Granted Patent B2

US 8,326,914 · App. 13/112,540 · Granted Dec 4, 2012

Abstract

Claims (53)

1. An agent server, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing instructions, execution of which causes the processor to perform operations comprising:

dividing processing time of the agent server into a plurality of time slices of predetermined duration,

receiving, at the agent server, user data for configuring a first agent of a plurality of agents to perform a first task by using a service and by consuming a first time slice in the plurality of time slices,

wherein each agent in the plurality of agents includes an event handler configured to direct each agent upon an occurrence of an event, and wherein each event handler includes a plurality of portions that are separately executable during different time slices in the plurality of time slices,

selecting the first agent from the plurality of agents upon the occurrence of the event,

allocating the first time slice to the first agent,

executing a first portion of the event handler during the first time slice, and

monitoring consumption of the first time slice by the first agent using a service wrapper corresponding to the service, wherein the service wrapper is configured to provide the agent access to the service.

2. The agent server of claim 1 , wherein the event is identified by a uniform resource locator (URL) specifying an event type and a recipient agent.

3. The agent server of claim 2 , wherein the URL is chosen by the determined agent and the agent server in combination.

4. The agent server of claim 2 , wherein the operations further comprise relaying the event to the determined agent using HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests sent to a web page at the URL.

5. The agent server of claim 1 , wherein each agent in the plurality of agents further includes an event queue configured to store information regarding unhandled events.

6. The agent server of claim 1 , wherein the agent server stores permissions held by each agent in the plurality of agents.

7. The agent server of claim 6 , wherein the operations further comprise transmitting data regarding permissions of the determined agent in response to a query for permissions of the determined agent.

8. The agent server of claim 6 , wherein the permissions include an amount of a resource allocated to each agent in the plurality of agents, and wherein at least a portion of the resource is consumed by the determined agent to perform the task.

9. The agent server of claim 1 , wherein the determined agent is configured to send an inter-agent event to a second agent in the plurality of agents.

10. The agent server of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

allocating a pre-determined unit of long-distance calling time to the agent; and

monitoring consumption of the unit of long-distance calling time by the agent.

11. A method, comprising:

dividing, using a processing device at an agent server, processing time of an agent server into a plurality of time slices of predetermined duration;

receiving, using the processing device, user data for configuring a first agent of a plurality of agents to perform a first task by using a service and by consuming a first time slice in the plurality of time slices;

configuring, using the processing device, the first agent, wherein configuring the first agent includes configuring an event handler for directing the first agent upon an occurrence of an event, and wherein each event handler includes a plurality of portions that are separately executable during different time slices in the plurality of time slices;

selecting, using the processing device, the first agent upon the occurrence of the event;

allocating, using the processing device, the first time slice to the first agent;

executing, using the processing device, a first portion of the event handler during the first time slice; and

monitoring, using the processing device, consumption of the first time slice by the first agent using a service wrapper corresponding to the service, wherein the service wrapper is configured to provide the agent access to the service.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the event is identified by a uniform resource locator (URL) specifying an event type and a recipient agent.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the URL is chosen by the first agent and an agent server in combination.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein an agent server is configured to relay the event to the first agent using HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests sent to a web page at the URL.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein each agent in the plurality of agents further comprises an event queue configured to store information regarding unhandled events.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first agent has a plurality of executable instructions for performing a task of a service, wherein performing the task comprises using the service and a service resource, and wherein a service wrapper links the service to the service resource and mediates interaction between the service and the service resource.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

accessing, using the service wrapper, information defining an amount of the service resource allocated to be consumed by a principal of the first agent, wherein the service wrapper is configured to monitor consumption of the service resource by the first agent.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising:

executing the instructions upon the occurrence of the event, wherein the instructions include:

defining operations supported by the service required to perform the task,

receiving a response from the service including parameters required by the first agent to complete the task, and

providing an output associated with the task over a network communications link.

19. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, execution of which by a computing device causes the computing device to perform operations comprising:

dividing, using a processing device at an agent server, processing time of an agent server into a plurality of time slices of predetermined duration;

receiving, using the processing device, user data for configuring a first agent of a plurality of agents to perform a first task by using a service and by consuming a first time slice in the plurality of time slices;

configuring, using the processing device, the first agent, wherein configuring the first agent includes configuring an event handler for directing the first agent upon an occurrence of an event, and wherein each event handler includes a plurality of portions that are separately executable during different time slices in the plurality of time slices;

selecting, using the processing device, the first agent upon the occurrence of the event;

allocating, using the processing device, the first time slice to the first agent;

executing, using the processing device, a first portion of the event handler during the first time slice; and

monitoring, using the processing device, consumption of the first time slice by the first agent using a service wrapper corresponding to the service, wherein the service wrapper is configured to provide the agent access to the service.

20. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein the event is identified by a uniform resource locator (URL) specifying an event type and a recipient agent.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20 , wherein the URL is chosen by the first agent and an agent server in combination.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 20 , wherein an agent server is configured to relay the event to the first agent using HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) requests sent to a web page at the URL.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 19 , wherein each agent in the plurality of agents further comprises an event queue configured to store information regarding unhandled events.

Assignments (10)