Release Notes COUGAAR 12.4

---

---

Introduction

This file contains the release notes for Cougaar 12.4.

Cougaar is an open-source, Java-based architecture that supports distributed, agent-based applications.

Please visit the Cougaar Website for CougaarOverview, documentation, news, and releases.

License

Cougaar uses the BSD-style "Cougaar Open Source License" (COSL). Please see the LicenseText.

Contents

For documentation on the various zip, jar, and config files included in this release, please see ReleaseStructure.

What's New in this Release?

Cougar 12.4 is a minor release.

Changes:

• Added Eclipse project files for most CVS modules. To use, create an empty Workspace, select "Import", "General - Existing Project", "Next", browse for a module checkout (e.g. "ping"), then "Finish". The "ping" example includes Run configurations for a single-node benchmark and two-node ping test.
• Repackaged the ping demo source code from "core" to the "ping" module:
  org.cougaar.demo.ping.*
  For example configurations see the "demo-ping.zip"
• Refactored the Message Transport "mtsstd" module to move all protocol-specific LinkProtocols? (RMI, JMS, etc) into a new "mtslinks" module. The standard system now requires the "lib/mtslinks.jar".
• Added servlet tunneling support via the new "webmicro" module. If enabled, this transparently replaces servlet HTTP redirects with Message Transport -based "tunnel" messaging (e.g. to get through firewalls). For details, see ServletTunnel
• Modified the XML parser to support "vm_parameter" and component "argument" attributes. For example, instead of the old format:
  <vm_parameter> -Dx=y </vm_parameter>
  <argument> foo=bar </argument>
  you can now use:
  <vm_parameter name="-Dx" value="y"/>
  <argument name="foo" value="bar"/>
  Both the old and new formats are supported.
• Added support to track blackboard add/change/remove stacks and display them in the "/tasks" servlet. This can be used to debug both which plugin published an object (e.g. "publishAdded by com.FooPlugin[x=y,foo=bar] at stacktrace) and all plugins and unique stacks that have changed that object. To enable, set:
  -Dorg.cougaar.core.blackboard.trackPublishers=true
  run, then select an object in the "/tasks" servlet and click on the lower-left "Publisher" link. In one real-world application that has many blackboard operations, this option adds about a 30% runtime performance overhead.
• Open-sourced the QuO? "resource-status-service" third-party jar into a new "qrs" module.
• Removed the "quo" module and its related "sys/quoSumo" third-party library from the standard Cougaar release. These modules are still available in CVS.
• Fixed several ThreadService bugs that were found in long-running benchmark tests.
• Enhanced the util "Arguments" parameter parser to support complex name=value entries and -D defaults. The plugin loader now supports a "setArguments(Arguments)" method, such as:

   public class MyPlugin ... {
   // optional, called via reflection
   public void setArguments(Arguments args) { ... }
   }
   

• Added generics support to ServiceBroker? . For example, instead of:
  log = (LoggingService? ) sb.getService(this, LoggingService? .class, null);
  a plugin can now dow:
  log = sb.getService(this, LoggingService? .class, null);
• Added a "/favicon.ico" servlet to display the Cougaar logo in the browser URL line. To delete or replace this image, change the new "configs/common/favicon.ico" file.
• Added an optional "/file" servlet to provide full browser access to the $COUGAAR_INSTALL_PATH file system. To enable, add the following component to your configuration:

   <component class="org.cougaar.lib.web.service.FileServlet">
   <argument name=path value="/file">
   </component>
   

• Enhanced metrics code-generators and base classes to support generics and new operators, such as:

   Volume v1 = Volume.newGallons(12);
   Volume v2 = Volume.newGallons(34);
   Volume v = (Volume) v1.add(v2); // new "add" method
   

• Added initial support for Cougaar annotations, such as:

   public class MyPlugin ... {
   @Cougaar.Arg(name="delayMillis", defaultValue="5000")
   public long delayMillis;
   ...
   }
   

  See the HEAD "ping" module for a complete example.
• Removed some third-party dependencies in the core modules. For example, the "util" module no longer depends upon "xml-apis" or "xercesImpl".

Requirements

Cougaar requires Java version 1.5 or 1.6. For details, please see the Installation Guide.

Installation

Please see the Installation Guide and Overview Slides.

Documentation

For additional details, please review the following documentation:

• The CougaarFAQ
• The Cougaar Tutorials Page contains:
  • Training Slides and example source code on how to implement planning applications using Task/Allocation agent interactions.
  • The Pizza planning application.
• The Documentation Page contains:
  • Cougaar Overview Slides
  • The Cougaar Developers' Guide v11.4
  • The Cougaar Architecture Document v11.4
  • Many additional Conference Papers.
• SpecialTopics provides detailed documentation on several core services, such as the ThreadPool? and Metrics services.
• Javadoc is available:
  • In the "cougaar-api.zip" as " javadoc/module/doc/api" files, such as the Core Javadoc.
  • Online under Developer Documentation 12.4 Javadoc API.
• ReleaseNotes and ChangeLog? files (e.g., core/src/ChangeLog).

Support

For information on problems that were detected after this Cougaar version was released, please see the Online 12.4 Errata File. Errata for older releases can be found in the Online Errata Directory.

For questions or issues, please visit the Community Forum and browse the Projects discussion forums. Subscribers can also post questions to the forum at General Questions

If the above sources do not address your question or problem, please submit a bug report or enhancement request to the Cougaar Bugs Forum.

ReleaseStructure