Ingo Stengel, Udo Bleimann and Jeanne Stynes
To view virtual universities as an extension of real universities and of distant learning Institutes, new concepts in the area of distributed systems and virtual universities are…
Abstract
To view virtual universities as an extension of real universities and of distant learning Institutes, new concepts in the area of distributed systems and virtual universities are needed. Mobile agents satisfy many requirements of such a highly dynamic system. Originally, mobile agents were used as a workflow system for a virtual university. These autonomous entities must next generate dynamic workflows. Examining the behaviour of ants in different situations, some conclusions regarding the use of mobile agents can be drawn. This paper presents the new ideas of a joint research project and gives an overview of the problems that confront us.
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Holger D. Hofmann, Volker Muench and Jeanne Stynes
Componentware is a new paradigm in software development that is based on the concept of a software component. Software components are self‐contained, immutable units of software…
Abstract
Componentware is a new paradigm in software development that is based on the concept of a software component. Software components are self‐contained, immutable units of software which can be distributed over large networks or even over the Internet. The distribution of software components requires new, Internet‐based search and retrieval mechanisms. A set of collaborating software components is called componentware. We discuss the architectural requirements and mechanisms of componentware, a technical realisation of a componentware architecture, and identify obstacles in building componentware. Finally, we propose possible solutions for the realisation of componentware and componentware architectures.