A generic visualization framework to help debug mobile-object-based distributed programs running on large networks

A generic visualization framework (VF) is proposed in this paper with the aim of aiding the debugging of mobile object-based distributed programs running on large networks. This framework consists of three logical layers, namely, the lower public Intranet (PI), the middle visualization data structures (VDS), and the upper visualization user interface (VUI). The VDS makes the VF generic because data structures can be adapted easily to accommodate different platforms that support mobile objects (agents). The adaptation does not affect the VUI and PI features described in this paper. In the simulation and tests, the VF was adapted for the stable Aglets mobile agent platform, and the preliminary results confirm that the VF is indeed a viable approach to help debug mobile object-based distributed programs running on large networks such as the Internet