Abstract: An apparatus collects information stored in a host computer through a network. A correspondence acquirement unit acquires a correspondence between an information identifier of requested information and host identifiers of a plurality of host computers each of which stores the requested information. A first decision unit decides at least one host computer to retrieve the requested information by referring to the correspondence. A second decision unit decides a retrieval method used for each host computer decided by the first decision unit from a plurality of retrieval methods. A retrieval unit indicates retrieval of the requested information based on the retrieval method decided by the second decision unit and each host computer decided by the first decision unit.

Abstract: A mobile agent mediates cooperation among schedulers by executing a cooperation protocol. For heuristics such as strategies and the order in which variables are decided, which are used as criteria of selecting the value of a variable from candidates, when the heuristics are to be built into a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, processes with regard to these heuristics are so substantially localized as to be capable of parallel execution. These processes capable of parallel execution, as autonomous operations of different mobile agents, can be under modeling in natural form, resulting in easy installation. This facilitates software construction for reflecting the heuristics in a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, as well as improves the maintainability and extendibility of software.

Abstract: A mobile agent mediates cooperation among schedulers by executing a cooperation protocol. For heuristics such as strategies and the order in which variables are decided, which are used as criteria of selecting the value of a variable from candidates, when the heuristics are to be built into a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, processes with regard to these heuristics are so substantially localized as to be capable of parallel execution. These processes capable of parallel execution, as autonomous operations of different mobile agents, can be under modeling in natural form, resulting in easy installation. This facilitates software construction for reflecting the heuristics in a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, as well as improves the maintainability and extendibility of software.

Abstract: A Web service coordination plan creating method according to this invention includes a first step of matching the predicate of the precondition with the predicate of the user data and matching the predicate of the post condition with the predicate of the user's request in respect to one application program. The method further includes a second step of matching the predicate of the precondition with a first predicate including the predicate of the user data unmatched in the first step and matching the predicate of the post condition with a second predicate including the predicate of the user's request unmatched in the first step in respect to other application programs excluding the one application program.

Abstract: A system smoothly performing information processing is realized by dynamically making a decision, when it becomes necessary for an agent currently located at a platform to make use of another platform, with regard to whether to cause the agent to move to the other platform or cause the agent to cooperate with another agent that exists at the other platform. The dynamic decision is made in response to situations, resulting in enabling the unified utilization of mobile and stationary agents. The decision of using either movement or cooperation is typically made based on platform information and agent information. Even if planning changes the plan of an agent and regardless of what agent is using which platform's resources, it is possible to easily establish whether movement or cooperation is to be used, based on the platform profile and agent attributes. Such a system can perform information processing in response to changing situations.

Abstract: A mobile agent mediates cooperation among schedulers by executing a cooperation protocol. For heuristics such as strategies and the order in which variables are decided, which are used as criteria of selecting the value of a variable from candidates, when the heuristics are to be built into a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, processes with regard to these heuristics are so substantially localized as to be capable of parallel execution. These processes capable of parallel execution, as autonomous operations of different mobile agents, can be under modeling in natural form, resulting in easy installation. This facilitates software construction for reflecting the heuristics in a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, as well as improves the maintainability and extendibility of software.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting parallelization according to the invention is characterized by comprising a serialization unit for converting a first concurrent program having a concurrent structure into a sequential program capable of being sequentially executed, a debugging unit for debugging the sequential program and forming debugging information, and a concurrent program programming unit for performing parallelization of the debugged sequential program on the basis of the debugging information to convert the sequential program into a second concurrent program. With above configuration, the debugging unit includes a unit for introducing information associated with concurrency to the sequential program.

Abstract: A system smoothly performing information processing is realized by dynamically making a decision, when it becomes necessary for an agent currently located at a platform to make use of another platform, with regard to whether to cause the agent to move to the other platform or cause the agent to cooperate with another agent that exists at the other platform. The dynamic decision is made in response to situations, resulting in enabling the unified utilization of mobile and stationary agents. The decision of using either movement or cooperation is typically made based on platform information and agent information. Even if planning changes the plan of an agent and regardless of what agent is using which platform's resources, it is possible to easily establish whether movement or cooperation is to be used, based on the platform profile and agent attributes. Such a system can perform information processing in response to changing situations.

Abstract: A mobile agent mediates cooperation among schedulers by executing a cooperation protocol. For heuristics such as strategies and the order in which variables are decided, which are used as criteria of selecting the value of a variable from candidates, when the heuristics are to be built into a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, processes with regard to these heuristics are so substantially localized as to be capable of parallel execution. These processes capable of parallel execution, as autonomous operations of different mobile agents, can be under modeling in natural form, resulting in easy installation. This facilitates software construction for reflecting the heuristics in a solving method of a constraint satisfaction problem, as well as improves the maintainability and extendibility of software.

Abstract: A system smoothly performing information processing is realized by dynamically making a decision, when it becomes necessary for an agent currently located at a platform to make use of another platform, with regard to whether to cause the agent to move to the other platform or cause the agent to cooperate with another agent that exists at the other platform. The dynamic decision is made in response to situations, resulting in enabling the unified utilization of mobile and stationary agents. The decision of using either movement or cooperation is typically made based on platform information and agent information. Even if planning changes the plan of an agent and regardless of what agent is using which platform's resources, it is possible to easily establish whether movement or cooperation is to be used, based on the platform profile and agent attributes. Such a system can perform information processing in response to changing situations.

Abstract: An apparatus collects information stored in a host computer through a network. A correspondence acquirement unit acquires a correspondence between an information identifier of requested information and host identifiers of a plurality of host computers each of which stores the requested information. A first decision unit decides at least one host computer to retrieve the requested information by referring to the correspondence. A second decision unit decides a retrieval method used for each host computer decided by the first decision unit from a plurality of retrieval methods. A retrieval unit indicates retrieval of the requested information based on the retrieval method decided by the second decision unit and each host computer decided by the first decision unit.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting parallelization according to the invention is characterized by comprising serialization unit for converting a first concurrent program having a concurrent structure into a sequential program capable of being sequentially executed, debugging unit for debugging the sequential program and forming debugging information, and concurrent program programming unit for performing parallelization of the debugged sequential program on the basis of the debugging information to convert the sequential program into a second concurrent program. With above configuration, the debugging unit includes unit for introducing information associated with concurrency to the sequential program.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting parallelization according to the invention is characterized by comprising a serialization unit for converting a first concurrent program having a concurrent structure into a sequential program capable of being sequentially executed, a debugging unit for debugging the sequential program and forming debugging information, and a concurrent program programming unit for performing parallelization of the debugged sequential program on the basis of the debugging information to convert the sequential program into a second concurrent program. With above configuration, the debugging unit includes a unit for introducing information associated with concurrency to the sequential program.

Abstract: In a data-processing apparatus, in local information storage L and R at each node, local information for the purpose of accessing a constituent element is stored, this information being updated. A plan is generated that represents the action that should be taken by an agent in order to satisfy request code that has been input, this being generated as a set of actions, based on agent information and local information. The operation of the agent is implemented at the nodes L and R, based on the various actions that make up the thus-generated plan, and an agent is migrated to another node, based on a go action within the plan. It is possible to perform replanning and generation of a child agent at a migration destination node, if necessary, because of the failure of plan execution, for example.

Abstract: A program development support apparatus and method for supporting the efficient development of a highly reliable program are provided. The basic configuration includes a program-outputting which outputs the source code of a program, a specifying which specifies one or more candidate locations at which an interrupt task is to be enabled in the source code of the program, executing the program so that the interrupt task is executed at a specified location, outputting the results of this execution, inputting an evaluation of whether or not these results are correct, and adding to the program an interrupt control command which enables execution of an interrupt task at the candidate location when the specified candidate location and interrupt task evaluation is positive. In one other configuration, by specifying the interrupt-enabled part, it is possible to resolve a bug in the concurrent program which is caused by a missing interrupt-disabling part.

Abstract: Annular portions are arranged on mutually confronting surfaces at circumferential edge portions of low-temperature containers, the annular portions forming annular containing portions whose cross section is rectangular. Not only a side coil among a group of coils forming a collective coil body is disposed inside the containing portion, but also a gradient magnetic field unit, a radio-frequency transmission coil, and a reception coil are disposed inside a recessed portion so as to be integrated with one another into a single body, the recessed portion being formed so as to be surrounded by the corresponding annular portion. The side coil supplies more than half a designed magnetomotive force. Since a distance J of the mutually confronting low-temperature containers, i.e.

Abstract: An apparatus for supporting parallelization according to the invention is characterized by comprising a serialization unit for converting a first concurrent program having a concurrent structure into a sequential program capable of being sequentially executed, a debugging unit for debugging the sequential program and forming debugging information, and a concurrent program programming unit for performing parallelization of the debugged sequential program on the basis of the debugging information to convert the sequential program into a second concurrent program. With above configuration, the debugging unit includes a unit for introducing information associated with concurrency to the sequential program.

Abstract: A magnetic field producing apparatus is obtained which can easily perform a connection work, while securing a connection work space of a vortex coil, and can omit a base member. A width of a groove at an inner peripheral turned portion of a vortex coil is made wide to form a space without positionally shifting a center of the respective turned portions of the vortex coil. An inner peripheral end of the vortex coil can be easily picked up, a junction work with a connection lead can be readily performed, and also a bending work can be properly achieved.

Abstract: A passive shim arrangement for a nuclear magnetic resonance apparatus has a plurality of nonmagnetic tubes disposed at predetermined positions around a common axis. Each tube is parallel to and uniformly distant from the axis. Magnetic shims are inserted into the tubes to correct components of the magnetic field.

Abstract: A magnetic shim for correcting the n-th order harmonic of the Z-axis component of the main magnetic field of an NMR device has its end surfaces disposed such that each of the (n+2)-order harmonics of the magnetic fields generated by the end surfaces are nonzero and such that the sum of the (n+2)-order harmonics is equal to zero.