Skip to main content

Model-based evolution of collaborative agent-based systems

Abstract

As demands for behaviorally sophisticated software grow, agent-based systems are increasingly being employed. Software agents are frequently applied to large, complex systems that involve interdisciplinary development teams. These complex systems have proved to be challenging to develop and evolve, even for the most competent software engineers. Taking lessons learned in other engineering disciplines such as computer and architectural engineering we investigated a model-based engineering approach called Model-Driven Architecture (MDA) to automate, whenever possible, the development and evolution of agent-based applications. In our investigation, we use the Cognitive Agent Architecture (Cougaar); one of the most mature and sophisticated collaborative agent-based architectures. MDA and Cougaar served as the primary components and implementation platform for our research. In this paper we present our approach and demonstrate how MDA is effective for producing sophisticated agent-based systems. A key challenge was found in designing a flexible meta-model framework that would accommodate both top-down domain information and bottom-up platform specific constructs, as well as the transformations and mappings between them. We employed a General Domain Application Model (GDAM) as the platform-independent model layer and General Cougaar Application Model (GCAM) layer as the platform specific model respectively. Domain-level requirements are formulated using a XML Process Definition Language (XPDL) based graphical editor and are the refined through a series of model transformations (via the underlying metamodel) to systematically generate the agent-based software system. Through an illustrative case-study, we report on the feasibility, strengths and limitations of the model-based approach as it was investigated with the Cougaar.

References

  1. —.Book-On-Line: An Advanced Cougaar Tutorial Version 2.0. Cougaar Software, Inc., July 2003.

  2. —.Cougaar Architecture Document: Version for Cougaar 11.4. BBN Technologies, 23 Dec. 2004.

  3. —.Cougaar Developers’ Guide: Version for Cougaar 11.4. BBN Technologies, 23 Dec. 2004.

  4. —. Workflow Management Coalition workflow standard: Process definition interface — XML process definition language (version 2.00). Technical Report WFMC-TC-1025, Workflow Management Coalition, Lighthouse Point, FL 33064, Oct. 3 2005.

  5. J. Alvez de Maria, V. Torres da Silva, and C. J. Pereira de Lucena.An MDA-Based Approach for Developing Multi-Agent Systems. Monografias em Cincia da Computao, No. 31/05, Editor: Prof. Carlos Jos Pereira de Lucena, Sept. 2005.

  6. J. Arlow and I. Neustadt.Enterprise Patterns and MDA: Building Better Software with Archetype Patterns and UML. Addison-Wesley, Boston, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  7. C. Atkinson and T. Kühne. Model-driven development: a metamodeling foundation.IEEE Software, 20(5):36–41, Sept.–Oct. 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. S. Bohner, B. George, D. Gračanin, and M. G. Hinchey. Formalism challenges of the Cougaar MDA. In M. G. Hinchey, J. Rash, W. Truszkowski, and C. Rouff, editors,Proceedings of the Third NASA/IEEE Workshop on Formal Approaches to Agent-Based Systems (FAABS III), volume 3228 ofLecture Notes in Computer Science, pages 57–71. Springer Verlag, 26–28 Apr. 2004.

  9. S. Bohner, R. Ravichandar, and J. D. Arthur. Model-Based Engineering for Change Tolerant Systems.Journal on Innovations in Systems and Software Engineering,3(4), December 2007.

  10. P. Bresciani. Tropos: An Agent-Oriented Software Development Methodology.Int. Journal of Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agents Systems, 8(3):203–236, 2004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. A. Demir. Comparison of Model-Driven Architecture and Software Factories in the Context of Model-Driven Development.Proceedings of the Fourth Workshop on Model-Based Development of Computer-Based Systems and Third International Workshop on Model-Based Methodologies for Pervasive and Embedded Software (MBD/MOMPES06), 2006.

  12. S. DeLoach. Multiagent Systems Engineering: a Methodology and Language for Designing Agent Systems.Proceedings of Agent Oriented Information Systems, Washington, 1999.

  13. E. Gamma and K. Beck.Contributing to Eclipse: Principles, Patterns, and Plug-Ins. The Eclipse Series. Addison-Wesley, Boston, 2004.

    Google Scholar 

  14. D. Gračanin, S. A. Bohner, and M. Hinchey. Towards a model-driven architecture for autonomic systems. InProceedings of the 11th Annual IEEE International Conference and Workshop on the Engineering of Computer Based Systems (ECBS 2004), Brno, Czech Republic, May 24–27 2004.

  15. D. Gračanin, L. H. Singh, S. A. Bohner, and M. G. Hinchey. Model-driven architecture for agent based systems. In M. G. Hinchey, J. Rash, W. Truszkowski, and C. Rouff, editors,Proceedings of the Third NASA Workshop on Formal Approaches to Agent-Based Systems (FAABS III), volume 3228 ofLecture Notes in Computer Science, Greenbelt, Maryland, 26–28 Apr. 2004. Springer Verlag.

    Google Scholar 

  16. M. Kazakov, H. Abdulrab, and G. Debarbouille. A Model Driven Approach for Design of Mobile Agent Systems for Concurrent Engineering. MAD4CE Project Technical Report 01-002, Université et INSA de Rouen, 2002.

  17. A. Kleppe, J. Warmer, and W. Bast.MDA Explained: The Model Driven Architecture: Practice and Promise. Addison-Wesley, Boston, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  18. J. Koehler, S. Kapoor, F. Wu, and S. Kumaran. A Model Driven Transformation Method.Proceedings of the Seventh IEEE International Enterprise Distributed Object Computing Conference (EDOC03), 2003.

  19. L. Padgham and M. Winikoff. Prometheus: A Methodology for Developing Intelligent Agents.Proceedings of the First International Joint Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, Italy, 2002.

  20. T. Parr.The Definitive ANTLR Reference: Building Domain-Specific Languages. The Pragmatic Programmers, Raleigh, North Carolina, 2007.

    Google Scholar 

  21. J. Rumbaugh, I. Jacobson, and G. Booch.The Unified Modeling Language Reference Manual. The Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series. Addison-Wesley, Boston, second edition, 2005.

    Google Scholar 

  22. A. Vallecillo, M. Amor, and L. Fuentes. Bridging the Gap Between Agent-Oriented Design and Implementation Using MDA.Proceedings of the Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems Workshop, 93–108, 2004.

  23. J. Warmer and A. Kleppe.Object Constraint Language, The: Getting Your Models Ready for MDA. The Addison-Wesley Object Technology Series. Addison Wesley Professional, second edition, 2004.

  24. T. Weis, A. Ulbrich, and K. Geihs. Model metamorphosis.IEEE Software, 20(5):46–51, Sept./Dec. 2003.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 ), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bohner, S.A., Graĉanin, D., Hinchey, M.G. et al. Model-based evolution of collaborative agent-based systems. J Braz Comp Soc 13, 17–38 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03194254

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03194254

Keywords