| dc.description.abstract | Virtualization is a fast growing technology that provides innovative consolidation of
computer systems by enabling hardware abstraction that maximizes utilization and
management of system resources. This technology development however, does not
properly address the agent-based systems and their unique requirements for coordination.
Currently, agent-based systems are deployed in closed or open networked systems with
their coordination managed by middle ware services on a Local Area Network or Internet.
In this research project, a coordination layer (agent middleware) is introduced in the
virtualized environment to enable the resource location and communication by agents in
different virtual hosts.
This research explores agent-based models for coordination and their impact in
virtualized environment by developing a test virtual environment with agents deployed in
different virtual hosts.
The main contribution of this work is the demonstration that an agent-based coordination
model can be realized using open source virtualization Hypervisors like SUN xVM
VirtualBox, Java technology and open source APIs such as jPOS, MX4J, XDoclet, and
JMx. The model can support agent coordination in a virtualized environment by
facilitating the resource-agent location, intelligent agent learning of the environment and
coordination laws derived from ISO 8583 protocol. The work also revealed that the
impact of the agent-based model for coordination in a virtualized environment is a highavailability
and performance minded infrastructure for computing resources provisioning
as a service.
The above contribution was demonstrated through a prototype Electronic Payment
Gateway that deployed a master agent in the host operating system and worker agents in
the virtual hosts. The master agent served the purpose of the coordination layer that
received requests from external agents and mapped them intelligently to the appropriate
worker agents. | en |
