Managing system and managing method of mobile agent

• US 6,539,416 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1998
• Issued: 03/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Takewaki, Toshiaki, Kim, Soomi
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/213,372
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 709/202, 709/206, 709/217, 709/300, 709/317, 707/4, 707/10, 707/100-103
• US Class Current: 709/202
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/048 mobile agents
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/32 Architecture of open systems interconnection [OSI] 7-layer type protocol stacks, e.g. the interfaces between the data link level and the physical level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

In a managing system of a mobile agent system, the mobile agent system comprises a plurality of agent systems for generating an agent, executing the agent and performing a movement processing of the agent, at least one agent holding server having an agent holding table, and a network connected thereto, and each of the plurality of agent systems has agent managing section to transfer the agent to the agent holding table of the agent holding server when the mobile agent system does not accept the agent in a case the agent is moved from the agent system under execution to the mobile agent system, and the agent holding server has server managing section to hold the agent in the agent managing table, and to move the agent when the mobile agent system can become accepting it.

Claims

1. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system, wherein said mobile-type agent system comprises:

a plurality of agent systems for generating an agent, executing the agent and performing a movement processing of the agent;

at least one agent holding server having an agent holding table; and

a network connected thereto, and wherein

each of said plurality of agent systems has agent managing means to transfer said agent to said agent holding table of said agent holding server when a next one of said agent systems does not accept said agent in a case said agent is going to be moved from a current one of the agent systems to said next agent system, and

said agent holding server has server managing means to hold said agent in said agent managing table, and to move said agent when said next agent system can accept said agent.

2. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of agent systems includes an agent client and an agent platform.

3. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of agent systems comprises:

means for deactivating a first agent system which issues said agent first, until the issued agent is processed by other agent systems connected with said network and returns to the first agent system; and

means for confirming a presence of said agent moving to the first agent system to said agent holding server after reactivating the first agent system, which issues the agent first, and requesting movement of the agent.

4. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of agent systems further comprises:

means for serializing said agent by a predetermined agent system and transferring said agent to said agent holding table of said agent holding server, when said next agent system can not accept the agent; and

means for deserializing said serialized agent when said serialized agent is received through said agent holding server.

5. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 1, wherein

said plurality of agent systems further comprises:

means for deactivating the first agent system which issues said agent first until the issued agent is processed by other agent systems connected with said network, and returns to the first agent system;

means for requesting an itinerary of said agent moving to the first agent system from said agent holding table of said agent holding server after the first agent system issuing the agent first reactivates; and

means for deserializing said agent moving to the first agent system when said agent has been serialized by another agent system.

6. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 1, wherein

each of said plurality of agent systems comprises:

an agent transmitting and receiving section for transmitting and receiving said agent through said network;

an agent storage section for holding a received agent;

an agent manager for managing a generation of the agent, transmitting and receiving the agent, and an execution of the agent, and for moving the agent to said agent holding server, when said next agent system can not accept the agent; and

an agent execution section for executing a processing of said agent.

7. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 1, wherein when an agent acceptance request is received from said next agent system, said agent holding server moves said agent to said next agent system stored in said agent holding table according to the request.

8. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 1, wherein

said agent holding server regularly monitors the activation state of said next agent system, and, when it is judged that said next agent system can accept said agent, moves said agent stored in said agent holding table to said next agent system.

9. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 1, wherein

said agent has an information showing a position of said agent holding server, and the first agent system moves said agent to said agent holding server according to said position information.

10. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 1, wherein

said plural agent system further comprises:

means for checking whether a plurality of same agents are to be moved to said next agent system exist, and for moving to said next agent system by bringing the plurality of agents together in one agent when the plurality of same agents exist.

11. A managing system of a mobile-type agent system, wherein

said mobile-type agent system comprises a plurality of agent systems for executing an agent, generating the agent, and moving the agent, and a network connected thereto, and wherein

each of said plurality of agent systems comprises:

means for serializing only an internal state of said plurality of agents when there are a plurality of agents of the same itinerary in a current one of the agent systems, and holding together the serialized states in a first one of the agents; and

agent transfer means for moving the first agent to a next agent system by single transfer operation.

12. A managing system of a mobile agent system, wherein

said mobile-type agent system comprises a plurality of agent systems for executing an agent, generating the agent, and moving the agent, and a network connected thereto, and wherein each of said plurality of agent systems comprises:

means for serializing and for making another agent in the agent system hold collectively said serialized agents, when a next agent system is deactivated in spite of completing a processing of the agent;

means for moving said agents to another one of the agent systems; and

agent transfer means for deserializing the serialized agents and moving them, when the deactivated said next agent system activates.

13. A method of managing an agent of a mobile-type agent system which has a plurality of agent systems for generating an agent, executing the agent and performing a movement processing of the agent;

at least one agent holding server having an agent holding table; and

a network connected thereto, comprising the steps of;

transferring said agent to said agent holding table of said agent holding server when a next agent system does not accept said agent in a case said agent is moved from one of the agent systems to said next agent system; and

moving said agent held in said agent holding table of said agent holding server to said next agent system when said next agent system can accept said agent.

14. A method of managing an agent of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

deactivating a first agent system which issues said agent first, until the issued agent is processed by other agent systems connected with said network and returns to the owner agent system; and

confirming an existence of the agent moving to the first agent system for said agent holding server after reactivating the first agent system, and requesting an itinerary of the agent.

15. A method of managing an agent of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

serializing said agent by a predetermined one of the agent systems and transferring the serialized agent to said agent holding table of said agent holding server when a next agent system can not accept the agent; and

deserializing said serialized agent from said agent holding server by said next agent system, which can accept said agent.

16. A method of managing an agent of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

deactivating the first agent system which issues said agent first until the issued agent is processed by other agent systems connected with said network, and returns to the first agent system;

confirming an existence of the agent moving to the first agent system for said agent holding server after reactivation, and requesting an itinerary of the agent; and

deserializing the agent moving to the first agent system serialized by another one of the plurality of agent systems.

17. A method of managing an agent of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 13, wherein

said agent holding server, which receives an agent acceptance request from said next agent system, moves said agent stored in said agent holding table according to the request to said next agent system.

18. A method of managing an agent of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 13, wherein

the activation state of said next agent system is regularly monitored by said agent holding server, and, when it is judged that said next agent system can accept said agent, said agent stored in said agent holding table is moved.

19. A method of managing an agent of a mobile agent system according to claim 13, wherein

said agent is moved to said agent holding server according to a position information of said agent holding server provided in said agent.

20. A method of managing an agent of a mobile-type agent system according to claim 13, further comprising the step of:

checking whether a plurality of agents to be moved to said next agent system exist, and moving to said next agent system by bringing the plurality of agents together in one agent when the plurality of agents have a common itinerary.

21. A method of managing an agent of a mobile-type agent system which has a plurality of agent systems for generating an agent, executing the agent and performing a movement processing of the agent;

and a network connected thereto, comprising the steps of;

serializing only an internal state of said plurality of agents when there are a plurality of agents of the same itinerary in one of the agent systems under execution, and holding the serialized agents together in one of the agents; and

moving the agent brought together to a next agent system by a single transfer operation.

22. A method of managing an agent of a mobile-type agent system which has a plurality of agent systems for generating an agent, executing the agent and performing a movement processing of the agent;

and a network connected thereto, comprising the steps of;

serializing only an internal state of the agent, and holding another agent when a next agent system is not activated in spite of completing a processing of the agent with one of the agent systems; and

deserializing the serialized agents and moving them to the next agent system, when the next agent system activates.