Active information resource: design concept and example

To reduce the burden for users that utilize information from distributed information resources, the deployment of distributed active information resource (AIR) is proposed. An AIR is a information resource that is enhanced with the knowledge of the content and the functionality for actively and flexibly supporting use/reuse of the content. Multiple AIRs could cooperate actively and automatically to target the proper information resources, carry out complex information processing and then provide composite result. In this paper the concept and main use of AIR are discussed. Also, the construction and information processing of AIR, as well as an experimental implementation of agent-based AIR system, are introduced.