Configurable mobile agent and its fault-tolerance mechanism

The idea of performing client-server computing by transmission of executable programs between clients and servers has become highly popular among researchers and developers who are engaged in intelligent network services. Computing based on mobile agents is an important aspect of this idea. This paper focuses on researching the migration process of agents. A model based on modules is devised for constructing agents. A concurrent schedule method is presented, with which the agent migration can be easily implemented. Most of the unnecessary transmission of codes and data can be avoided by module reuse. Consequently, the executing period of mobile agents is reduced and their efficiency is improved. Additionally, a fault-tolerance mechanism is designed in the system to ensure that the agent can work even when some faults occur in the network or in the host.