Build mobile network applications that travel over the network and execute tasks simultaneously.

Platform(s):  Windows 95, Windows NT, Solaris
Date Posted:  12 November 1996
Updated:  30 July 1997

Aglets Workbench is a visual development environment for building aglets, a new breed of intelligent agent that can travel over a network and execute tasks at the same time. Aglets combine intelligent agent technology with network-savvy Java objects. They can go from one computer, or Internet host, to another while running and carrying data with them as they go.

The current network messaging paradigm is based on stationary objects that interact with one another through message passing. Aglets add movement to objects, allowing objects and messages to travel over a network. Aglets Workbench provides a single framework that unifies the development and implementation of:

* mobile and stationary objects
* object passing, message passing and data passing
* autonomous and passive objects
* asynchronous and synchronous processing
* local and remote objects
* disconnected and connected operations
* parallel and sequential operation

Aglets Workbench creates platform-independent aglets with built-in security. Aglets Workbench has an ODBC-compliant data access component that enables developers to build mobile network applications that search for, manage and access corporate data. Aglets developed with Aglets Workbench can be embedded in Web pages and then launched by clients using any Java-enabled Web browser.

The Java Aglet API (J-AAPI) has been submitted as a proposed standard to the Object Management Group (OMG).