A multi-agent based replication strategy for improving availability and maintaining consistency of data in large scale mobile traffic control environments

An important challenge to database researchers in mobile computing environment is to provide a data replication solution that maintains the consistency and improves the availability of replicated data. This paper addresses this problem for large scale mobile traffic control environments. Our solution represents a new binary replication strategy, in terms of its components and approach. The new strategy encompasses two components: replication architecture to provide a solid infrastructure for improving data availability and a multi-agent based replication method to transfer data updates in a manner that achieves the consistency of data. The new strategy is a hybrid of both pessimistic and optimistic replication approaches, in order to exploit the features of each to support higher data availability and lower rate of inconsistencies as well as supports the mobility of users. © 2008 IEEE.