Query routing in nomadic environments with PUMAS

PUMAS is a framework based on agents and a Peer to Peer (P2P) approach, which allows nomadic users to access several information sources through different types of devices (eventually mobile). PUMAS provide the nomadic user with information adapted to her/his preferences and to the characteristics of the context of use (i.e. location, connection moment, inherent characteristics of the access device). In order to deliver adapted results, PUMAS relies on mechanisms for enriching the initial query, by means of adding criteria based on user preferences and context of use. This phase of query enrichment precedes a query routing process composed of three activities: the query analysis, the selection of sources that are able to answer to the query and the redirection of the query towards these sources. We present the algorithms and the knowledge managed by PUMAS agents in these activities and we illustrate the query routing process that PUMAS executes in order to deliver adapted information.