PROJECT PLAN

Content

Introduction and scope


This is a diploma work. The diploma work is a e-commerce system/application. Behind the scene we introduce a new technology called mobile agents. Mobile agents are software programs which execute in an agent environment. It is possible for an agent to move from one computer to another and continue executing at the remote location. This is called mobility. Furthermore agents can communicate with each other. For this purpose the ACL (Agent Communication Language) was developed. In this diploma work this new agent communication language will be introduced and used.
 

Customer and contracts


This is a research project. There are no customers and there is no contract. Check Project organization and responsibilities for more information.

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Description of the project

Activities


This diploma work is mainly for experimenting with mobile agents and the agent communication language. Around this activity a usable application shall be build.

Deliverables

• Project plan
• System (application) design
• Research plan
• System (application) report
• Final report

Constraints


There are no constraints.

Development and/or testing tools

• The agent platform is the Grasshopper System 1.2 (100% Java) by the company IKV (http://www.ikv.de ).
• ACL (Agent Communication Language) Add-On 1.2beta for Grasshopper System by IKV.
• The programming language is 100% Java.
• Used Java Development Kit 1.2.1 by Sun Microsystems Inc.
• Development platforms are: Windows NT 4.0 and Linux SuSE Kernel 2.2.10 (glibc2.1.1)
• Development tool on Windows: JBuilder 3.0 by Inprise Corp., Scotts Valley, CA, USA
• Development tool on Linux: XEmacs 20.4 by the XEmacs open source community
• CVS Version control system. GNU Windows Client, Java Client

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Development plan

Development phases (time table including milestones)


 

Project start:	25. October 1999
Project finish:	17. December 1999

Initialization	M1
Definition		M2
Research
Implementation								M3
Finish									M4
	1st week	2nd week	3rd week	4th week	5th week	6th week	7th week	8th week	9th week




Milestones

M1	Project plan, Research goal
M2	Design documentation
M3	System documentation
M4	Final report


 

Activities and deadlines

Initialisation

During the initialisation phase we setup our development equipment.

Definition

During the definition phase we will setup the e-commerce application. The definition of the hole system with its interfaces, systems and subsystems. Very important is the definition of the agent speech acts which are defined as protocols. The agent language has to be defined.

Research

During this time we mainly have to learn ACL, its messages, protocols and usage. The protocols defined in the definition phase can be taken as examples. A visit to the EPFL Lausanne shall also take place to review the ACL protocols and examples. The research phase shall terminate with an introduction paper about ACL and its components.

Implementation

With the results and knowledge of the research we shall be able to realize our project. First the agent shall be implemented and afterwards the application around.

Finish

As stated in the diploma work task a final report terminates the diploma work. This report includes the experiences, problems, mobile agent in general, the project and more.
 

Work packages (tasks)


See project task page: projecttasks.htm

Budget


No budget.

Identification of risk ares

• Time is not enough for the complete implementation.
• Performance problems of Grasshopper System.

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Environmental constraints

There are no environmental constraints.

Project organization and responsibilities

School	University of Applied Science Department Computer Science Quellgasse 21 CH-2501 Biel/Bienne http://www.hta-bi.bfh.ch
Project leader, professor	Dr. Eric Dubuis http://www.hta-bi.bfh.ch/~due eric.dubuis@hta-bi.bfh.ch
Project member	Mirko Buhozler http://www.buholzer.com/mirko mirko@buholzer.com
Project member	Sacha Schlegel http://sacha.schlegel.li sacha@schlegel.li

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