Agent-Oriented InfoStation Architecture

Ivan MinovUniversity of Plovdiv “Paisii Hilendarski“

Overview

• InfoStation architecture

• Our Approach

• Impronto Simulator

• JADE powered by LEAP– The Split Container Execution Mode

• Bluetooth, JADE, InfoStation

Mobile Devices(with Intelligent Agents acting

as Personal Assistants formobile users)

(with Profile Managers)

LaptopCellularphone

PDA

(with up-to-date copies ofuser/service profiles)

Second tier: InfoStations

InfoStation CenterFirst tier:

Third tier:

-The First Tier of the network architecture encompasses mobile devices (cellular phones, laptops and PDAs), equipped with intelligent agents that act as personal assistants for the users.

-The Second Tier consists of InfoStations, deployed around a University Campus, and faciliates the mobile users’ access to the eLearning services.

-The Third Tier is the InfoStation Center itself. Its main functions are to: control the InfoStations, update and synchronize information across the system, manage different types of profiles.

InfoStation architecture

Our Approach

Functional Level

Agent & Service Level

Scenarios Level

Control Model

Control Model

Control Model

FAM

SAM

Supporting Agents

• We have to define different kinds of InfoStation support agents.

• Two basic agent classes:– Bluetooth agents;– WiFi agents.

• Development of Bluetooth agents:– First step – simulation;– Second step – real mobile devices.

Impronto simulator

• A simulator for developing, testing and configuring of Java Bluetooth applications.

• Platforms supported: Windows, Unix, Linux, etc (anywhere Java runs).

• Enables Bluetooth application development without having to buy Bluetooth hardware. Bluetooth network is simulated in software.

Impronto simulator – features

• Complete JABWT Simulation Environment, including virtual device (‘vstack’) for accessing HCI, RFCOMM, L2CAP, SDP, etc.

• Management GUI.

• Configuration GUI.

• Supports point-to-point and multipoint.

• Full logging capability.

JADE powered by LEAP

• JADE-LEAP replaces some parts of JADE kernel.

• Allows implementation of agents in mobile device.

• Provides three modes of work to adapt to different circumstances:

– j2se: it can run in PCs;– Pjava: it can run in devices

such as PDAs that have PersonalJava;

– MIDP (Micro Edition): it can run in devices that support MIDP1.0, such as mobile phones.

The Split Container Execution Mode

• The front-end is not a normal container, it is very thin layer.

• The front-end provides agents with exactly the same features of a container, but only implements a small subset of them directly, while delegating the othersto a remote process called the back-end.

• The front-end that runs in the device is considerably more lightweight than a complete container.

• The usage of the wireless link is optimized.

• Both the front-end and the back-end embed a store and forward mechanism to make the potential loss of connection transparent to applications. As soon as the front-end re-establishes the connection, buffered messages are delivered to their intended recipients.

JADE Connecting process between InfoStation and User Device with bluetooth

Jade-Leap j2se

Manager Agent

Application

Jade-LeapSplit container

Personal Agent

InfoStation

User Device

IP address192.168.0.729.140.4.68

Communication and change of InfoStation

Two or more devices can communicate through their own agents in one InfoStation.

When one device changes its InfoStation, it can connect only if it knows the IP address of the new InfoStation.

Results Summary (until now)

• Bluetooth connection between InfoStation and CLDC user device.

• JADE connection through bluetooth.

• Change InfoStation when IP addresses are known beforehand.

• Communication between agents only in one InfoStation.

• Communication between InfoStation agent and Personal Agent.

Future Plans

• Test the application on real devices.

• Automatic change of InfoStation without knowing IP address beforehand.

• Add InfoStation Center.

• Communication between agents from different InfoStations.

• Add support for CDC devices (PDAs, SmartPhones, etc.).

Thanks for attention!