Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) popularized the first expert system routinely used in an industrial setting, known as XCON. Under what other name was this rule-based configurator widely known?

Introduction / Context:
XCON was a landmark expert system deployed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) to configure VAX computer orders. It demonstrated practical business value for rule-based systems by reducing configuration errors and speeding fulfillment. The question asks for the alternate name by which XCON was known in the research and practitioner community.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• XCON is an expert system used in industry.
• It configured VAX systems and options.
• We need the alias used in the literature and within the project team.

Concept / Approach:

XCON was commonly referred to as R1 (short for Rule-based system 1). It encapsulated thousands of production rules that mapped customer requirements to compatible components, ensuring technically valid system configurations. R1's success helped catalyze widespread interest in expert systems for commercial problems beyond academic prototypes.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:

Case studies and AI textbooks consistently identify XCON as R1, emphasizing its rule-based architecture and measurable operational benefits at DEC.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

VAX and PDP-11: DEC hardware product lines, not the expert system's alias.

MAGNOM: Not the accepted alternate name for XCON.

None: Incorrect because R1 is the recognized alias.

Common Pitfalls:

Confusing the configurator (software) with the systems it configured (VAX).

Final Answer:

R1