Modeling Agent Mobility with UML Sequence Diagram

1. Modeling Agent Mobility with UML Sequence Diagram Mario Kusek, Gordan Jezic Department of Telecommunications Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing University of Zagreb, CROATIA Agent-Oriented Software Engineering TFG, AL3 February 28th – March 2nd, 2005, Ljubljana, Slovenia AOSE TFG, AL3

2. Outline • Motivation • Related work • Proposed diagrams • Case study • Conclusions AOSE TFG, AL3

3. Motivation • Existing diagrams • Weak representation of agent moving and execution path • Does not represent mobility in Sequence Diagram • Proposition for modeling • Agent creation, • Mobility path, and • Current location AOSE TFG, AL3

4. AUML – Deployment and Activity Diagram • Captures why and where agents move • Activity nodes model plan • Transitions model events • Mobility is indicated as a note “when: condition” on the transition that leads to the end point • Deployment diagram model combined with activity gives overall picture • Specific cases must be extracted from diagrams AOSE TFG, AL3

5. Extending Activity Diagrams to Model Mobile Systems • Introduced concepts of • location, • mobile object, • mobile location, • move action and • clone action • Two notations of mobility in Activity Diagrams • responsibility centered • who is performing an action • location centered • where an action is performed, and how activities change this relation AOSE TFG, AL3

6. Modelling Mobile Agent Applications in UML 2.0 Activity Diagrams • Stereotype <<Host>> in swimlane represents location • Agent moving from location “host1” to “host2” is represented by using “Go” • Agent communication and cloning can be represented by subactivities AOSE TFG, AL3

7. Agent Modeling Language (AML) • Defines metaclasses used to model structural and behavioural aspects of entity mobility • Dependency relationship with the stereotype <<move>> • MobilityAction for modeling mobility action • MoveAction for modeling removal of the entity from its current hosting location AOSE TFG, AL3

8. Stereotyped Mobility Diagram • Similar to “Sequence Diagrams for Mobility “ • In the case of large number of nodes, the diagram is useless AOSE TFG, AL3

9. Swimlaned Mobility Diagram • Idea from “Modelling Mobile Agent Applications in UML 2.0 Activity Diagrams” • Clear representation of mobility • Needs less space than stereotyped diagram • In the case of large number of nodes it is also useless AOSE TFG, AL3

10. State Representation Mobility Diagram • Good for large number of nodes • Poorer representation of mobility • Consumes more space in vertical representation • Candidate for implementing mobility in Sniffer agent (in JADE) AOSE TFG, AL3

11. Frame Fragment Mobility Diagram • Good for large number of nodes • Mobility is more clearer • Occupied space is smaller • In some cases it is not possible to order agents in a way that one frame fragment can represent agents at the same node AOSE TFG, AL3

12. Case study: Simple price searcher AOSE TFG, AL3

13. Stereotyped Mobility Diagram AOSE TFG, AL3

14. Conclusions • Four variants of modeling agent mobility based on UML Sequence Diagram notations are proposed • Stereotyped Mobility Diagram • For small number of nodes • Clear representation of agent execution and mobility path • Swimlaned Mobility Diagram • For small number of nodes • Needs less space than Stereotyped Mobility Diagram • State Representation Mobility Diagram • Good for large number of nodes • Representation of agent execution and mobility path not so clear • Frame Fragment Mobility Diagram • Good for large number of nodes • Needs less space than State Representation Mobility Diagram • Not always possible to use it AOSE TFG, AL3