Contribution a la resolution des problemes d'interoperabilite des systemes: Une methode de conception par frameworks orientes-agents logiciels

One of the major problems which designers face is the scarcity of design methods and tools for interoperable environments. Interoperability is a process that allows cooperative interactions between several systems. These systems are distributed on networks and may present various kinds of incompatibilities. Hence, designers need methods which allow them to specify such environments.; Furthermore, with the huge development of information and communication technologies, different types of services are offered to the public and companies. Those services are usually being used independently from each other. Combining several services in order to answer users' needs is a much more complex operation, especially when these services are distributed and heterogeneous. It is, therefore, necessary to solve interoperability problems for the systems offering those services on networks.; In this research, we show how an interoperable environment can be built using teams of software agents integrated in a software agent-oriented framework architecture. We also show how the behavior of components such as framework, team, and agent can be specified by realization scenarios. To this end, we propose the C-FOAL method (C-FOAL stand for "Conception par Frameworks Orientes-Agents Logiciels"), for the development of interoperable environments. The C-FOAL method is based on the concept of software agent-oriented framework which results from the application of object-oriented technology to the multiagent field. A software agent-oriented framework offers a collection of services that can be requested either by users or by other frameworks. It is also an environment composed of several teams of software agents able to achieve frameworks' services.; The C-FOAL method is applied to the SIGAL project (SIGAL stands for "Systeme d'Information Geographique et Agent Logiciel") which aims at developing an interoperable environment for georeferenced digital libraries. A georeferenced digital library is an information base describing geodocumentary resources available in an organization. Currently, each georeferenced digital library has its own characteristics that are potentially incompatible with those of other georeferenced digital libraries. Therefore, it is difficult to work concurrently with several georeferenced digital libraries in order to answer users' needs. To design and develop the interoperability environment SIGAL, we chose three types of frameworks (server, client and local-source) in order to create a multiframework architecture. This architecture is based on the client/server approach, the mirror sites, and the dynamic generation of client frameworks.