A framework for the development of distributed organizations

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Abstract
A system, Ubik, is described that builds, executes, and maintains distributed computer organizations. A computer organization is built using three organizational components: structure, action, and power. The interaction among these three components mirrors some of the complex interactions in the external organization being modeled. The structure of an organization is modeled with semantic nets built of linked‐together objects. The action of an organization is represented by an object called a configurator, and initiated by message passing. The power of an organization is maintained by objects, called sponsors, which delegate processing power to other objects. Active messages are used to build specialized objects called constructors, questers, and tapeworms. They build, query, monitor, and constrain applications running within an organization. Ubik is based on the actor concurrent object model. It supports the parallel execution of organizational applications distributed over networked computers. Ubik contains tools for the building of organizational applications by end‐users. Programming by example is supported with the use of a pattern‐directed language, used within two‐dimensional pictures of forms. Distributed rule‐based agents are supported using the semantic nets as knowledge bases and the tapeworms as rules.

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