Agent-based schemes for plug-and-play network components

Abstract

In this paper, we present several approaches to making the process of configuring network devices easier than is currently the case. Configuring a device requires that a number of attributes in the network and on the device be set as well as certain software components be installed. For example, a printer requires that its drivers are present on workstations that will be using it. Currently, the manager of the network has to perform all required tasks manually. We describe four approaches that start with a procedure similar to the way plug-and-play components are handled by operating systems; e.g. Microsoft Windows. We extend the plug-and-play idea to network components. Next, we describe how this basic routine can be extended to a simple distributed model. A natural extension of the distributed model is the use of CORBA to handle a distributed environment. Finally, we propose a model of plug-and-play-ness based upon mobile agents and describe its implementation. We argue that the last approach has a number of advantages over the other models.