Mobile Agents and XML for Distributed Simulation Support

Abstract

This paper presents the use of mobile agents and XML for the connection of simulation models and data resources over a communication network. We have developed two types of agents: a mobile agent that functions as a mobile server for on-demand queries in SQL and transformation of results into XML compliant documents and a stationary agent functioning as a client for query forwarding and conversion of resulting XML documents into CSV files. We have established that software agents can be used to connect distributed simulation models, developed with different general purpose simulation tools and databases, thus improving the connectivity and usability of simulation models in distributed information systems. Keywords: software agents, Java, XML, middleware, distributed simulation