A hands-on look at Java mobile agents

What are the benefits and drawbacks of current Java mobile agent systems? The authors installed and evaluated three leading systems available for download from the Web: General Magic's Odyssey, IBM's Aglets, and ObjectSpace's Voyager-and looked at issues such as ease of installation, feature set, documentation, and cost. We also discuss new capabilities of Java 1.1 that show promise as simple yet powerful means to create mobile agent systems. We conclude with a brief look at the ways in which mobile agents are currently being used and the limitations of today's technologies.