Agent communication bulletin board

A computer-implemented data communication method comprising steps of:

• communicating a first instruction from a first software entity to a data repository, said first software entity having an entity identifier and a plurality of characteristics;
• establishing, in response to said first instruction, a first collection of data at a data repository, said first collection of data having at least one collection identifier selected from said plurality of characteristics;
• adding, for each software entity of a second plurality of software entities having a respective set of characteristics that matches said at least one collection identifier, an entity identifier of respective software entity to said first collection of data;
• adding data from at least one of said second plurality of software entities to said first collection of data;
• receiving, by using a processor, at least one other of said second plurality of software entities, a portion of said data from said first collection of data;
• communicating a third instruction from said first software entity to said data repository;
• establishing, in response to said third instruction, a second collection of data at said data repository, said second collection of data having at least one collection identifier selected from said plurality of characteristics of said first software entity, said at least one collection identifier of said second collection of data differing from said at least one collection identifier of said first collection of data;
• adding, for each software entity of a third plurality of software entities having a respective set of characteristics that matches said at least one collection identifier of said second collection of data, an entity identifier of respective software entity to said second collection of data;
• adding data to said second collection of data from at least one of a fourth plurality of software entities belonging to said second plurality of software entities and to said third plurality of software entities;
• if said at least one collection identifier of said first collection of data comprises said at least one collection identifier of said second collection of data and if said first collection of data indicates that a threshold percentage of said second plurality of software entities experiences a common problem, informing a user of said common problem and taking measures that prevent said second plurality of software entities from informing a user of said common problem, wherein said data added to said first collection of data comprises data indicative of a problem experienced by a respective software entity of the fourth plurality of software entities, and said data added to said second collection of data comprises data indicative of said problem experienced by the respective software entity of the fourth plurality of software entities;
• and
• deleting said first collection of data from said data repository if said first collection of data remains unaltered for a given period of time.

A computer program product comprising instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, said instructions being executable for causing a computer to perform a method, when said instructions are run on said computer, comprising steps of:

• communicating a first instruction from a first software entity to a data repository, said first software entity having an entity identifier and a plurality of characteristics;
• establishing, in response to said first instruction, a first collection of data at a data repository, said first collection of data having at least one collection identifier selected from said plurality of characteristics;
• adding, for each software entity of a second plurality of software entities having a respective set of characteristics that matches said at least one collection identifier, an entity identifier of a respective software entity of said plurality of software entities to said first collection of data;
• adding data from at least one of said second plurality of software entities to said first collection of data;
• receiving, at least one other of said second plurality of software entities, a portion of said data from said first collection of data;
• communicating a third instruction from said first software entity to said data repository;
• establishing, in response to said third instruction, a second collection of data at said data repository, said second collection of data having at least one collection identifier selected from said plurality of characteristics of said first software entity, said at least one collection identifier of said second collection of data differing from said at least one collection identifier of said first collection of data;
• adding, for each software entity of a third plurality of software entities having a respective set of characteristics that matches said at least one collection identifier of said second collection of data, an entity identifier of respective software entity to said second collection of data;
• adding data to said second collection of data from at least one of a fourth plurality of software entities belonging to said second plurality of software entities and to said third plurality of software entities;
• if said at least one collection identifier of said first collection of data comprises said at least one collection identifier of said second collection of data and if said first collection of data indicates that a threshold percentage of said second plurality of software entities experiences a common problem, informing a user of said common problem and taking measures that prevent said second plurality of software entities from informing a user of said common problem, wherein said data added to said first collection of data comprises data indicative of a problem experienced by a respective software entity of the fourth plurality of software entities, and said data added to said second collection of data comprises data indicative of said problem experienced by the respective software entity of the fourth plurality of software entities;
• and
• deleting said first collection of data from said data repository if said first collection of data remains unaltered for a given period of time.