Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Distributed data processing – Processing agent
Reexamination Certificate
2002-09-09
2003-12-09
Winder, Patrice (Department: 2155)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Distributed data processing
Processing agent
C709S241000, C709S241000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06662207
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in technology for processing information existing in a distributed manner in a network, and more particularly to an improvement in agent-oriented information processing technology that adapts to a change in situations.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, information processing systems such as computers have seen progressive downsizing and advances in the development of network environments, such as the Internet. For this reason, the information processing equipment and methods are largely experiencing a shift to a distributed system in which elements such as data files and function libraries are distributed among nodes in a network. Along with the change, there have been further advancements in providing an open network environment, with local networks of companies and research laboratories, for example, being connected to wide area networks, such networks connected to wide area networks being known as open networks.
In a typical large-scale open network, data files or function libraries that are distributed among a plurality of nodes are often combined to form a single piece of software, this class of software being known as a distributed system. It can be envisioned that such distributed constituent elements can be moved to another node or directory or can be subjected to a change in name or access authority in response to node management or network management situations. In making such changes, however, the following problems arise.
First, when a request is made for software processing, the request is input as a request description such as a message or command. When making this input, specific constituent elements with regard to processing located at a given node are specified. However, when the specified constituent elements are moved to another node, to specify the new destination node, it is necessary to either reenter or correct the input to the software. In particular when part of the software is configured to access a transferred constituent element, the movement of the constituent element changes the configuration of the software itself. In this case, it is necessary to change the accessing software part so as to specify the new destination node.
In the past, because elements such as nodes, functions, and files were named explicitly, when such functions and files were moved, the software or input needed to be changed accordingly. Furthermore, this type of specification needed to be made before the start of processing.
In distributed systems, therefore, in order to configure software to provide flexible response to reliably provide service to users, it is very important to be able to respond flexibly to such changes. In particular in the change of such changes, it is desirable to be able to change a specification even after processing has started and, if at all possible, automatically, without the need for human intervention.
In a network, recent years have seen attention being focused on agent-oriented technologies as a means for implementing such as flexible software architecture. This agent-oriented technology is a software-development technology which aims to make up a piece of software by treating agents as units, an agent being a unit of processing in software, the goal being to achieve autonomous and flexible response to environmental changes. Agents can be classified as mobile agents, which are capable of being moved between nodes that made up a network, and stationary agents, which do not possess such mobility.
An agent system is a system in which an agent performs information processing with the goal of satisfying requests from a user. If a single system uses a plurality of agents, it is possible to perform highly efficient information processing in a distributed system such as a distributed processing network. Such system as to use a plurality of agents is known as a multi-agent system.
The term “node” refers to a logical unit that makes up a network, and if an agent is considered to be a program, a node serves the function of an interpreter or operating system that supports the operation of the agent. This type of node is known as a platform, which can exist as a single computer, and there are cases in which a plurality of nodes exists in one computer.
For example, in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Application publication H7-182174, there is disclosed a method of implementing remote programming. This remote programming is such programming as to transfer an agent from the node at which processing was begun to another node in a distributed system.
(Agent System Example)
Next, an example of an agent system that uses the above-noted agent to implement remote programming will be described. Specifically
FIG. 28
is a functional block diagram that shows an example of a mufti-agent system which uses a mobile agent. The agent system that is shown in this drawing has a network
800
N that connects a plurality of nodes
800
and, while a large number of nodes
800
can be provided in the system, two representative nodes are shown in FIG.
28
. Of the nodes
800
, the node that is used by the user in creating an agent will be called the local node (
800
L) and the node that is the destination for the generated agent will be called the remote node (
800
R). The local node
800
L and the remote node
8008
have mutually similar configurations, and the agents are treated as processes. The term “process” as used herein refers to a unit of processing that is managed by an operating system, and the simultaneous management of a plurality of processes is known as mufti-process management.
In the above-noted mufti-agent system, each node
800
has an input/output means
803
(L, R) for the purpose of the user generating an agent and for receiving the results of information processing that is performed by an agent. An agent management means
804
(L, R) of each node, in addition to being used for generating and deleting an agent, is used to move an agent to another node by transferring information of the agent to the other node, and in the same manner to receive an agent from another node.
If a user wishes to perform some type of information processing using the above-described type of agent system, the user creates an agent at the local node
800
L by giving an indication from the input/output means
803
L to the agent management means
804
L.
Then, in the most basic case, the user issues a script from the input/output means
803
L to a generated agent. The script is an action program for an agent, and is described with specific contents that indicate, for example, of which node is to be moved to and what processing is to be performed. As a more specific example of a script, it can be envisioned that movement is to be made to node A, and a copy of file a is to be sent to a user node, after which movement is made to node b, and a copy of file b is sent to a user node. An interpretation/execution means
802
(L, R) that is provided at each node executes such a script so as to apply the agent, thereby achieving the desired object of information processing.
In the above-noted case, an agent information storage means
801
(L, R) at each node stores information required for the agent. In addition to the above-noted script, the information required for the agent includes, for example, the variables necessary for interpretation and execution of the script (these being known as script variables) and, if required, information or files collected by the agent. As instructions described into a script for an agent, in addition to instructions that can be executed at only a single node, there are movement instructions which cause movement of an agent from one node to another. The interpretation/execution means
802
L sequentially executes instructions of the script and, if it is necessary to execute a movement instruction, it specifies the destination node and issues a request to the agent management means
804
to move the agent. In this case, the agent management means
8
Hasegawa Tetsuo
Irie Yutaka
Kase Naoki
Kawamura Takahiro
Ohsuga Akihiko
Banner & Witcoff, LTD.
Duong Oanh
Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
Winder Patrice
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