Guo-Ming Fang

Reengineering windows software applications into reusable CORBA objects

Abstract CORBA is becoming one of the most important middleware for supporting object-oriented and client/server paradigms in distributed computing systems. However, application systems based on CORBA are still scarce to date. One reason is that only few CORBA object services have been developed. To have a new CORBA application, a programmer must make the effort to design a program with a CORBA interface. In our previous work [Proceedings of the Sixth IEEE Computer Society Workshop on Future Trends of Distributed Computing Systems (1997) 2], a re-engineering approach was proposed to convert RPC-based programs into CORBA objects. This has successfully increased the development of CORBA applications. However, the source code is required in this approach. In many cases, software designers cannot acquire the source code. This prevents adapting existing PC software applications, particularly for Windows applications. Our study addresses this problem. A graphic factory temperature monitor system, which integrates MS-Excel under MS-Windows, was implemented to demonstrate the feasibility of our approach.

Encapsulating windows-based software applications into reusable components with design patterns

Abstract Reusing software by integrating Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) applications into a software system is maturing in practice. Our previous work [1] presented a component wrapping approach to convert Windows-based COTS applications into CORBA objects. A formal and generalized representation of the conversion process for a Windows-based COTS application into a reusable software component would be useful and desirable for applying such software reuse to COTS-based system development. This study addresses a pattern-based representation of our experience. The patterns in this study offer clear documentation and sufficient information for a software developer to develop a COTS-based software system rapidly. An example system, Graphic Mechanical Part Management System (GMPMS) assembling two COTS applications under MS-DOS and MS-Windows 2000/XP, respectively, is also developed in this study to reveal how the patterns are utilized.

An architecture for multi-agent COTS software integration systems

Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software products are increasingly used as software components in large-scale systems. We had proposed an approach for distributed COTS software integration by using the concepts of multi-agent system and distributed scripting mechanism [J.M. Lin et al., (2002)]. To describe the experience in the COTS software integration and facilitate the reuse of the software integration procedure, this paper presents a multi-agent architecture for the COTS software integration systems. This architecture is of a three-layered structure and is described with the agent UML (AUML). Since the interaction and internal processing of agents is clearly described in the proposed architecture, programmers may have a guide to build a software system and implement the protocols and behaviors of agents according to layered description.

Software Integration for Applications with Audio Stream

Developing software systems by integrating the existing applications becomes mature and practical. Our previous works have successfully achieved the goal of intercepting/redirecting the data in the form of files and characters by adopting the wrapper technique. However, there are a huge number of multimedia applications today. In order to glue the multimedia based software applications, we try to build a wrapper module that redirects the audio data as the proposed approach in this paper. A Linux driver example that uses the ALSA library and a speech control system by integrating Skype and SphinxIII is also given to demonstrate our approach.

MADSS: a multi-agent based distributed scripting system

One important advantage of software integration constructing a project without platform and machine boundaries. In this study, we propose a scripting mechanism to integrate UNIX tools and other software under non-UNIX systems into a new system. Based on our scripting mechanism, we assumed UNIX experts as the system users. A UNIX expert would be adaptive on this study, because the scripting language extended from a UNIX shell. In order to demonstrate this study, we then propose a multi-agent distributed scripting system (MADSS). MADSS provides a fast and a convenient way for a UNIX expert to combine the heterogeneous software distributed on a network environment. A multi-agent system was employed to be an operational environment of this study. The agents in our system could perform the distributed scripts written by UNIX users through several proposed control flows, for examples parallel, circular trip, and forth_and_back.

A Scripting Approach for Workflow of Agents

Agents could be applied on workflow system to provide automation and coordination of business process. However, multi-agent systems may be developed on an agent platform. The mental states of agents may be implemented in program codes relevant to the platform. The internal workflow of agents could be planed by using a script-like approach. By this way, users could command the agents to do task for them with less addressing on the implementation of agent codes. Therefore, a scripting approach is proposed in this paper for the internal workflow of mobile agents. All the work done by agents is abstracted to a task- level. The script could be used to handle the service access, the flow control and the cooperation among agents.

Constructing Service-Oriented Integrated EDA Environment with Agent Technology

In modern IC design, circuit designers often need to manually operate and move data among different EDA (Electronic Design Automation) tools. If these tools were installed in separate computers, due to the license and system requirements, the design flow will be frequently interrupted, to handle the dreary data movement work, and the design efficiency will thus be reduced. To alleviate the above problem, a seamless and efficient design flow would be a must. The aim of this paper is to propose a service-oriented integrated EDA environment that can improve the smoothness of the design flow and consequently increase the overall design productivity. In our approach, a multi-agent framework based on JADE platform is used to manage distributed EDA tools, which are encapsulated as agent services. Mobile agents are allowed to autonomously and concurrently migrate among computers to access services for IC designers. To facilitate that, a scripting language is designed for mobile agents to allocate tasks, cooperate with each other, and select appropriate services. To demonstrate the feasibility of our method, an Integrated Circuit Design Cycle Assistant System (ICDCAS) for simplifying the manual operations in IC design cycles is developed by combining two EDA tools: ModelSim and Xilinx ISE. The implemented system proves to have the features of time saving and being free of mistakes incurred by manually operating and configuring the sophisticated EDA tools.

An Agent-Based Workflow System for Assisting in IC Design

A workflow management system is used to provide the automation and reengineering of a process. In an IC design cycle, several software tools are used to support different activities. These tools may be distributed on separate computers. An agent-based workflow management system is proposed in this paper to integrate these tools by using a scripting language. Relevant distributed software tools in agencies are managed by local agents to provide needed services. Mobile agents are used to access these services by following the proposed scripts.