Techreport,
The Agent Architecture of the University of Michigan Digital Library
Working Paper, University of Michigan, (6/12/96 1996)
Abstract
The University of Michigan Digital Library (UMDL) is predicated
on the belief that a functional, scaleable, and extensible
digital library must be open to an evolving population of
information goods and services, provided by third parties. The
UMDL team has embarked on the definition and implementation of an
architecture that supports such digital libraries. A premise of
our architecture is that the functionality that can be brought to
bear on library tasks can be encapsulated in modular,
goal-oriented, self-interested ägents." The agents participate
in markets for exchanging goods and services, and form teams to
provide information services (e.g., deliver an information good).
Realizing the UMDL agent architecture, however, involves solving
complex issues such as: providing sound mechanisms to encapsulate
functions as agents, protocols to support the evolution of teams
and agent interactions through markets, and protocols to enable
interoperability among library agents that are teamed. It is the
software-engineering aspect of our effort--the tools, techniques,
and experiences gained--that is the focus of this paper.
