9. An apparatus comprising: a production memory to store a rule set having a plurality of rules; and a Rete rule engine coupled to the production memory, the Rete rule engine being configurable into a sequential mode, in which the Rete rule engine is operable to evaluate the plurality of rules against a set of data objects in a stateless manner.
16. A system comprising the apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising: a user interface operatively coupled to the production memory to receive the plurality of rules from a user, wherein the plurality of rules comprises a plurality of business rules for determining if an applicant qualifies for a mortgage.