Information Personalization Agent Manager
	User Interfaces Inputs Version  Document Handlers Architecture Outputs The Executive Interfaces to other "Web" products
iPAM	The Information Personalization Agent Manager (iPAM) is a software framework that facilitates building information channels. iPAM serves as a "glue" layer between information suppliers and information dissemination tools. iPAM consists of information agents and a manager of those agents, built as a single Java "executable."  iPAM is an information administrators toolset that allows administrators to build information collection and dissemination services. Such services, or "channels" can be based on:  Sources - FTP, HTTP, SMTP, POP, web sites, files, others Dissemination protocols and tools - FTP, HTTP, SMTP, email, BackWeb, Castanet, AOL Instant Messenger, others Agents written in Java to retrieve, process, and forward information iPAM is "glueware" that can be used to bridge information sources to sinks with dissimilar formats and/or protocols.  iPAM has an open architecture that allows administrators to write custom agents to get, process, or distribute information. Small custom Java agents can be added to the iPAM toolset and easily interconnected with existing ones.  iPAM is not an end user tool. It does not address content browsing, or subscribing for content. Many commercial tools by many vendors address those needs.  Example channels:  A channel that queries AltaVistaô once a week concerning push technology. The findings are forwarded via email to several users A channel that gets the local travel advisory checks for accidents and forwards the accident notification in the morning and evening to a personal pager A channel that monitors a sofware distributors FTP URL (perhaps weekly) and creates a message identifying changes to end users  A channel that takes your mail and sends subject lines to your pager
Architecture	The software is written in Java. The architecture makes extensive use of Java Interfaces. There is a built in web service as well as support for mail, ftp, and many other protocols. Further information can be found in the developer's documentation.
Executive	The heart of iPAM is the executive. It provides the services that Inputs, Outputs, Handlers, and Daemons use. Some of these services are tracking directories, understanding the mapping between working directories and remote URLs, and scheduling. The executive can be configured via a number of parameters.
Inputs	Input agents are the entry point for information into the system. They are responsible for getting information using the appropriate protocol and converting the input into a standard internal representation.  acceptAIM - gets a message from America Online's Instant Messsenger service acceptSerializedProduct - accepts product from another iPAM instance across the network acceptSMTPMail - implements SMTP mail service that directly accepts mail acceptTIBCO - accepts data asynchronously from another iPAM via TIBCO acceptUDP - accepts limited data asynchronously (and unreliably) from another iPAM via UDP getAltavista - does searches at www.altavista.digital.com  getExciteByKeyword - does a search at www.excite.com getExciteNewstracker - gets content from a custom "channel" at nt.excite.com getDirectory - gets a list of files from a local directory  getFile - builds a product with references to local files getFTPDirectory - gets a list of files from an FTP directory  getJDBC - get rows from a database getPOPMail - retrieves mail from an external POP mail server getOnePage - copies one .html page (with images) given its URL getRootPlusReferences - copies one .html page and its immediate .html references from a URL  getSmarTraveler - gets traffic reports from SmarTraveler getStockQuote - notifes when stock prices go outside of limits getURL - Copies a URL (of any type) without interpretation of the contents
Handlers	Handlers are agents that handle the information on its way from the sources to the outputs. They can be activated on a time schedule to collect/aggregate products into information channels. Jugglers can accept input from source agents sources and provide output to multiple output agents. Handlers share several common configuration variables.  appendDateToId - modifies a product's id with the date and/or time approve / SrvProductApprove - work together to allow people to approve or reject product before forwarding  archive - maintain a time limited archive of products countProducts - keeps a count of products expireOldProducts - delete product that has expired extractProperties - Extracts name-value pairs (as metadata) from the content of a semistructures composit string product. forwardAsXMLFile - converts a product into an XML representation generateTrigger - activate agents based on input data headlinesOnly - removes product bodies as a simple form of summarization, passes only the headline filterSubproductByKeyword - eliminates subproducts of a complex product that do not have the specified keywords flattenProductHierarchy - outputs a product that is no more than one level deep forwardAsURL - passes on only URL references (not product) forwardAsXMLFile - convert product into XML format notifyOfChange - detect change to file content  notifyOfDateChange - detect change to file's based on modification date  notifyOfProduct - creates a simple notification that the input product is available notifyOfFTPDateChange - detect change in an FTP file and fetch it if new  notifyOfProduct - creates a notification of its incoming product(s) passAsHTMLIndex - makes an index page that matches its input passIfKeywordsMatch - filters which products pass based on keyword matches passIfPointInsidePolygon - pass a product with latitude/longitude coordinate metadata inside the region passIfProductAttributesMatch - filters products and subproducts based on metadata passThru - builds composite product from inputs  processViaECMAScript - use custom scripts to process products processViaXSL - allows you to output a .html file using an XSL script to process a product remoteConnector - allows one to build a remote publication proxy based on RMI replaceWords - Replaces words and phrases in input strings based on a "table" of substitute words/phrases. switch - routes product to one of the configured output sinks throttleBytesPerMinute - controls the flow of product to limit the avreage rate tableOfContents - keeps a list of mail items trigger - Activates, enables, or disables other handlers queue - puts products on a queue with options for what to do when the queue is full
Outputs	Output agents can distribute products. They can be connected to multiple Sources and/or Handlers simultaneously.  putAIM - send a message via America Online's Instant Messenger service putBackWebLocal - "publishes" data to a cohosted BackWeb Server  putCDF - makes the output of an archive available as a CDF channel putFTP - sends files only to an ftp site.  putLocalPublisher - saves product to local directory and invokes publish tool putNews - output to usenet news group putOnLocalMap - displays tracks on maps using the SpatialX product putProductToDirectory - copy entire product to local directory putMail - Send a product via email, using POP protocol. putSerializedProduct - sends product to another iPAM instance across the network putStarBurstCLI - invokes StarBurst command language interface to send files using the Startburst multicasting protocol putTIBCO - sends iPAM products to another iPAM via TIBCO putToRemoteConnector - (future capability) Send product to remote iPAM system/proxy putUDP - sends iPAM products to another iPAM via UDP
Daemons	Daemons are agents that can be scheduled (just like a Handlers) but they have neither inputs or outputs. See schedule for information on scheduling options.  makeBackWebSubscriptionPage - builds a BackWeb subscriptions page  checkpoint - commands Executive checkpointing on a schedule bytesPerMinuteResourcePool - coordinates throttleBytesPerMinute Handlers deleteExpiredAgents - deletes agents if the agent they depend on has run once exceptionChecker - looks for exceptions in the log and notifies an administrator via Email  infer - allows the Java Expert System Shell (Jess) to be embeded in iPAM to monitor and control agents logFilter - examines the log file and filters out old info to keep the log file from growing without bound  remoteAgentEditor - allows iPAM to be controlled externally via Java RMI
Test Agents	These agents are useful for testing and for making demonstrations. Most of then input agents create different types of "canned" products.  getPIM1 getPIMByteArray getPIMComplex getPIMContinuous getPIMDictionary getPIMExpired getPIMIndexed passOneRandomProduct - pass one simple product from a complex input putDIM1 - displays its input in a local window on the host that is executing iPAM putQueuedDIM - displays a "rolling" list of id's for products sent to it
Interfaces with Web Products	iPAM can output via email, BackWeb, Castanet and StarBurst MFTP or it can display information on Object/FX SpatialX maps. There is also message input and output using America Online's Instant Messenger service. iPAM is extensible with custom Java "plugins." Contact cda@mitre.org for further information.
	Revised: 8 March 2000