An Introduction to MultiAgent Systems.

The Object Management Group's (OMG) Model Driven Architecture (MDA) strategy envisages a world where models play a more direct role in software production, being amenable to manipulation and transformation by machine. Model Driven Engineering (MDE) is wider in scope than MDA. MDE combines process and analysis with architecture. This article sets out a framework for model driven engineering, which can be used as a point of reference for activity in this area. It proposes an organisation of the modelling 'space' and how to locate models in that space. It discusses different kinds of mappings between models. It explains why process and architecture are tightly connected. It discusses the importance and nature of tools. It identifies the need for defining families of languages and transformations, and for developing techniques for generating/configuring tools from such definitions. It concludes with a call to align metamodelling with formal language engineering techniques.

Model Driven Engineering

Over the past decade, goal models have been used in Computer Science in order to represent software requirements, business objectives and design qualities. Such models extend traditional AI planning techniques for representing goals by allowing for partially defined and possibly inconsistent goals. This paper presents a formal framework for reasoning with such goal models. In particular, the paper proposes a qualitative and a numerical axiomatization for goal modeling primitives and introduces label propagation algorithms that are shown to be sound and complete with respect to their respective axiomatizations. In addition, the paper reports on preliminary experimental results on the propagation algorithms applied to a goal model for a US car manufacturer.

Reasoning with goal models

Agent-based computing is a promising approach for developing applications in complex domains. However, despite the great deal of research in the area, a number of challenges still need to be faced (i) to make agent-based computing a widely accepted paradigm in software engineering practice, and (ii) to turn agent-oriented software abstractions into practical tools for facing the complexity of modern application areas. In this paper, after a short introduction to the key concepts of agent-based computing (as they pertain to software engineering), we characterise the emerging key issues in multiagent systems (MASs) engineering. In particular, we show that such issues can be analysed in terms of three different “scales of observation”, i.e., in analogy with the scales of observation of physical phenomena, in terms of micro, macro, and meso scales. Based on this characterisation, we discuss, for each scale of observation, what are the peculiar engineering issues arising, the key research challenges to be solved, and the most promising research directions to be explored in the future.

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Challenges and Research Directions in Agent-Oriented Software Engineering

A process for expressing extracellular beta -glucosidase in a filamentous fungus by expressing a fungal DNA sequence encoding enhanced, deleted or altered beta -glucosidase in a recombinant host microorganism is disclosed. Recombinant fungal cellulase compositions containing enhanced, deleted or altered expression of beta -glucosidase is also disclosed.

Workflow Management Coalition.

In the last years, multi-agent systems (MAS) have proved more and more successful. The need of a quality software engineering approach to their design arises together with the need of new methodological ways to address important issues such as ontology representation, security concerns and production costs. The introduction of an extensive pattern reuse practice can be determinant in cutting down the time and cost of developing these systems. Patterns can be extremely successful with MAS (even more than with object-oriented systems) because the great encapsulation of agents allows an easier identification and disposition of reusable parts. In this paper we discuss our approach to the pattern reuse that is a phase of a more comprehensive approach to agent-oriented software design.

Introducing pattern reuse in the design of multi-agent systems

Design patterns already proved successful in lowering the development time and number of errors of object-oriented software; now, they are, candidate to play a similar role in the MAS (multi-agent system) context. In this work we describe our experiences in the identification, production and application of patterns for agents. Some patterns are described together with the classification criteria and documentation approach we adopt. Upon them, we base a pattern reuse process that can be considered one of the distinguishing elements of the design methodology (PASSI) we use to develop MAS. Patterns can be applied to an existing agent or used to produce a new one with the support of a specific web based application that can read both the JAVA source code and XMI representation of the agent design documentation. After the successful application of the desired pattern(s), the source code and the design diagrams (usually a structural and dynamic diagram) of the agent can be exported. Some experimental results are reported in order to demonstrate the utility of this approach in automatically producing an interesting percentage of code lines.

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Patterns reuse in the PASSI methodology

We have been developing robotic multi-agent systems for several years according to a well defined methodology (PASSI) obtaining good results, but day by day needs of a more versatile approach for designing software in a research context suggested us to find out a new methodology A solution to our problems is represented by the Agile version of the PASSI methodology we present in this paper We built this agile methodology by exploiting all the experiences done with conventional PASSI; it is supported by specific tools allowing patterns reuse and automatic production of some design documentation

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Agile PASSI: An Agile Process for Designing Agents

The design of an agent system for robotics is a problem that involves aspects coming from many different disciplines (robotics, artificial intelligence, computer vision, software engineering). The most difficult part of it, often consists in producing and tuning the algorithms that incorporates the robot behavior (planning, obstacle avoidance,...) and abilities (vision, manipulation, navigation,...). Frequently, the reuse of these parts is left to a copy and paste procedure from previous applications to the new one. In so doing many problems could arise. We propose a comprehensive approach for multi-agent systems oriented to robotics applications that uses a complete design methodology supported by a specific design tools and a pattern repository that interacting each other and with the designer allow the production of a coherent design that easily incorporates patterns coming from previously experienced features and automatically produces a large part of the final code.

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A possible approach to the development of robotic multi-agent systems

A great number of processes for multi-agent systems design have been presented in last years to support the different approaches to agent-oriented design; each process is specific for a particular class of problems and it instantiates a specific MAS meta-model. These differences produce inconsistences and overlaps: a MAS meta-model may define a term not referred by another, or the same term can be used with a different meaning.

We think that the lack of a standardization may cause a significant delay to the diffusion of the agent paradigm outside research context. Working for this unification goal, it is also necessary to define in unambiguous way the terms of the agent model and their relationships thus obtaining a unified MAS meta-model. In this work we propose the PASSI MAS meta-model, the results of its adaptation to the needs of an agile process (Agile PASSI), and a comparison with an existing unifying proposal of MAS meta-model composed by considering three different processes (ADELFE, Gaia and PASSI).

Luca Sabatucci

Papers

Introducing pattern reuse in the design of multi-agent systems

Patterns reuse in the PASSI methodology

Agile PASSI: An Agile Process for Designing Agents

A possible approach to the development of robotic multi-agent systems

The PASSI and agile PASSI MAS meta-models compared with a unifying proposal