Method and apparatus providing autonomous discovery of potential trading partners in a dynamic, decentralized information economy
First Claim
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1. A method for operating a software agent, comprising steps of:
- initiating a search procedure;
determining whether to query a current directory service agent for a list of other software agents that match at least one search criterion;
if it is determined to query the current directory service agent, querying the current directory service agent for the list of other software agents that match at least one search criterion;
adding any new matching software agents to a list of matching software agents;
determining whether to query the current directory service agent for a list of other directory service agents;
if it is determined to query the current directory service agent, querying the current directory service agent for the list of other directory service agents;
adding any new directory service agents to a list of directory service agents; and
selectively one of terminating the search procedure or selecting from the list of directory service agents another directory service agent as the current directory service agent, and repeating the steps of determining, querying and adding.
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Abstract
A method and system for searching for software agents or directory service agents in a distributed environment. The system employs a plurality of host computers that include software agents and/or directory service agents and that are connected to a network. The method as invoked at one of the host computers searches for other agents with a recursive search that enables one agent to locate other agents that match a given criteria. The recursive search may use cross-listed directory services, negotiated cross-listings and economic considerations.
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Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for operating a software agent, comprising steps of:
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initiating a search procedure;
determining whether to query a current directory service agent for a list of other software agents that match at least one search criterion;
if it is determined to query the current directory service agent, querying the current directory service agent for the list of other software agents that match at least one search criterion;
adding any new matching software agents to a list of matching software agents;
determining whether to query the current directory service agent for a list of other directory service agents;
if it is determined to query the current directory service agent, querying the current directory service agent for the list of other directory service agents;
adding any new directory service agents to a list of directory service agents; and
selectively one of terminating the search procedure or selecting from the list of directory service agents another directory service agent as the current directory service agent, and repeating the steps of determining, querying and adding. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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- 14. A data communications system comprising a communications network that couples together processor nodes certain ones of which execute a program for implementing the functionality of at least one of a software agent or a directory service agent, wherein the program operates so as to initiate a search procedure for at least one of other software agents or directory service agents, to determine whether to query a current directory service agent for a list of other software agents that match at least one search criterion, and responsive to determining to query the current directory service agent, to query the current directory service agent for the list of other software agents that match at least one search criterion, to add any new matching software agents to a list of matching software agents, to determine whether to query a current directory service agent for a list of other directory service agents, responsive to determining to query the current directory service agent for a list of other directory service agents, to query the current directory service agent for the list of other directory service agents, to add any new directory service agents to a list of directory service agents and to selectively one of terminate the search procedure or to select from the list of directory service agents another directory service agent as the current directory service agent, and to continue this process until the search procedure is terminated.
Specification