<s>
In	O
computer	B-General_Concept
science	I-General_Concept
,	O
a	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agent	I-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
piece	O
of	O
software	B-General_Concept
agent	I-General_Concept
combined	O
with	O
data	O
that	O
is	O
able	O
to	O
migrate	O
from	O
one	O
computer	O
to	O
another	O
autonomously	O
and	O
continue	O
its	O
execution	O
on	O
the	O
destination	O
with	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
interact	O
with	O
other	O
agents	O
there	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rather	O
than	O
a	O
client	B-Protocol
requesting	O
data	O
and	O
performing	O
actions	O
,	O
a	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agent	I-Operating_System
is	O
sent	O
to	O
a	O
server	B-Application
to	O
perform	O
those	O
tasks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
paradigm	O
delegates	O
the	O
work	O
from	O
the	O
client	B-Protocol
and	O
onto	O
the	O
server	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agent	I-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
type	O
of	O
software	B-General_Concept
agent	I-General_Concept
,	O
with	O
the	O
feature	O
of	O
autonomy	O
,	O
social	O
ability	O
,	O
learning	O
,	O
and	O
most	O
significantly	O
,	O
mobility	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
More	O
specifically	O
,	O
a	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agent	I-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
process	B-Operating_System
that	O
can	O
transport	O
its	O
state	O
from	O
one	O
environment	O
to	O
another	O
,	O
with	O
its	O
data	O
intact	O
,	O
and	O
be	O
capable	O
of	O
performing	O
appropriately	O
in	O
the	O
new	O
environment	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	B-Operating_System
agents	I-Operating_System
decide	O
when	O
and	O
where	O
to	O
move	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Movement	O
is	O
often	O
evolved	O
from	O
RPC	B-Operating_System
methods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Just	O
as	O
a	O
user	O
directs	O
an	O
Internet	O
browser	O
to	O
"	O
visit	O
"	O
a	O
website	O
(	O
the	O
browser	O
merely	O
downloads	O
a	O
copy	O
of	O
the	O
site	O
,	O
or	O
one	O
version	O
of	O
it	O
in	O
the	O
case	O
of	O
dynamic	O
web	O
sites	O
)	O
,	O
a	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agent	I-Operating_System
accomplishes	O
a	O
move	O
through	O
data	O
duplication	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
a	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agent	I-Operating_System
decides	O
to	O
move	O
,	O
it	O
saves	B-Application
its	I-Application
own	I-Application
state	I-Application
(	O
process	B-Operating_System
image	O
)	O
,	O
transports	O
this	O
saved	O
state	O
to	O
the	O
new	O
host	O
and	O
resumes	O
execution	O
from	O
the	O
saved	O
state	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agent	I-Operating_System
is	O
a	O
specific	O
form	O
of	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
code	I-Operating_System
,	O
within	O
the	O
field	O
of	O
code	B-Operating_System
mobility	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
in	O
contrast	O
to	O
the	O
remote	B-Operating_System
evaluation	I-Operating_System
and	O
code	B-Protocol
on	I-Protocol
demand	I-Protocol
programming	O
paradigms	O
,	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agents	I-Operating_System
are	O
active	O
in	O
that	O
they	O
can	O
choose	O
to	O
migrate	O
between	O
computers	O
at	O
any	O
time	O
during	O
their	O
execution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
makes	O
them	O
a	O
powerful	O
tool	O
for	O
implementing	O
distributed	B-Architecture
applications	I-Architecture
in	O
a	O
computer	B-Architecture
network	I-Architecture
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
two	O
types	O
of	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agents	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mobile	B-Operating_System
agents	I-Operating_System
with	O
predefined	O
path	O
:	O
these	O
have	O
a	O
static	O
migration	O
path	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Free	O
roaming	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agent	I-Operating_System
:	O
these	O
have	O
a	O
dynamic	O
migration	O
path	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Depending	O
on	O
the	O
present	O
network	O
condition	O
,	O
the	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agent	I-Operating_System
chooses	O
its	O
path	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
early	O
1990s	O
,	O
General	O
Magic	O
created	O
the	O
Telescript	B-Language
language	O
and	O
environment	O
for	O
writing	O
and	O
executing	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agents	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
described	O
it	O
with	O
the	O
now-popular	O
"	O
cloud	B-Architecture
"	O
metaphor	O
;	O
as	O
described	O
by	O
Andy	O
Hertzfeld	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Some	O
advantages	O
which	O
mobile	B-Operating_System
agents	I-Operating_System
have	O
over	O
conventional	O
agents	O
are	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Computation	O
bundles	O
-	O
converts	O
computational	O
client/server	O
round	O
trips	O
to	O
relocatable	O
data	O
bundles	O
,	O
reducing	O
network	O
load	O
.	O
</s>
