete, or disable queries in the list. When you save or delete any query, the system is immediately updated and new virtual agent requests use the modified queries. Any chat that is already in progress continues to use the queries that were in effect at the start of the chat session.

When you open the Virtual Agent Query section of the Virtual Chat Administration Console, the Virtual Agent Query Configuration pane appears. This pane lists the queries that are defined in your system, as shown in the following figure.

Virtual Agent Query list

By default all queries, except those that are disabled, appear in the list. You determine which queries to display by selecting and clearing the Show Company, Show Global, and Show Disabled check boxes at the top of the pane. The execution order determines the sequence of processing the queries.

BMC Virtual Chat is installed with six queries that are enabled. The first two queries, with an execution order of 0, are Too Many Terms and Multi Part Reply. These queries are used to handle situations in which a user's question is too long, has more than one question in the same submission, or both. The Multi Part Reply query is used to answer multiple questions within the same virtual agent response. 

The Virtual Agent Chatbot is the third query, with an execution order of 10. This query defines the query for the Artificial Intelligence Markup Language (AIML) content. 

The fourth query, with an execution order or 21, searches Microsoft Office Online content for a solution. It has the same execution order value as the fifth query, BMC Knowledge Management. The BMC Knowledge Management query uses AND logic in the query to generate a more specific response to the user question when searching the knowledge base. 

Finally, the last query, with an execution order of 100, is a general Google query. Because it is last in order, the response text indicates that a solution was not found but the virtual agent has provided a web link to expand the query.

Additional queries

BMC Virtual Chat is installed with many other queries that are installed as disabled. To see the additional queries, select the Show Disabled check box. In addition, you can create your own queries to search other information sources.

Settings for virtual agent queries to enable Google search and Microsoft Office Online search

To enable BMC Virtual Agent to provide a link to Google search and Microsoft Office Online search, perform the following steps:

1. From the IT Home Page, select Virtual Chat > Administration Console > General Settings > Virtual Agent Queries.
2. Click Show Disabled to view all the configuration items.
3. Select the No Answer entry and click Modify.

4. Select Enabled.

5. Click OK.

6. Select the MS Office Online entry and click Modify.
7. In Execution Order, make sure that the value is less than 100.
8. Select Enabled.

9. Click OK.

Where to go next

Virtual agent query parameters and formats