Language Support for Mobile Agents

摘要: Mobile agents are code-containing objects that may be transmitted between communicating participants in a distributed system. As opposed to systems only allow the exchange of nonexecutable data, incorporating mobile can achieve significant gains performance and functionality. A programming language for must able express their construction, transmission, receipt, subsequent execution. Its implementation handle architectural heterogeneity machines provide sufficient applications based on agents. In addition these essential properties, an agent support desirable properties such as high-level abstractions code manipulation ability access resources remote execution sites. We designed implemented satisfies number ones. key feature our is use strong static typing resource access. Agents linked dynamically sites, this linking always guaranteed type safe. guarantee without requiring all components agent-based system compiled together. Our also includes several features improve Before transmitted, it trimmed values expected available recipient, thus shrinking transmissions. interpreted or depending application relative trade-offs. When compilation used, done lazily: Each component needed. Furthermore, machine-specific representations with machine-independent ones, opening possibility recipients skip interpretation altogether. To evaluate explore potential agents, we developed framework Several were by other programmers within using language. Their work served validate design choice properties. analyzed synthetic benchmarks. The analysis shows incorporated into significantly performance.