Design, Implementation and Debugging

MASDK – Multi Agent System Development Kit

The MASDK is the framework for visual designing of applied multi-agent systems. The result of the design process is the formal description of the agent class models including specifications of their behavior scenarios and interactions. These models’ descriptions serve as input specifications for code generator (part of MASDK) which automatically produce the software code of agent classes in C++ programming language (the resulting code is Windows specific).

The implementation of additional software code describing agent classes’ activities in produced behavior scenarios is done using Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.

The result of the development is the set of implemented and adjusted components

• executable code of the agent classes and
• the additional components the agents’ classes depend on,

which are used as basis for multi agent system formation.

Deployment, Maintenance and Operation

Deployment, Maintenance and Operation stages are carried out with Agent platform and Agent Registry components. They are interdependent software applications that are installed on all computers (e.g., hosts of network) where agents will operate.

LIS AP – Agent platform

Agent platform is the software application supporting agents’ functioning. The main functions of the Agent platform are to provide for

• agents’ live cycles,
• transparent interactions of agents via heterogeneous communication channels,
• “white pages” service - search of agents using agent names (identifiers)
• “yellow pages” service – publication of agents’ services and search of agents using description of their services

Agent Registry

Agent registry is the mean for describing the agents operating on Agent platform. Agents are the instances of the agent classes developed inside MASDK framework. The descriptions of agents are kept in the storage of LIS AP (DB AP).