Agent-Based Services (ABS) for Network-Centric Communities of Interest

1. End-Users (COI) Information Systems COI- and User-Specific Agents Middleware Information System-Specific Agents Data Source-Specific Agents Data Sources Agent-Based Services (ABS) for Network-Centric Communities of Interest Daniel H. Wagner Associates, Inc. - www.wagner.com This Phase II SBIR project has demonstrated efficient and effective agent-based services for military communities of interest (COI) operating on network-centric architectures. Building on the commercial world concept of the enterprise service bus (ESB), the ABS architecture defines a data-centric framework for efficient utilization of all available assets in network-centric applications. Software agents on the architecture 1) organize all available information into COI-specific knowledge domains (using common, extensible, commercially supported, and standards-based formats), 2) provide translation and brokering services for individual systems, and 3) provide local and remote end-users with relevant, customized products (e.g. fused visualizations). Figure 1 shows the ABS architecture, which guides the development of each COI-specific implementation. Figure 2 shows the overall data/process flow for one of these implementations, the agent-based Theater Undersea Warfare Initiative (TUSWI) Non-Gaussian Data Fusion System (NGDFS) Web Service (TNGWS) that utilizes sophisticated legacy data fusion and resource optimization algorithms, running on a Linux cluster at the Maui High-Performance Computing Center (MHPCC), to provide recommended asset allocations, search effectiveness maps, and location estimates for high-interest targets to the Theater Undersea Warfare Initiative (TUSWI) system in the Pacific. Additional implementations include support for distributed search planning at the NASA missile test facility at Wallops Island, VA, and agent-based data fusion for the SQQ-89 Improved Performance Sonar (IPS) Data Fusion Functional Segment (DFFS). Figure 1. Agent-Based Services (ABS) Architecture Figure 2. TNGWS Data/Process Flow Diagram This project is currently supported by a Phase II MDA SBIR program. Distribution A: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is unlimited.

2. End-User Creation of Software Agents (AgentWizard) Daniel H. Wagner Associates, Inc. - www.wagner.com During four SBIR Phase I projects, Wagner Associates has designed a system and developed a limited prototype for the automated creation of software agents from reusable components described by metadata within specialized knowledge domains (e.g., environment, weapons, sensors). The patent-pending technology underlying the AgentWizard combines software components into operational agents based on end-user requirements and resource limitations as defined in XML metadata files. During the course of these SBIR projects, we have used the AgentWizard to develop specialized agents from reusable components to perform such complex, autonomous tasks as 1) monitoring RS232 (serial port) output from a COTS weather station and outputting the data as a customized XML stream for display within an HTML page using an XSL style sheet, 2) retrieving sensor data from proprietary databases, translating the data into simulation PDUs, and displaying the data on the ModSAF simulation display, and 3) monitoring end-user behavior while planning missions on PFPS in order to automatically update the planned route on JMTK running on a GCCS-M machine across the network. Logistics AgentWizard This AgentWizard interface was designed to support Army Logistics applications. By selecting the knowledge domain in the main screen, the next screens elicit the details of the specific requirement (in this case, tracking a specific package). Generic Agent Builder The Agent Builder provides a generic agent creation capability across knowledge domains through graphical manipulation and configuration of reusable components. METOC AgentWizard The METOC AgentWizard steps the end-user through the definition of environmental data requirements, including the data sources to pull from, the formats to convert to, and the existing systems to integrate for the final solution. The AgentWizard has been supported by four SBIR Phase I programs. Distribution A: Approved for Public Release; Distribution is unlimited.