The ABELS system: designing an adaptable interface for linking simulations

The Agent-Based Environment for Linking Simulations (ABELS) provides a framework to facilitate the dynamic exchange of data between distributed simulations and other remote data resources. Specifically, the framework allows the formation of a dynamic "data and simulation cloud" that links a heterogeneous collection of networked resources. ABELS consists of three major components: user entities that serve as data producers and/or consumers, a brokering system for organizing and linking the various participants, and generic local agents that connect simulations and data resources to the cloud of participants. This paper describes the major redesign and implementation of the generic local agent, which serves as the adaptable interface between the user and the ABELS system.