A middleware for Problem Solving Environment using cooperation of Web based agents: WAPSE

A PSE (Problem Solving Environment), called as WAPSE, is constructed based on cooperation of Web modules, distributed on one or more servers. WAPSE helps users to concentrate on problem solving. A user interface as part of PSE of WAPSE is built on a Web browser for an easy use of PSE. Simple processing combining multiple modules is already possible, because Web service technologies have since progressed. Various Web servers connected to the Internet can share each resource. However, it is difficult to build a Web based agents´ system in primitive Web environments. It is troublesome to deploy a large numbers of Web based agents to each computer all at once. The debugging of a Web based agent and change of the processing computers are common problems at a development stage. Therefore, we developed WAPSE so that a developer more easily described a Web based agent. WAPSE is a middleware for PSE using cooperation of a simple Web based agents´ group handled on one or more Web servers. Though the architecture is simple, WAPSE behaves in a complicated way because it makes distributed cooperation between agents in async sequentially. One simple Web based agent´s behavior is predictable because a simple Web based agent is carried out simply. However, behavior becomes complicated even at cooperation of two simple Web based agents. Furthermore, behavior by the cooperation of many simple Web based agents is complicated. WAPSE is extended to include mobile terminals as processing computers because recently various mobile terminals are popular. Therefore, WAPSE behaves in a more complicated way.