Information Discovery Delay Analysis of a Mobile Agent-Based Dynamic Information Service System

Due to the Web\´s continued growth, the need for flexibility, adaptability and rapid response time to user query has assumed greater importance in information service systems. The dynamics of information services are constantly changing. The users demand and expect a "flawless any time anywhere" service availability standard. The client-server model of distributed computing in vogue is increasingly becoming inefficient in coping with the rising demand of information services. Faded information field (FIF) architecture with Push and Pull mobile agent technologies was proposed recently addresses these issues effectively. FIF balances the cost of information service provision and utilization where service provider (SP) fades the information contents through Push-MAs and the user sends in Pull-MAs to search the requisite information. In this work, a simulation engine was programmed to mimic the physical parameters of the system in terms of routers, servers and the level of information faded. Simulations were performed to determine the average delay of information distribution in the system under varying parameters of the system like servers, and the number of levels in which the information is faded in the system. It is demonstrated that the size of FIF along with the levels of information fading have a direct influence on the information retrieval function in the information service system.