FIPA Abstract Architecture Specification

Architecture Concrete realization: CORBA Elements Concrete realization: Java Elements Message Transport Agent Directory ACL Service Directory Message Transport Agent Directory ACL Service Directory 518 519 520 521 522 523 524 525 526 527 528 529 530 531 532 533 534 535 Figure 1: Abstract Architecture Mapped to Various Concrete Realizations The abstract architecture also describes optional elements. Although an element is optional at the abstract level, it may be mandatory in a particular realization. That is, a realization may require the existence of an entity that is optional at the abstract level (such as a message-transport-service), and further specify the features and interfaces that the element must have in that realization. It is also important to note that a realization can be of the entire architecture, or just one element. For example, a series of concrete specifications could be created that describe how to represent the architecture in terms of particular programming language, coupled to a sockets-based message transport. Messages are handled as objects with that language, and so on. On the other hand, there may be a single element that can be defined concretely, and then used in a number of different systems. For example, if a concrete specification were created for the agent-directory-service element that describes the schemas to use when implemented in LDAP, that particular element might appear in a number of different agent systems.