Survivable Networks Based on Mobile Agents

"Our Phase 1 results have shown the feasibility and potential benefits of using active networks hosting mobile agents to achieve efficient, flexible, survivable wireless communication networks. Our Phase 1 prototype software exploits mobile agentsinteracting using a contract net paradigm to maintain dynamic knowledge of network connectivity, to select near optimal routes, to automatically generate alternate routes when a previously good link fails, and to provide bandwidth reservation. Thesimulated system works well even when the simulated nodes are moving so as to cause continual change in network connectivity. We have also developed a high level agent-based simulation, which runs on any number of fully decentralized computers connectedby a local area network. This was made possible during the short time period of a Phase 1 SBIR because of IAI's work over the last seven years into the development of an infrastructure for software agent systems. This infrastructure is called Cybele andis described in more detail in the body of this proposal. A major benefit of using agents to implement the simulation is that the network specific agents such as the explorer, worm, and node agents can be almost directly ported to embedded radio hardwareto implement the actual system."