Survivable Networks Based on Mobile Agents

The innovations herein described are specific methods to use active networks hosting mobile agents to achieve efficient, flexible, survivable wireless communication networks. The methods proposed use mobile agents interacting using a contract net paradigmto maintain dynamic knowledge of the network connectivity, to select near optimal routes, and to provide bandwidth and latency control for a wide range of instantaneous user requirements. A specific method which we have used very successfully in otherdomains is also detailed to provide in-network data mining for certain classes of data anomalies. This capability will allow the network to detect situations requiring increased priority and possibly modifications to packet destinations. Lastly, thisproposal describes a fundamental problem with fully decentralized networks, gives data to support its occurrence, and proposes a specific method to reduce the occurrence and mitigate the impact of this problem. During the proposed Phase 1 work, theseinnovations will be investigated using proprietary tools designed specifically to build mobile agent systems. These tools will simplify the development of a network simulation, and will also simplify the development of the agent code that will form thebasis of the active network.IAI has investigated one small application for robust wireless networks for wireless interconnection of hospital equipment, and for high value inventory tracking within hospitals. Even this tiny domain is estimated to be in theseveral billion dollar range.