Approach for managing mobile agents in networks
First Claim
1. A method for managing a mobile agent process of a plurality of mobile agent processes in a network comprising:
- the mobile agent process, of the plurality of mobile agent processes, sending, to a management process configured to manage moving any of the plurality of mobile agent processes to any of a plurality of network elements, a communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from a first network element in the network to a second network element of the plurality of network elements in the network;
the mobile agent process detecting whether the mobile agent process received from the management process a response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network;
in response to detecting that the mobile agent process received from the management process the response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network and detecting that the response to the communication includes an authorization for the mobile agent process to move from the first network element to the second network element, causing the mobile agent process to be moved from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network; and
in response to detecting that the mobile agent process did not receive from the management process the response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network, causing the mobile agent process itself to be terminated;
wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices.
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Abstract
An approach for managing mobile agents in a network generally comprises configuring a mobile agent in a secure manner such that the mobile agent will automatically terminate itself if the mobile agent cannot communicate with a specified entity before moving, or the mobile agent cannot successfully communicate with a specified entity within a specified period of time. According to another embodiment, if a management process cannot communicate with a mobile agent within a specified period of time, then the management process attempts to cause the termination of the mobile agent. The management process may contact another management process that has the ability to terminate the mobile agent and request that other management process to cause the termination of the mobile agent. According to other embodiment, the management process may cause the creation and dispatch of a “hunter-killer” mobile agent configured to locate and cause the termination of other mobile agents.
26 Citations
15 Claims
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1. A method for managing a mobile agent process of a plurality of mobile agent processes in a network comprising:
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the mobile agent process, of the plurality of mobile agent processes, sending, to a management process configured to manage moving any of the plurality of mobile agent processes to any of a plurality of network elements, a communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from a first network element in the network to a second network element of the plurality of network elements in the network; the mobile agent process detecting whether the mobile agent process received from the management process a response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network; in response to detecting that the mobile agent process received from the management process the response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network and detecting that the response to the communication includes an authorization for the mobile agent process to move from the first network element to the second network element, causing the mobile agent process to be moved from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network; and in response to detecting that the mobile agent process did not receive from the management process the response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network, causing the mobile agent process itself to be terminated; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for managing a mobile agent process of a plurality of mobile agent processes in a network, the computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:
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sending, to a management process configured to manage moving any of the plurality of mobile agent processes to any of a plurality of network elements, a communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from a first network element in the network to a second network element of the plurality of network elements in the network; detecting whether the mobile agent process received from the management process a response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network; in response to detecting that the mobile agent process received from the management process the response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network and detecting that the response to the communication includes an authorization for the mobile agent process to move from the first network element to the second network element, causing the mobile agent process to be moved from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network; and in response to detecting that the mobile agent process did not receive from the management process the response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network, causing the mobile agent process itself to be terminated. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7)
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8. A computer system for managing a mobile agent process of a plurality of mobile agent processes in a network, the computer system comprising a memory that comprises instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:
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the mobile agent process, of the plurality of mobile agent processes, sending, to a management process configured to manage moving any of the plurality of mobile agent processes to any of a plurality of network elements, a communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from a first network element in the network to a second network element of the plurality of network elements in the network; the mobile agent process detecting whether the mobile agent process received from the management process a response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network; in response to detecting that the mobile agent process received from the process the response to the communication relating to the process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network and detecting that the response to the communication includes an authorization for the mobile agent process to move from the first network element to the second network element, causing the mobile agent process to be moved from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network; and in response to detecting that the mobile agent process did not receive from the management the response to the communication relating to the mobile agent process moving from the first network element in the network to the second network element in the network, causing the mobile agent process itself to be terminated. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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12. A method for managing a mobile agent process that is configured to move between network elements in a network, the method comprising:
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determining whether one or more code instructions in the mobile agent process have been modified; in response to determining that the one or more code instructions in the mobile agent process have been modified, the mobile agent process itself causing the mobile agent process to be terminated on the network element; wherein the method is performed by one or more computing devices. - View Dependent Claims (13)
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14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for managing a mobile agent process that is configured to move between network elements in a network, the computer-readable storage medium storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform:
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determining whether one or more code instructions in the mobile agent process have been modified; in response to determining that the one or more code instructions in the mobile agent process have been modified, the mobile agent process itself causing the mobile agent process to be terminated on the network element. - View Dependent Claims (15)
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Specification