FIT5031 - Mobile software agents

Leader(s): Dr Shonali Krishnaswamy

Offered

Caulfield Second semester 2009 (Day)

Synopsis

This unit focuses theoretical concepts, applications and research issues of mobile software agents. Students will learn techniques to design and develop mobile agent applications. A number of different toolkits/development environments will be discussed and used for the practical component of the unit. The unit analyses mobile software agents technology with respect to their use in different application domains - focusing on pervasive applications, electronic commerce/web services and distributed data/network management. Advanced research issues/topics such as communication, coordination, security and trust for mobile agent systems will also be presented.

Objectives

At the completion of this subject, the students will have:

1. The motivations and scope of mobile software agents in distributed applications
2. The principles and theoretical concepts of mobile software agents
3. Models and approaches to building mobile agent systems
4. Different mobile agent toolkits and development environments
5. Techniques for achieving mobile agent communication and coordination
6. Security issues in mobile agent systems
7. Current research trends in the field
8. Select and apply appropriate tools for a particular application
9. The subject is designed to foster critical and independent analysis of how mobile agents can be applied to distributed computing applications.

Assessment

Reading Component:15 %, Research paper and presentation: 50 %, Project/practical assignment: 35 %

Contact hours

2 hours lectures/week, 2 hours tutorials/week

Prerequisites

For MAIT students, FIT9017, FIT9018, FIT9019, FIT9030, FIT9020 and FIT4037.
Recommended Knowledge: It is assumed that all students have a working knowledge of fundamental Java programming.

Additional information on this unit is available from the faculty at:

http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/units/fit5031/