JP2003030067A - Communication managing device, communication system, communication management program and communication program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a communication managing device, a communication system, a communication management program and a communication program by which an agent device can perform communication according to a communication protocol of other agent device at a communicating destination regarding the communication between the agent devices. SOLUTION: The respective agent devices register in advance communication protocols which can be communicated by the present station in a management table of the communication managing device connected with a network. When a communication request is generated to other agent device, the agent device inquires the communication protocol which the other communicating part can receive to the communication managing device and performs the communication by the communication protocol responded from the communication managing device. The communication managing device updates the management table at prescribed date and time and holds information of the latest communication protocol.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a communication management device, a communication system, a communication management program and a communication program when a communication management device and an agent device are connected by a network and the agent device communicates with another agent device. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In communication between agents, a communication method using ACL (Agent Communication Language) which is a communication language between agents is based on FIPA (Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents) which is an international standardization organization for agents. Is defined as the FIPA protocol. ACL is a language for defining a communication protocol regarding message contents exchanged between agents, and does not specify a communication protocol on the communication path. Therefore, the communication protocol used between agents can be freely selected for each agent system.

For example, the "INTERST" of Fujitsu Limited
In AGE AGENTRO V3.1 ", the communication between agents is a message exchange protocol between ORBs defined in accordance with CORBA (Common Object Request Broker Architecture) which is one of the standards of distributed object technology. IIOP
(Internet Inter Object Request Broker Protocol).

Agents in an open environment that do not depend on a specific model or programming language are possible because software parts called objects distributed over a plurality of computers connected by IIOP can exchange data with each other. There is an advantage that the system can be built. On the other hand, in communication protocols based on TCP / IP (Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol), there are a plurality of protocols including IIOP due to factors such as the history of their development. Since these multiple protocols are incompatible, the sender and receiver must use the same protocol. Conversely, it was not possible to directly communicate between modules based on different protocols. Under such circumstances, as an attempt to realize communication using different protocols, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-1517.
39 discloses a technique of determining a reception protocol by determining a communication protocol at the time of reception, which enables communication between different communication protocols.

Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-200136 discloses a technique in which a computer connected by a network has a protocol information table, and a communication protocol of a communication partner is automatically selected for communication. As a result, communication can be performed without being aware of the communication protocol between computers.

[0006]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION As described above,
H, which is a communication protocol based on the same TCP / IP
It happens that TTP (Hypertext Transfer Protocol), IIOP, and JRMP (Java Remote Method Protocol) cannot communicate with each other. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-151739, communication is possible even with such different communication protocols, but it is necessary to embed a message defining the protocol in the communication data, and the overhead of the communication path increases and reception There is a problem that the burden of parsing the message occurs in the department.

Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 4-200136, it is necessary to update the protocol information table when the information in the protocol information table is changed, but it takes a lot of time to update each computer, and Depending on the computer, some computers may not be updated. Also, if the update notification is late, it may not be possible to communicate due to the old protocol information table.

It is an object of the present invention to absorb the difference between different types of communication protocols and enable communication between agents.

[0009]

According to the present invention, a plurality of agent devices are connected to a communication management device via a network, and when a communication request is issued to the agent device, the communication management device is queried for the communication protocol of the communication partner. Communication is performed. At this time, the communication management device is provided with the latest communication protocol information held by each agent device.

The principle of the invention will be described with reference to FIG. First, the invention of claim 1 is the invention of the communication management apparatus 1 of FIG. 1, and comprises the constituents of request means 11, registration means 12, and reply means 13. The request means 11 requests each agent device to notify the communication management device 1 of the communication protocol name with which each agent device can communicate. This request is made at a predetermined timing (for example, a fixed day and time). As a result, the communication management device 1 always holds the latest communication protocol information that each agent device has.

The registration means 12 registers the communication protocol name notified from each agent device by the request means 11 in the management table 3 in association with the agent device name. In addition, the information of the communication protocol voluntarily notified from the agent device 2 regardless of the requesting means 11 is also registered. In the case of “registration” here, when the communication protocol notified from the new agent device 2 is additionally registered in the conventional management table 3 and is notified from the agent device 2 already registered in the management table 3. Means to update.

Based on the inquiry from the agent device 2, the reply means 13 answers the agent device 2 which made the inquiry by referring to the management table 3 for the communication protocol name of the destination agent device designated by the agent device 2. To do. As described above, the communication management device 1 can hold the latest communication protocol name provided in each agent device in the management table 3, and can reply the information to the agent device 2 that made the inquiry.

Next, the principle of the invention of claim 2 will be described. The invention of claim 2 is the invention of the agent device 2, and the notification means 21, the inquiry means 22, and the communication means 23 are constituent elements.
And these will be described in order. The notification means 21 notifies the communication management device 1 of a communication protocol with which the agent device 2 can communicate at a predetermined timing (for example, when an agent is opened). In addition, when there is a notification request from the communication management device 1, the communication management device 1 is notified of the communication protocol with which the agent device 2 itself is capable of communication.

When the agent device 2 needs to communicate with another agent device, the inquiry means 22 inquires the communication management device 1 about a communication protocol with which another agent device, which is a communication destination, can communicate, and obtains a reply. It is a thing. The name of the communication protocol is returned from the communication management device 1. The communication unit 23 uses the communication protocol returned by the inquiry unit 22 to communicate with the communication partner.

As a result, the agent device 2 can communicate by using the communication protocol of the communication destination returned from the communication management device 1.

[0016]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION An embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, the configuration of the embodiment will be described. Figure 2
Shows the overall configuration of communication between agent devices described below. Agent device A5, agent device B6, communication management device 1,
Client 7 is tied. Agent A5
It comprises a notification unit 21, an inquiry unit 22, a process of the communication unit 23, and a cartridge library 24. The cartridge library 24 is a software module that implements a communication protocol with which the agent device A5 can communicate, and an example thereof is shown in FIG. In the cartridge library 24 of FIG. 7, the HTTP communication protocol as the receiving cartridge and the HTTP and II as the transmitting cartridge are used.
It shows that the two communication protocols OP are provided in the agent device A5.

The agent device B6 has the same structure, but the cartridge library 24 is the same as the agent device B6.
6 implements a communication protocol capable of communication.
The communication management device 1 is composed of the processing of the request means 11, the registration means 12, and the reply means 13 and the management table 3.
The management table 3 is a table in which the reception cartridge and the transmission cartridge included in each agent device are registered, and an example of the management table 3 is shown in FIG. In FIG. 8, the agent of agent A is HTTP.
Receiving cartridge that implements the communication protocol of
Equipped with a transmission cartridge that implements the communication protocol of TP and IIOP, and further, agentB, agent
9 shows an example of the receiving and transmitting cartridges included in C. Here, the agent name of the agent device A is agentA.

The client 7 is a terminal that requests the agent device to perform work. The agent device A5, the agent device B6, and the communication management device 1 in this embodiment are computers in which these functions are installed,
The respective means (11 to 13, 21 to 23) shown therein are programs and are executed on the main storage device of the computer.

Next, an embodiment of the processing flow will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the processing flow of the notification means 21 of the agent device A5 will be described with reference to FIG. The agent device A5 notifies the communication management device 1 of the communication protocol that can be used by the agent device A5. In the case of initial registration, the agent device A5 notifies the communication management device 1 when the agent device A5 is opened. In some cases, there is a notification request from the communication management device 1 for notification. In the case of initial registration, the cartridge library 24 is referred to and the communication management device 1 is notified of the communication protocol names of the receiving and transmitting cartridges included in the agent device A5. If it is not the initial registration, that is, if the communication protocol name is notified by the notification request of the communication management device 1,
The notification request from the communication management device 1 is received, and the notification request is used to refer to the cartridge library 24 as in the initial registration to notify the communication protocol name of the receiving and transmitting cartridges. In this embodiment, an example in which the agent device A5 voluntarily notifies the communication protocol is shown in the case of initial registration when the agent is opened. However, for example, when the agent device A5 is activated, the communication protocol is voluntarily notified. You may Also in the agent device B6, the communication protocol provided in the agent device B6 itself is notified to the communication management device 1 just like the agent device A5. (S101 to S104) Next, as an example in which the agent device A5 communicates with the agent device B6, the flow of the inquiry means 22 and the communication means 23 will be described with reference to FIG.

The agent device A5 is a client 7
In the case where a communication request with the agent device B6 has been received from the agent device A6, the agent device A5 determines the communication protocol usable by the agent device B6.
To inquire. (S201, S202) In response to the inquiry in S202, the available communication protocol name of the agent device B6, which is the response from the communication management device 1, is received. With reference to the cartridge library 24, if the agent device B6 owns a transmission cartridge of a communication protocol with which the agent device B6 can communicate, the transmission cartridge is set and communication is performed with the agent device B6. If the agent device A5 does not own the transmission cartridge of the communication protocol returned from the communication management device 1, the communication becomes impossible. (S203 to S208) S201 and S202
Corresponds to the inquiry means 22, and S203 to S207 correspond to the communication means 23.

As described above, the agent device A5 can communicate according to the communication protocol with which the agent device B6 can communicate. Next, an embodiment of the processing flow of the request means 11 and the registration means 12 in the communication management device 1 will be described with reference to FIG. For example, the communication management device 1 refers to the management table 3 at a fixed day of the week every week, and notifies all agent devices registered in the management table 3 of a communication protocol with which each agent device can communicate. Send a request to (S301 to S
303) Receive a response to the notification request from each agent device. The communication protocol name returned in response to the agent device name is overwritten and registered (that is, updated) in the management table 3. (S304, S305) In the above-described embodiment, the communication protocol returned from the agent device based on the notification request from the communication management device 1 is updated. , S305 is executed. At this time, S305 is newly registered in the management table 3. S301 to S303 are requesting means 1
1, S304 and S305 correspond to the registration unit 12.

Next, the flow of the reply means 13 when the communication management device 1 makes a reply to the communication protocol inquiry of the communication partner from the agent device will be described with reference to FIG. First, the inquiry information of the communication protocol of the communication partner is received from the agent device. The management table 3 is referred to, and the communication protocol name of the inquired communication partner is extracted. Then, the communication protocol name is transmitted to the inquiry source agent device. That is, it means that the communication protocol of the communication partner who made the inquiry is answered. (S401 to S403)

[0023]

According to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an environment in which the difference between different communication protocols can be absorbed and an application developer can easily construct an agent system.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a principle diagram of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration example of inter-agent communication.

FIG. 3 is an example of notifying a communication protocol of an agent device.

FIG. 4 is an example of communication from agent device A to agent device B.

FIG. 5 is an example of registration by a communication protocol notification request.

FIG. 6 is a communication protocol response embodiment of the communication management device.

FIG. 7 is an example of a cartridge library that implements a communication protocol.

FIG. 8 is an example of a management table.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Communication management device 2: Agent device 3: Management table 4: Network 5: Agent device A 6: Agent device B 7: Client 11: Requesting means 12: Registration means 13: Answering means 21: Notification means 22: Inquiry means 23: Communication means 24: Cartridge library

   ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continued front page    (72) Inventor Taiji Inoue             Aichi Prefecture Higashi-ku Higashi-ku 1-chome 16-38 stock             Ceremony company Fujitsu Prime Soft Technology (72) Inventor Shinya Masaki             Aichi Prefecture Higashi-ku Higashi-ku 1-chome 16-38 stock             Ceremony company Fujitsu Prime Soft Technology (72) Inventor Naohito Asano             Aichi Prefecture Higashi-ku Higashi-ku 1-chome 16-38 stock             Ceremony company Fujitsu Prime Soft Technology F-term (reference) 5B089 GA11 GA21 GB02 HA01 HB02                       JA40 JB22 KA09                 5K030 KA02 MD00                 5K034 HH63

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A communication management device, which is connected to a plurality of agent devices via a network and has a management table storing communication protocols, wherein the agent device requests notification of a communicable communication protocol at a predetermined timing. Requesting means, registration means for registering the communication protocol notified by the requesting means in the management table, and referring to the management table based on the inquiry of the communication protocol of the communication partner from the agent device, And a reply means for replying to the agent device the communication protocol with which the agent can communicate. 2. A communication system in which an agent device connected to a communication management device that manages a communication protocol through a network communicates with another agent device, the communication device being in accordance with a predetermined timing or a request from the communication management device. Notifying means for notifying the communication management apparatus of a communication protocol with which the agent apparatus can communicate, and inquiry means for inquiring of the communication management apparatus of a communication protocol that can be received by a communication partner when a communication request is made, A communication system comprising: a communication unit that executes communication according to a communication protocol obtained as a result. 3. A communication management program for a communication management device, which is connected to a plurality of agent devices via a network and has a management table storing communication protocols, the communication protocol being capable of communicating with the agent device at a predetermined timing. Requesting means for requesting notification of the communication protocol, registration means for registering the communication protocol notified by the requesting means in the management table, and referring to the management table based on the inquiry of the communication protocol of the communication partner from the agent device. A communication management program for causing a computer to function as a reply means for replying to the agent device a communication protocol with which a communication partner can communicate. 4. A communication program of a communication system in which an agent device connected to a communication management device for managing a communication protocol via a network communicates with another agent device, the program being provided at a predetermined timing or from the communication management device. Notification means for notifying the communication management device of a communication protocol with which the agent device can communicate according to a request; and inquiry means for inquiring of the communication management device of a communication protocol that a communication partner can receive when a communication request occurs. , A communication program that causes a computer to function as a communication unit that executes communication according to the communication protocol obtained as a result of the inquiry.