Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Formal Description Language for Multi-Agent Architectures

  • Conference paper
Agent-Oriented Information Systems IV (AOIS 2006)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 4898))

Abstract

Multi-Agent Systems (MAS) constitute a highly promising software architectural approach for modern application domains such as peer-to-peer and ubiquitous computing, information retrieval, semantic web services or e-business. Unfortunately, despite considerable work in software architecture during the last decade, few research efforts have aimed at truly defining languages for designing such architectures. This paper identifies the foundations for an architectural description language (ADL) to specify multi-agent system architectures. We propose a set of system design concepts based on the BDI (belief-desire-intention) agent model and existing classical ADLs. We conceptualize it with the Z specification language to capture a “core” model of structural and behavioural elements fundamental to an architecture description for BDI-MAS. We partially apply it on a data integration system example to illustrate our proposal.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Allen, R., Garlan, D.: Formal Connectors. Software Architecture Lab., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, USA, Technical Report CMU-CS-94-115 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Allen, R., Garlan, D.: Beyond Definition/Use: Architectural Interconnection. In: Proceedings of ACM Workshop on Interface Definition Languages, Portland, Oregon, pp. 35–45 (January 1994)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Austin, J.L.: How to do things with worlds. Oxford University Press, New York (1962)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bass, L., Clements, P., Kazman, R.: Software Architecture in Practice. Addison-Wesley, Reading (1998)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bratman, M.: Intentions, Plans and Practical Reasoning, Harvard Univ (1988)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Buschmann, F., Meunier, R., Rohnert, H., Sommerlad, P., Stal, M.: Pattern Oriented Software Architecture: A System of Pattern. Wiley and Sons, Chichester (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Castro, J., Kolp, M., Mylopoulos, J.: Towards requirements-driven information systems engineering: The Tropos Project. Information Systems 27(6), 365–389 (2002)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Coglianese, L.H., Szymanski, R.: DSSA ADAGE: An Environment for Architecture Based Avionics Development. In: AGARD 1993. Proc. Of the 4th Int. Conf. on: Aerospace Software Engineering for Advanced Systems Architecture, Paris, France, pp. 321–328 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Dardenne, A., van Lamsweerde, A., Fickas, S.: Goal-Directed Requirements Acquisition. Science of Computer Programming 20(1), 3–50 (1993)

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Formo, D., Mendenlo, U.: A Multi-Agent Simulation Platform for Modeling Perfectly Rational and Bounded-Rational Agents in Organizations. Artificial Societies and Social Simulation 5(2), 166–177 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Faulkner, S.: An Architectural Framework for Describing BDI Multi-Agent Information Systems, Ph.D. thesis, Department of Management Science, University of Louvain, Belgium (May 2004)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Garlan, D., Monroe, R.: Acme: an architecture description interchange language. In: Proc. of the 7th Annual IBM Centre for Advanced Studies Conference, Toronto, Ontario, pp. 78–86 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Garlan, D., Shaw, M.: An Introduction to software architecture. In: Ambriola, V., Tortora, G. (eds.) Advances in Software Engineering and Knowledge Engineering, pp. 1–39. World Scientific Publishing, Singapore (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Garlan, D., Allen, R., Ockerbloom, J.: Exploiting Style in Architectural Design Environment. In: SIGSOFT 1994. Proc. Of the 2th Int. Conf. on ACM Symposium on the Foundation of Software Engineering, New Orleans, Louisiana, pp. 175–188 (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hoare, A.R.: Communicating Sequential Processes. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1995)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. Kolp, M., Wautelet, Y.: DesCARTES Architect: Design CASE Tool for Agent-Oriented Repositories, Techniques, Environments and Systems. In: Louvain School of Management, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (2007), http://www.isys.ucl.ac.be/descartes

  17. Luck, M., d’Inverno, M.: A formal framework for agency and autonomy. In: Proc. of the 1st Int. Conf. on Multi-Agent Systems, San Francisco, USA, pp. 254–260 (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Luckham, C., Kenney, J.J., Augustin, L.M., Vera, J., Bryan, D., Mann, W.: Specification and Analysis of System Architecture Using Rapide. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 21(4), 336–355 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Magee, J., Dulay, N., Eisenbach, S., Kramer, J.: Specifying Distributed Software Architectures. In: Botella, P., Schäfer, W. (eds.) ESEC 1995. LNCS, vol. 989, pp. 137–153. Springer, Heidelberg (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Magee, J., Kramer, J.: Dynamic Structure in Software Architectures. In: Proc. of the 4th Int. Conf. on the Foundations of Software Engineering, San Francisco, CA, USA, pp. 3–14 (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Mettala, I., Graham, M.H.: The domain-specific software architecture program. Technical Report CMU/SEI-92-SR-9. Carnegie Mellon Univ (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Mylopoulos, J., Kolp, M., Castro, J.: UML for Agent-Oriented  Software Development: the Tropos Proposal. In: Gogolla, M., Kobryn, C. (eds.) Unified Modeling Language (UML). LNCS, vol. 2185, pp. 422–441. Springer, Heidelberg (2001)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  23. Object Management Group, The Software Process Engineering Metamodel Specification. Version 1.1 (2007)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Owre, S., Rajan, S., Rushby, J.M., Shankar, N., Srivas, M.: PVS: Combining Specification  Proof Checking  and Model Checking. In: Alur, R., Henzinger, T.A. (eds.) CAV 1996. LNCS, vol. 1102, Springer, Heidelberg (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Perry, D.E., Wolf, A.L.: Foundations for study of software architecture. In ACM SIGSOFT Software Engineering Notes 17(4), 40–52 (1992)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Shaw, M., DeLine, R., Klein, D.V., Ross, T.L., Young, D.M., Zelesnik, G.: Abstractions for Software Architecture and Tools to Support Them. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering 21(4), 314–335 (1995)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Shaw, M., Garlan, D.: Software Architecture: Perspectives on an Emerging Discipline. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1996)

    MATH  Google Scholar 

  28. Silva, C., Araújo, J., Moreira, A., Castro, J., Alencar, F., Ramos, R.: Modeling Multi-Agent Systems using UML. In: Proc. of the 20th Brazilian Symposium on Software Engineering (SBES), Florianópolis, Brazil (October 2006)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Spivey, J.M.: The Z Notation: A Reference Manual. Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs (1992)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Wautelet, Y., Kolp, M., Achbany, A.: I-Tropos, An Iterative SPEM-Centric Software Project Management Process, Working Paper IAG Series 13/06, Louvain School of Management, ULouvain, Belgium (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Wooldridge, M., Jennings, N.R.: Special Issue on Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agent Systems. Applied Artificial Int. Journal 9(4), 74–86 (1996)

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  32. Yu, E.: Modeling Strategic Relationships for Process Reengineering, Ph.D. thesis, Dpt. of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Canada (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Zelesnik, Y.: The UniCon Language Reference Manual (May 1996), http://www.cs.cmu.edu/UniCon/reference-manual/ReferenceManual1.html

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Information Management Research Unit, University of Namur, 5000, Namur, Belgium

    Stéphane Faulkner

  2. ISYS- Information Systems Research Unit, IAG-Louvain School of Management, Université catholique de Louvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium

    Manuel Kolp, Yves Wautelet & Youssef Achbany

Authors
  1. Stéphane Faulkner
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Manuel Kolp
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yves Wautelet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Youssef Achbany
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Manuel Kolp Brian Henderson-Sellers Haralambos Mouratidis Alessandro Garcia Aditya K. Ghose Paolo Bresciani

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2008 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Faulkner, S., Kolp, M., Wautelet, Y., Achbany, Y. (2008). A Formal Description Language for Multi-Agent Architectures. In: Kolp, M., Henderson-Sellers, B., Mouratidis, H., Garcia, A., Ghose, A.K., Bresciani, P. (eds) Agent-Oriented Information Systems IV. AOIS 2006. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 4898. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77990-2_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-77990-2_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-77989-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-77990-2

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation