A software tool for developing distributed networked real-time artificial intelligence applications

Abstract

The Activation Framework is a new software tool for the development of artificial intelligence applications which can execute on a geographically distributed heterogeneous network of communicating processors. The Activation Framework is suitable for applications such as the diagnosis of communications network failures which require the interpretation of large volumes of data in real-time.The Activation Framework consists of tools for compiling groups of '%Expert Systems" if ... then ... else ... rules into executable code modules, for automatically generating C code modules from high level system configuration descriptions, and for automatically generating Makefiles for program compilation and linking on each processor. It also includesan operating system environment which integrates the estimated 70% of code which is common from one real-time AI application to the next. This operating system environment can execute on networked workstations under MSDOS or UNIX, or in embedded multiprocessor systems with remote communications over data links. It provides all the facilities needed for distributed implementations such as automatic message encoding and routing between code modules running on different processors/operating systems.