Comparative Advantage of Mobile Agent Application in Procuring Software Products on the Internet

Authors: Michael K. Adu, Boniface K. Alese, Olumide S. Ogunnusi

Abstract:

This paper brings to fore the inherent advantages in application of mobile agents to procure software products rather than downloading software content on the Internet. It proposes a system whereby the products come on compact disk with mobile agent as deliverable. The client/user purchases a software product, but must connect to the remote server of the software developer before installation. The user provides an activation code that activates mobile agent which is part of the software product on compact disk. The validity of the activation code is checked on connection at the developer’s end to ascertain authenticity and prevent piracy. The system is implemented by downloading two different software products as compare with installing same products on compact disk with mobile agent’s application. Downloading software contents from developer’s database as in the traditional method requires a continuously open connection between the client and the developer’s end, a fixed network is not economically or technically feasible. Mobile agent after being dispatched into the network becomes independent of the creating process and can operate asynchronously and autonomously. It can reconnect later after completing its task and return for result delivery. Response Time and Network Load are very minimal with application of Mobile agent.

Keywords: Activation code, internet, mobile agent, software developer, software products.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI): doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1474612

References:

[1] Giovanni Vignas, "Mobile Code Technologies. Paradigms, and Applications," Ph.D thesis, Polilecnico Milano, 1995.
[2] Robert S Gray, David Kotz, and Ronald A Peterson, "Mobile-Agent versus Client/Server Performance Scalability in an Information Retrieval Task," Proceedings of the Fifth IEEE International Conference on Mobile Agents, Atlanta, Georgia, 2001, pp. 229-24.
[3] Shug-Pyng, Chern-Tang, L and Shianyow, W, “Optimal Assignment of Mobile Agents for Software Authorization and Protection”, National Science Council,Taiwan, 2004.
[4] Djekic, P., and Loebbecke, C. “Preventing application software piracy: An empirical investigation of Technical Copy protection”, The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 2007, 16(2), 173-186.
[5] David, K and Robert S, “Mobile Agents and the Future of Internet” Seatle, Washington, U.S.A, 1999.
[6] Antonio Carzamga, Gian Pietro Picco, and Giovanni Vigna, "Designing Distributed Applications with A Mobile Code Paradigm," Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Software Engineering, 1CSI397, Seattle USA, 1997, pp 22' 32.
[7] Malone, T. W., Jates, J., and Benjamin. R. I, “The Logic of Electronic Markets”, 1989, Harvard Business Review 67, 3: 166-172.
[8] Bakos, J, “A Strategic Analysis of Electronic Merket places”, 1991, MIS Quarterly 11,4: 295-310.
[9] Bernichi, M and Mourchi, F, “ Software Management Based on Mobile Agents”, Proceedings in the International conference on Instrumentation, Communication and Information Technology(ICIC), August 3rd -5th, Indonesia, 2005.
[10] Tripathi, A. R., Karnik, N. M., Vora, M. K, Ahmed, T. and Singh, R.D, “Mobile Agent Programming In Ajanta”, In Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems (ICDCS ’99), Austin, Texas, 1999, pp. 190-197.
[11] Grimley, M. J. and Monroe, B. D., “Protecting the Integrity of Agent: An Exploration in Letting Agents loose in an Unpredictable World”, (Online) ACM crossroad, ACM. Available at: http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds5-4/integrity.html>, 1999.Accessed on 04/01/15.
[12] Reuben B, “Activation Code System and Method for Preventing Software Piracy,” United States Patent Application Publication, Bahar. 2010.
[13] Adu, M. K., Alese, B. K., and Adewale, O. S. “Design of Software User Identity Module (SUIM) for Preventing Software Piracy”, World Congress on Engineering, International Association of Engineers (IAENG), London, U.K, 2014.