computer science

Known error

Known error is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Known error rather than just read about it. In short: A known error is a software bug that has not been fixed, but has an identified root cause and either has low disruptive impact on end users or a known workaround. In the ITIL framework for IT service management, the term has a specific meaning that distinguishes it from a problem.

Key takeaways

Known error belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Known error to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Known error from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

A known error is a software bug that has not been fixed, but has an identified root cause and either has low disruptive impact on end users or a known workaround. In the ITIL framework for IT service management, the term has a specific meaning that distinguishes it from a problem. A problem is an underlying cause of one or more incidents whose root cause has not yet been determined. Once the root cause is identified, the problem is reclassified as a known error. The known error remains in that state until a permanent fix is implemented or the affected system is decommissioned. Known errors may be recorded in a Known Error Database (KEDB), which documents the root cause, any available workarounds, and the status of fix efforts. In ITIL, the KEDB is maintained as part of the Problem Management process and is used to prioritise changes, speed up incident resolution, and provide support staff with reference information when a workaround exists. Tested systems are sometimes described as "free from known errors" to acknowledge that complex systems cannot be proven entirely error-free, but that all identified bugs have been either fixed or documented.

See also ITIL Software bug Workaround Root cause analysis IT service management

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Known error

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Known error claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Known error before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Known error ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Known error

In research: Known error appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Known error in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Known error is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Computer errors, Computing stubs, IT service management, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Known error outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Known error in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Known error means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Known error out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Known error in simple terms?

Why does Known error matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Known error?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Known error.