The generic local agent: gateway to the ABELS system

摘要

Many simulations require access to dynamically changing data from other sources such as sensors or even other simulations. This data may come from multiple sources or even dynamic sources with sporadic availability. The Agent-Based Environment for Linking Simulations (ABELS) allows independently designed simulations to communicate seamlessly with no a priori knowledge of the details of other simulations and data resources. The ABELS framework consists of four main parts: the data resources or services (e.g., simulations, sensors), the central brokering system that matches data producers with data consumers, the generic local agent (GLA) that connects simulations and data resources to ABELS, and the helper agent system that optimizes the collection and transferal of data. This paper focuses primarily on the design and implementation of the generic local agent (GLA), which serves as the interface between the user and the ABELS system. The GLA allows users to connect to the system, provide data for other users, and gather data resources without prior knowledge of the other resources in the system. The goal of the agent is the ability to connect to any user and provide functionality for the user to perform various operations of interest, without requiring users to conform to a particular standard. Thus, the GLA is used to register data producers (aka services) and handle consumer requests for such services. Most importantly, the users need no prior knowledge involving data formats, programming languages, and service locations; these complications are handled by the GLA. This paper also describes an operational example that demonstrates the functionality of the current implementation.