A two‐layer cryptographic scheme for a service framework based on mobile agents

Abstract In recent years, a new computation model, referred to as Service‐On‐Demand, has come into being gradually. This concept can be summarized as: the whole Net is a computer and one can have his/her tasks served using resources scattered around the Net. One technique that uses a similar concept is Web Service, which has been applied to many networks. However, Web Service is still confined to the Client‐Server paradigm and, in our opinion, does not wholly tally with the spirit of Service‐On‐Demand. Besides, there have not been many effective security schemes proposed for Web Services. This paper presents a mobile agent service framework, designed in reference to the service‐on‐demand concept, for the next generation of service‐based Internet applications. A two‐layer cryptographic security infrastructure is laid in the service framework to offer secured services. By separating the service functionality from its operating medium, the framework successfully prevents many security problems from happening. It also offers a most desirable benefit to both service providers and users. For service providers, deployment of a service is as easy as inserting a plug‐n‐play interface card and for service users, using a service is as easy as filling out a downloaded form. The main goal of this framework is to offer a total solution for providing secured services easily instead of doing difficult programming for services.