Agent Based Software Engineering
(SENG 697)
Course Outline

• Principles of Software Engineering
  
• Object-Oriented analysis and design with UML
  
• Introduction to knowledge-based systems
  

1. The first lecture will be delivered on 13/September/2011 (Tue).

Course Description and Outline

The course begins with an overview of the agent systems and software agents. Then we focus on agent system architecture and infrastructure from a software engineering viewpoint, including:

• Requirements for agent-based systems
• Modeling and design of agent-based systems
• Development process for agent-based systems

Course Objectives

• What are myths and realities of the agent-based systems?
• How to develop an agent-based system for a particular task?
• How to evolve from object-oriented development to agent-based systems?
• How to incorporate and share knowledge among software agents?

• will have an understanding of the agent system terminology and development process of agent-based systems.
• will have learned techniques to design agent-based system.
• will know how to modify architecture of the current software systems and re-structure them to be agent-based.

Course Web Site

The SENG 697 course home page contains links to up-to-date course information, problem assignments announcements, as well as laboratory and examination scheduling. The SENG 697 course home page is available through the B.H. Far's home page at the URL:
( http://www.enel.ucalgary.ca/People/far/Lectures/SENG697/)

Projects and Laboratories

During the course the students are asked to design a moderately realistic software agent. A list of projects that the students can select among them will be posted on the course WWW page. The reports (design documents) of various phases of the assigned project should be handed in for check and marking. The reports are reviewed and a group discussion will be held towards the end of the course. Also the students are supposed to prepare a tutorial report on various topics related to software agents and present it to the class. A typical list of topics for tutorial report about will be posted on the course WWW site.

Allocation of Marks

Evaluation is based on evaluation test, tutorial and project reports.

Criteria	Total mark	Comments
Tutorial Report	40%	The assignment is composed of two parts: a tutorial report on agent-based development methodology; and an evaluation report of the methodology. Assignment (PDF format) Questionaire for assignment (PDF) Questionaire for assignment (MS Word) Deadline: 25/Oct/2011 (Tue)
Laboratories (project)	50%	A number of sample projects have been posted at the bottom of this page. A document explaining a sample project is given here: PDF format and PowerPoint format. List of suggested projects Deadline: 25/Oct/2011 (Tue)
Group Discussion	10%	The students are asked to have the project and the tutorials be reviewed by the instructor.

In this Overview basic concepts and a method for agent-based software engineering is presented.

Slides are available: slide show version.
Prints are available: PDF (1 page per sheet) and PDF (6 pages per sheet).

• Agent-based Unified Modeling Language (AUML): Multiagent systems (MAS) are often characterized as extensions of object-oriented systems. AUML will focus on problems and notations needed to support an agent-based UML.
  The following papers will be reviewed:
  1. James Odell, et al.  :     Extending UML for Agents.
  2. F. Bergenti, et al.  :     Exploiting UML in the Design of Multiagent Systems
• Agent-based analysis and design
  1. Paolo Giorgini and Brian Henderson-Sellers have written an excellent Introduction to Agent-Oriented Methodologies.
  2. M. Wooldridge, N. R. Jennings, and D. Kinny.   :     A Methodology for Agent-Oriented Analysis and Design. In O. Etzioni, J. P. Muller, and J. Bradshaw, editors: Agents '99: Proceedings of the Third International Conference on Autonomous Agents Seattle, WA, May 1998.
  3. J. Lind.   :     The MASSIVE Development Method for Multiagent Systems. In Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on the Practical Application of Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agents (PAAM2000), Manchester, 2000. You can also browse the book on this method.

• Other agent-based analysis and design methods
  1. M. Wooldridge, N.R. Jennings, D. Kinny: The Gaia Methodology for Agent-Oriented Analysis and Design, Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, 3, 285-312, 2000.
  2. S.A. DeLoach, E.T. Matson, Y. Li: Applying Agent Oriented Software Engineering to Cooperative Robotics, Proceedings of The 15th International FLAIRS Conference (FLAIRS 2002). Pensacola, Florida. May 16-18, 2002.
  3. 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 (AAMAS 2002), 2002.
  4. F. Giunchiglia, J. Mylopoulos, and A. Perini: The tropos software development methodology: processes, models and diagrams, Proceedings of the first international joint conference on Autonomous agents and multiagent systems: part 1. Bologna, Italy, 2002.
  5. C.A. Iglesias, et al.: Analysis and Design of Multiagent Systems using MAS-CommonKADS, Proceedings of the AAAI'97 Workshop on Agent Theories, Architectures and Languages, Providence, USA, July, 1997.
  6. R. Evans, et al.: MESSAGE: Methodology for Engineering Systems of Software Agents, EURESCOM Participants in Project P907, EDIN 0223-0907, 2001.
  7. S. Poslad, et al.: The FIPA-OS agent platform: Open Source for Open Standards, Proceedings of PAAM 2000, Manchester, UK, pp355-368, 2000.
  8. A.K. Galan: JiVE: JAFMAS integrated Visual Environment, MSc Thesis, Division of Research and Advanced Studies of the University of Cincinnati, 2000.
  9. M. Garijo, A. Cancer, J.J. Sanchez: A Multiagent System for Cooperative Network-Fault Management, In Proceedings of the First International Conference on the Practical Application of Intelligent Agents and Multi-agent Technology (PAAM-96), pp. 279-294, London, UK, 1996.
  10. M. Cossentino, C. Potts: A CASE tool supported methodology for the design of multi-agent systems, The 2002 International Conference on Software Engineering Research and Practice (SERP'02) - June 24 - 27, 2002 - Las Vegas (NV), USA, 2002.

The following topics will be reviewed:

1. A review on knowledge level communication among software agents will be presented. First, KQML (Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language) is presented. KQML is a language and protocol for exchanging information and knowledge. It is part of a larger effort, the ARPA Knowledge Sharing Effort which is aimed at developing techniques and methodology for building large-scale knowledge bases which are sharable and reusable. The following Paper will be reviewed:
   
   • KQML as an agent communication language    Tim Finin, Yannis Labrou, and James Mayfield, in Jeff Bradshaw (Ed.), Software Agents, MIT Press (1997).
   • The State of the Art in Ontology Design - A Survey and Comparative Review    Natalya Fridman Noy and Carole D. Hafner, AAAI Magazine, Fall 1997.
2. Knowledge Interchange Format (KIF), a computer-oriented language for the interchange of knowledge among disparate programs is presented. KIF has declarative semantics (i.e. the meaning of expressions in the representation can be understood without appeal to an interpreter for manipulating those expressions); it is logically comprehensive (i.e. it provides for the expression of arbitrary sentences in the first-order predicate calculus); it provides for the representation of knowledge about the representation of knowledge; it provides for the representation of nonmonotonic reasoning rules; and it provides for the definition of objects, functions, and relations.
3. In Ontology Engineering review, the concept of ontology and the ways of constructing ontologies is presented. Also look at the ontology tutorial paper by N.F. Noy and D.L. McGuinness (Stanford University) about building ontologies.

In this session we will review a number of theories related to agent organization and architecture including the followings:

• D.L. Martin, A.J. Cheyer, D.B. Moran, The Open Agent Architecture: A Framework for building Distributed Software Systems, Applied Artificial Intelligence: An International Journal. Volume 13, Number 1-2, January-March 1999. pp 91-128.
• FIPA-OS Agent platform an implementation of the FIPA agent platform. We will explain how FIPA-OS can be used to develop agent-based systems.
• JADE is an enabling technology, a middleware for the development and run-time execution of peer-to-peer applications which can seamless work and interoperate both in wired and wireless environment. We will briefly review Jade.
• Behrouz H. Far, et al., Formalization of Organizational Intelligence for Multiagent System Design Transactions of IEICE, vol. E83-D, no. 4, pp. 599-607, 2000.
• K.M. Carley and L. Gasser, Computational Organization Theory, in Multiagent Systems: A Modern Approach to Distributed Artificial Intelligence, G. Weiss, edt., pp.299-330, MIT Press, 1999.
• R. Unland, Organizational Intelligence and Negotiation Based DAI Systems Working Papers of the Institute of Business Informatics, University of Munster, Germany, 1994.

In this session we will review the FIPA specification and study the application, abstract architecture, agent communication, agent management and agent message transport standards and guidelines. We will review the FIPA Abstract Architecture Specification and Domains and Policies Specification in detail.

Slides are available: slide show version.
Prints are available: PDF (1 page per sheet) and PDF (6 pages per sheet).

In Fall 2006 the following projects were completed:

1. P1: Designing U2-MPS Using Tropos
2. P2: Online Adaptive Testing System
3. P3: An Agent Approach to Securing and Optimizing Oil and Gas Rig
4. P4: Movie Ticket Dispenser
5. P5: Human Immune System Using GAIA
6. P6: Multi-agent System for Collaborative Software Design Assistant
7. P7: Agent Based Online Bookstore System

In Fall 2005 the following projects were completed:

1. P01: MASE System
2. P02: Portal Server
3. P03: Professional Search Assistant
4. P04: Global Parts Production System
5. P05: Online Event Ticket System
6. P06: Online Electronic Library Reservation System
7. P07: Police Patrol Assistant System

In Fall 2004 the following projects were completed:

1. P01: Job Finding System
2. P02: Contract Negotiation System
3. P03: University Library System
4. P04: Search Interest System
5. P05: Retrieving Index Information
6. P06: MAS Dispatch System
7. P07: Trouble Ticketing System

In Fall 2003 the following projects were completed:

1. P01: Agent-based Student Timetabling System
2. P02: MAS for Digital Data Warehouse
3. P03: Multiagent Inter Network Handover
4. P04: An Agent-based System for Job Finding
5. P05: Ranching Agent Assistant System
6. P06: Agent-Based Electronic Realtor System
7. P07: Agent-based Personal Electronic Commerce System

In Fall 2002 the following projects were completed:

1. P01: Agent-based E-Marketplace
2. P02: Job Finding Agency System
3. P03: Multi-agent System for Electronic Marketplace
4. P04: Multiagent System for Tutoring and Learning
5. P05: Multiagent System for Electronic Realtor
6. P06: Online Examination Assistant System
7. P07: A Mmultiagent System for ARES Simulation
8. P08: Auction Agency System
9. P09: Remote Monitoring System
10. P10: Agent-Based System for Electronic Realtor
11. P11: Internet Broker Agent Based System

Students are asked to prepare a tutorial on a topic related to agent-based systems and prepare for a 7-10 minutes talk to the audience about their selected topic.

In Fall 2003 the following topics were presented:

1. Agent Based Software Analysis and Design
   
2. Agent Based Software Engineering (1)
   
3. Agent Based Software Engineering (2)
   
4. Agent Based System Architecture and Organization
   
5. Agent Communication and Knowledge Sharing (1)
   
6. Agent Communication and Knowledge Sharing (2)
   
7. Agent Communication and Knowledge Sharing (3)
   
8. Agent-mediated Electronic Commerce
   
9. Agent Messaging
   
10. Agents and Web Services (1)
    
11. Agents and Web Services (2)
    
12. Agents and Web Services (3)
    
13. Agents and Web Services (4)
    
14. Agents and Web Services (5)
    
15. Computational Complexity and Agent-based Software Engineering
    
16. Conversational Agents
    
17. Examining Performance Issues of Multiagent Systems
    
18. Examining the Multiagent Systems Engineering Methodology
    
19. Infrastructure, APIs, and Software Tools for Agent-Based Systems
    
20. Methodologies for Agent-Based Analysis and Design (1)
    
21. Methodologies for Agent-Based Analysis and Design (2)
    
22. Middle Agents
    
23. Mobile Agents (1)
    
24. Mobile Agents (2)
    
25. Multiagent Architecture Standards
    
26. Multi-Agent Simulation Using SWARM
    
27. Simulation for Agent-Based Software Engineering
    
28. Standards for Agents and Agent-Based Systems
    
29. Conversational Agents
    
30. Web Hunting Agents
    

In Fall 2002 the following topics were presented:

1. Application of Agent-Based Technology in Pervasive Computing
   
2. A Tutorial on Agent Based Software Engineering
   
3. Agent-Based System Architecture and Organization
   
4. Agent-Mediated e-Commerce1
   
5. Agent-Mediated e-Commerce2
   
6. Agent-based Simulation for Social Issues
   
7. Agent-based System Architecture
   
8. Agent Communication Languages and Protocols
   
9. Agent Communication and Knowledge Sharing
   
10. Agent Oriented Engineering
    
11. Comparison of Objects and Agents
    
12. Conversational Agents1
    
13. Conversational Agents2
    
14. Coordination in Multi-Agent Systems
    
15. Data Integration Using Agent-based Mediator-Wrapper Architecture
    
16. ebXML and Agent-Mediated e-commerce
    
17. Evaluation of Modeling Techniques for Agent-Based Systems
    
18. Methodologies for Agent-Based System Analysis and Design
    
19. Middle Agents1
    
20. Middle Agents2
    
21. Mobile Agents1
    
22. Mobile Agents2
    
23. Mobile Agents3
    
24. Multiple Agent Simulation System in a Virtual Environment
    
25. Performance Metrics For Intelligent Systems
    
26. Role Model Analysis Method in Agent-Based System
    
27. Security Concerns for Mobile Agents
    
28. Unleashing The Jini
29. Using Intelligent Agents to Manage Fuzzy Business Processes
    
30. XML and Agent Communication
    

In Fall 2001 the following topics were presented:

1. A Tutorial on The Jini Technology
   
2. Agent Based Simulation
   
3. Agent Security for Web Applications
   
4. An Introduction to Jini
   
5. Interface Agent
   
6. Mobile Agents1
   
7. Mobile Agents2
   
8. Mobile Agents3
   
9. Ontology Development
   
10. Semantic Web
    
11. Using Jini for Agent Development
    
12. Virus Agent
    
13. XML Toturial
    

Other agent-based system research topics:

• Agent communication and knowledge sharing
• Agent-based ecosystems
• Agent-based simulation for socio-biological, social, economic, and environmental issues
• Agent-based System architecture and organization
• Agent-based software engineering
• Agent-mediated ecommerce
• Agencies; holonic, complex, collective agents
• Agent architectures as cognitive models and models of mind
• Agent-based workflow management and process control
• Agent communication languages and protocols
• Agent programming languages and environments
• Computational complexity and agent systems
• Conflicts, conflict resolution, and negotiation
• Conversational agents
• Coordination, cooperation and competition problems
• Methodologies and tools for specification, design, implementation, testing, validation, and benchmarking
• Infrastructure, APIs, and software tools for agent-based systems
• Interface agents and conversational agents
• Methodologies for agent-based analysis and design
• Middle-agents (e.g., matchmakers, brokers, routers)
• Mobile agents
• Motivation, goal selection and theories of rational agency
• Negotiation in agent-based systems
• Ontologies for agents and social modeling; ontologies in agent-based information systems and knowledge management
• Performance metrics for intelligent systems
• Philosophical foundations of agents
• Privacy, security and agents; conceptual, technical, and legal issues
• Robustness, fault tolerance, performance, dependability, etc.
• Scalability and complexity issues
• Self-organizing systems and emergent organization
• Scalability issues in agent-based systems
• Standards for agents and agent-based systems (FIPA: Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents)
• etc.

• Idea Groip Publishing - Intelligent Agent Software Engineering (2003)
• John Wiley and Sons - Agent Technology for Communication Infrastructures (2001)
• John Wiley and Sons - An Intoduction to Multiagent Systems (2002)
• Kluwer Publishing - Autonomy Oriented Computing From Problem Solving to Complex Systems Modeling (2005)
• Kogan Page - Mobile Agents for Telecommunication Applications (2002)
• Springer Verlog - LNCS 2585 - Agent-Oriented Software Engineering III (2002)

• UMBC Intelligent Software Agents Resources
• UMBC Kif Web
• UMBC KQML Web
• Object Management Group Home Page
• Journal of Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems
• Journal of Artifical Societies and Social Simulation
• Knowledge and Information Systems: An International Journal
• Japan Society for Software Science and Technology
• Object Management Group (OMG)
• Umified Modeling Language (UML)
• Agent-Based Umified Modeling Language (AUML)
• IBM Technical Journals