1 / 30

Outline

Multi-agent systems and software engineering for self-adaptive systems Danny Weyns Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium Dagstuhl Seminar on Software Engineering for Self-Adaptive Systems January 14-18, 2008. Outline. Multi-agent systems and software architecture Multi-agent systems (MAS)

kessie-best
Download Presentation

Outline

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Multi-agent systems and software engineering for self-adaptive systemsDanny WeynsKatholieke Universiteit Leuven, BelgiumDagstuhl Seminar on Software Engineering for Self-Adaptive SystemsJanuary 14-18, 2008

  2. Outline • Multi-agent systems and software architecture • Multi-agent systems (MAS) • Architecture-centric perspective on MAS • MAS and self-adaptation • Current research • Self-healing as a separate concern Conclusions

  3. Multi-agent systems • What is an agent? • A computer system situated in some environment that is capable of autonomous actions in the environment in order to achieve its design objectives1 • What is a MAS? • A set of interacting agents • Example application areas • E-business • Logistics, manufacturing control • Intelligent traffic systems 1 Wooldridge M. Agent-based software engineering. Software Engineering 144, 1997

  4. Multi-agent systems • 1980-1995: focus on single agent architectures • Knowledge-oriented • Knowledge representation & rational choice • E.g., Believe-Desire-Intention1 • Interaction-oriented • Direct coupling of perception to action • Modularization of behavior • E.g., subsumption architecture2 1Rao and M. Georgeff. BDI Agents: From Theory to Practice. 1st International Conference on Multiagent Systems, MIT Press, 1995 2Brooks, A Robust Layered Control System For A Mobile Robot, Journal Of Robotics And Automation, RA-2, 1986

  5. Multi-agent systems • From 1995s: shift to “the collective” • Knowledge-oriented approaches • Social attitudes (task sharing, mutual commitments, etc.) • Negotiation, argumentation1, trust • Coordination infrastructures (e.g., e-institutions) • Learning in MAS • Interaction-oriented approaches • Bio-inspired2 (digital pheromones, fields, …) 1Parsons, Sierra, Jennings. Agents that Reason and Negotiate by Arguing, Journal of Logic and Computation 8(3), 1998 2Parunak, Go to the ant: Engineering principles from natural multi-agent systems, Journal Annals of Operations Research 75, Springer, 1997

  6. Multi-agent systems • Software engineering of multi-agent systems • Numerous dedicated methodologies1 • Some partial, some covering whole life-cycle • Dedicated specification languages • Focus on knowledge-oriented approaches • Agent-oriented programming languages • Programming agents’ mental attitudes and decision making2 1Bergenti, Gleizes, Zambonelli, Methodologies and Software Engineering for Agent Systems, Springer, 2004 2Dastani, de Boer, Dignum, Meyer, Programming Agent Deliberation: An Approach Illustrated Using the 3APL Language, International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, 2003

  7. Outline • Multi-agent systems and software architecture • Multi-agent systems (MAS) • Architecture-centric perspective on MAS • MAS and self-adaptation • Current research • Self-healing as a separate concern Conclusions

  8. Architecture-centric perspective on MAS • Multi-agent systems as a particular family of software systems • <> new paradigm to engineer software systems • Specific way to structure software system Agents MAS-specific Coordination infrastructure Common infrastructure Common middleware services, distributed middleware, host infrastructure

  9. Architecture-centric perspective on MAS • Useful • For systems with particular characteristics • Inherent distribution of resources • Highly dynamic operating conditions • To achieve particular quality attributes • Flexibility, openness, robustness, scalability • Number of tradeoffs, e.g., • Decentralized control makes predictability harder • Communication cost • To build up know-how in terms of reusable architectural patterns

  10. Outline • Multi-agent systems and software architecture • Multi-agent systems (MAS) • Architecture-centric perspective on MAS • MAS and self-adaptation • Current research • Self-healing as a separate concern Conclusions

  11. MAS and self-adaptation • Agents can flexibly adapt their behavior to changing operating conditions • Changes in the system and its environment • Agents that enter/leave the system • Coordination infrastructure • Allows agents to share information and coordinate their behavior • Embed application-specific rules/laws to regulate agents’ actions and interactions

  12. MAS and self-adaptationExample from our practice1 1 Weyns, Schelfthout, Holvoet, T. Lefever, Decentralized control of E'GV transportation systems, International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, 2005

  13. MAS and self-adaptation Adaptive behavior in AGV transportation system

  14. Self-adaptation in AGV application Field-based task assignment

  15. Self-adaptation in AGV application • Separation of functionalities • Agents follow gradient of field • Coordination infrastructure manages field spreading • Flexibility and openness • Fields adapt when context changes • Adding/removing field when agent enters/leaves system • Robustness to message loss • Refresh fields delayed (graceful degradation)

  16. Outline • Multi-agent systems and software architecture • Multi-agent systems (MAS) • Architecture-centric perspective on MAS • MAS and self-adaptation • Current research • Self-healing as a separate concern Conclusions

  17. Self-healing as a separate concernIntelligent traffic application Haesevoets, Van Eylen, Weyns, Helleboogh, Holvoet, Joosen, Context-Driven Dynamic Organizations applied in Coordinated Monitoring of Traffic Jams, International conference on Engineering Environment-Mediated Multi-Agent Systems, 2007

  18. System inconsistencies Self-healing as a solution

  19. Self-healing as a separate concern Self-Healing Subsystem <self-healing scenarios> … </self-healing scenarios> Self-Healing Manager Abstraction Layer Key control component monitor data flow Main System scenario

  20. Scenarios Self-Healing Subsystem <self-healing scenarios> … </self-healing scenarios> Self-Healing Manager Abstraction Layer control monitor Main System Fault Model

  21. Self-Healing Subsystem <self-healing scenarios> … </self-healing scenarios> Self-Healing Manager Abstraction Layer Relevant Abstraction control monitor Main System

  22. Self-Healing Subsystem <self-healing scenarios> … </self-healing scenarios> Self-Healing Manager Abstraction Layer ? ? Joint point model? Main System

  23. High-Level Control Self-Healing Subsystem <self-healing scenarios> … </self-healing scenarios> Self-Healing Manager Abstraction Layer control monitor Main System

  24. Distribution Self-Healing Subsystem <self-healing scenarios> … </self-healing scenarios> Self-Healing Manager Abstraction Layer control monitor Main System

  25. Outline • Multi-agent systems and software architecture • Multi-agent systems (MAS) • Architecture-centric perspective on MAS • MAS and self-adaptation • Current research • Self-healing as a separate concern Conclusions

  26. Conclusions • MAS research has developed a wide body of knowledge for self-adapting systems • Need for integration of the know-how with mainstream software engineering • Architecture is a key enabler • Self-adaptation with MAS vs. self-healing as a separate concern • Future research in 2 projects (Traffic and Logistics)

More Related