An Agent-Based Framework for Developing Distributed Applications (original) (raw)

A Framework for Developing Agent-Based Distributed Applications

2010 IEEE/WIC/ACM International Conference on Web Intelligence and Intelligent Agent Technology, 2010

The development of large-scale distributed multiagent systems in open dynamic environments is a challenge. System behavior is often not predictable and can only be evaluated by execution. This paper proposes a framework to support design and development of such systems: a framework in which both simulation and emulation play an important role. A distributed agent platform (AgentScape) is used to illustrate the potential of the framework.

AgentService: A Framework for Distributed Multi-agent System Development,” to be published

Today software systems are complex, dynamic, distributed, and evolve over time. Multi-agent systems (MASs) are a powerful abstraction to model such systems. Agent programming frameworks support software engineers in transforming these abstractions into concrete distributed applications. Even though there is wide availability of tools for multi-agent development, only few of them constitute valid support from a software engineering point of view.

Infrastructure Support for Agent-Based Development

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2002

As the field of agent-based computing has continued to develop, there have been several contributions to its theoretical underpinnings, and several others to supporting the efforts of practical systems development. Yet the connection between the two has been limited at best. In this paper we aim to address these limitations through a consideration of appropriate agent infrastructure that can support principled development of agent systems based on a strong conceptual framework. As well as a general discussion of infrastructure requirements in this context, we also describe the PARADIGMA implementation environment, based on the SMART agent framework, which represents our initial efforts in this direction.

Farm: A Scalable Environment for Multi-agent Development and Evaluation

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2004

In this paper we introduce Farm, a distributed simulation environment for simulating large-scale multi-agent systems. Farm uses a component-based architecture, allowing the simulation to be easily modified and augmented, as well as distributed to spread the computational load and improve running time. Technical details of Farm's architecture are described, along with discussion of the rationale behind this design. Performance graphs are provided, along with a brief discussion of the environments currently being modeled with Farm.

Agent Oriented Software Engineering. A Motivation for and an Introduction to a Novel Approach to Modeling and Development of Open Distributed Systems

1994

The agent-oriented software engineering research community is advocating the agent-based approach for the design of distributed systems. But currently, there is a substantial gap between the massive number of publications reporting advantages of agents, and the relatively small number of successful large applications. We present an agent-based cluster server application together with the analysis of advantages and disadvantages of the agent-based version compared to the non agent-based version of functionally similar cluster server application. Obtained experience is analyzed from the viewpoints of designers, developers and users. Observations confirm several previously published advantages of the agent-based approach and implementation; yet reveal some less familiar disadvantages as well. Overall, we argue that agentbased approach provide reasonable benefits already at this stage, while we lack further agent-based research.

Platform for building large-scale agent-based systems

2012 IEEE Conference on Evolving and Adaptive Intelligent Systems, EAIS 2012 - Proceedings, 2012

This paper presents an agent platform called PANGEA (Platform for Automatic coNstruction of orGanizations of intElligent Agents). This platform allows to developed multiagent systems modeled as Virtual Organizations. The concepts of roles, organizations and norms are fully supported by the platform assuring flexibility and scalability. Moreover, a communication protocol based on IRC gives high performance and reliability to this kind of distributed systems.

Towards a Distributed, Environment-Centered Agent Framework John R. Graham and Keith S. Decker

6Th International Workshop on Intelligent Agents Vi Agent Theories Architectures and Languages, 1999

This paper will discuss the internal architecture for an agent framework called DECAF (Distributed Environment Centered Agent Framework). DECAF is a software toolkit for the rapid design, development, and execution of "intelligent" agents to achieve solutions in complex software systems. From a research community perspective, DECAF provides a modular platform for evaluating and disseminating results in agent architectures, including communication, planning, scheduling, execution monitoring, coordination, diagnosis, and learning. From a user/programmer perspective, DECAF distinguishes itself by removing the focus from the underlying components of agent building such as socket creation, message formatting, and agent communication. Instead, users may quickly prototype agent systems by focusing on the domain-specific parts of the problem via a graphical plan editor, reusable generic behaviors [3], and various supporting middle-agents [4]. This paper will briefly describe the key portions of the DECAF toolkit and as well as some of the internal details of the agent execution framework. While not all of the modules have yet been completely realized, DECAF has already been used for teaching purposes, allowing student teams, initially untutored in agent systems, to quickly build prototype multi-agent information gathering systems.

Towards a Distributed, Environment-Centered Agent Framework

Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2000

This paper will discuss the internal architecture for an agent framework called DECAF (Distributed Environment Centered Agent Framework). DECAF is a software toolkit for the rapid design, development, and execution of "intelligent" agents to achieve solutions in complex software systems. From a research community perspective, DECAF provides a modular platform for evaluating and disseminating results in agent architectures, including communication, planning, scheduling, execution monitoring, coordination, diagnosis, and learning. From a user/programmer perspective, DECAF distinguishes itself by removing the focus from the underlying components of agent building such as socket creation, message formatting, and agent communication. Instead, users may quickly prototype agent systems by focusing on the domain-specific parts of the problem via a graphical plan editor, reusable generic behaviors , and various supporting middle-agents . This paper will briefly describe the key portions of the DECAF toolkit and as well as some of the internal details of the agent execution framework. While not all of the modules have yet been completely realized, DECAF has already been used for teaching purposes, allowing student teams, initially untutored in agent systems, to quickly build prototype multi-agent information gathering systems.