Using Mobile Agent Technology to Develop a Collaborative Product Lifecycle Oriented Architecture
Today product development activities are becoming more and more agile, adaptable, and cost-effective. Multi-agent-based system technology has found wide applications in managing companys information. This paper applies Multi-mobile-agent technology in developing a collaborative architecture for product lifecycle. By adopting the Aglets mobile agent platform, a generic platform has been developed for managing legacy product data and information across the product lifecycle. Different lifecycle stage product data and information and their interaction and administration are encapsulated, represented and operated with different agents. The system aims to integrate mobile agents into different locations so as to fully utilize the product lifecycle information, and make the product lifecycle decision satisfying the global target of the company. The architecture and the working principle, framework and implementation of the system are addressed in detail. The model of the mobile agents in the system and the technique to realize them are also illustrated with a real case example. The contribution of this paper is to develop a generic architecture for product lifecycle based on the multiple mobile agent technology, adopt the Aglets mobile agent platform to develop a series of Aglet templates to encapsulate and manage the different legacy product data and production information and integrate them into the product lifecycle context. It cannot only simulate real product lifecycle activities from design to recycling but also provide an environment for managing lifecycle product information.
Keywords: Mobile Agent, Product Life Cycle, Collaboration, Multi-Agent Systems
Download Full-Text
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Khaled Bahloul
Khaled BAHLOUL is currently a researcher of IFSTTAR institute in France.He obtained his PhD in Computer Science from the National Institute of Technology of Lyon in France.
Nesrine Darragi
Nesrine Darragi is currently a PhD student of IFSTTAR institute in France. She obtained his Master degree in Computer Science from Graduate School of Science and Technology of Tunis in 2008.
Yacine Ouzrout
Yacine Ouzrout is currently Assist Professor at the University of Lyon (France) where he leads a research team of the DISP laboratory.He obtained his PhD in Computer Science from the National Institute of Technology of Lyon in France.He is also a member of the CERRAL Innovation Center of the Lumière IUT Technology Institute, a unique public center in France.
Abdelaziz Bouras
Abdelaziz Bouras is currently Professor at the University of Lyon(France) where he leads a research team of the DISP laboratory.Hehas been recently conferred the HONORIS-CAUSA honorary DoctoralDegree in Science of the Chiang Mai University (Thailand) from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand. He is also leading the CERRAL Innovation Center of theLumière IUT Technology Institute, a unique public center in France.
Khaled Bahloul
Khaled BAHLOUL is currently a researcher of IFSTTAR institute in France.He obtained his PhD in Computer Science from the National Institute of Technology of Lyon in France.
Nesrine Darragi
Nesrine Darragi is currently a PhD student of IFSTTAR institute in France. She obtained his Master degree in Computer Science from Graduate School of Science and Technology of Tunis in 2008.
Yacine Ouzrout
Yacine Ouzrout is currently Assist Professor at the University of Lyon (France) where he leads a research team of the DISP laboratory.He obtained his PhD in Computer Science from the National Institute of Technology of Lyon in France.He is also a member of the CERRAL Innovation Center of the Lumière IUT Technology Institute, a unique public center in France.
Abdelaziz Bouras
Abdelaziz Bouras is currently Professor at the University of Lyon(France) where he leads a research team of the DISP laboratory.Hehas been recently conferred the HONORIS-CAUSA honorary DoctoralDegree in Science of the Chiang Mai University (Thailand) from Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand. He is also leading the CERRAL Innovation Center of theLumière IUT Technology Institute, a unique public center in France.
