Multi-agent testbed and an agent launch tool for diverse seamless personal information networking applications

Abstract

This paper describes the design and implementation of a unique cooperative agents testbed and tool for launching cooperative agents in an environment that addresses diverse applications for the difficult problem of seamless personal information networking (SPIN). The real-world SPIN testbed is aimed at two difficult applications, namely seamless messaging and intelligent network management. Both applications are agent-driven and share agent behaviours and the messaging agents rely on the network management device diagnostic agents for input. The paper introduces both problem areas in a common testbed. The agent launch tool is described in detail. User-centric seamless messaging assumes heterogeneous communication environments intended to support todayís nomadic users. The prototype is introduced for the management of messages across distributed information networks. The aim of it is to intercept, filter, interpret, and deliver multi- modal messages be they voice, fax, video and/or e-mail messages. A userís Personal Communication Agent is charged with delivering messages to the recipient regardless of their target messaging device be it a telephone, a pager, a desktop, a wireless laptop or a wireless phone. Personal Communication Agents classify and act on incoming messages based on their content. A Secretary Agent routes and tailors urgent messages appropriately to the Device Manager Agent which delivers the message to a device that the user may be roaming or active on. What makes the Seamless Messaging Application unique is its approach to treating a message in a universal manner, its ability to mediate between different messaging environments and devices, and its ability to try to track and find the user.