1. Deployment of Distributed Multi-Agent Systems Alexander Pokahr Karl-Heinz Krempels Lars Braubach Winfried Lamersdorf Presentation: Dirk Bade University of Hamburg

2. Page 2 Outline Motivation What can be learned from OO-Deployment ? Requirements Deployment Reference Model Prototype Implementation Conclusion

3. Page 3 Observation (1) The agent-metaphor is …  useful for modeling & building complex applications  making complexity manageable at a conceptual level  seen as natural successor of the OOP Agent-applications have already been developed for various domains, but … Why aren‘t agent applications widely used ?

4. Page 4 Observation (2) Development of MAS is …  quite difficult and error-prone  not based on generally accepted methodologies  poorly supported by tools Deployment of MAS is …  difficult because of software‘s dynamic & distributed nature  not supported by systematical guidelines  Our approach: specify agent-applications at a high level using constraints to declare system-properties, that have to be fulfilled for the application to work properly

5. Page 5 Observation Implication Constraints e.g. demand certain agent-roles or services to be available interpreted & supervised by deployment environment High level deployment achieved through … reference model for launching distributed multi-agent applications  specifies which, how many and in what order agent instances shall be launched  includes generic meta-model consisting of 2 layers 1.definition of agent-types 2.ordered composition of agent-instances  applied to a prototype deployment manager

6. Page 6 Outline Motivation What can be learned from OO-Deployment ? Requirements Deployment Reference Model Prototype Implementation Conclusion

7. Page 7 OO-Deployment Object Management Group, Deployment: "The processes between acquisition of software and the execution of software" The deployment process phases installation functional configuration creation of a deployment plan preparation phase launching and runtime configuration

8. Page 8 Learnt from OO-Deployment (1) Deployment of agent-based applications is similiar, but more dynamic and flexible installation infrastructure- & application specific agent software functional configuration adjust agent start-parameters & tune number of agents deployment plan + preparation phase placement of infrastructure- & application-code on nodes launching and runtime configuration differs to a great extent …

9. Page 9 Learnt from OO-Deployment (2) Launching & runtime configuration  Properties of OO-applications hierarchical structure usually launched using a single starting point  Properties of agent-based applications bundle of autonomous, self-dependent actors  more abstract launching-concept necessary Directly related:  Monitoring & dynamic reconfiguration

10. Page 10 Outline Motivation What can be learned from OO-Deployment ? Requirements Deployment Reference Model Prototype Implementation Conclusion

11. Page 11 Requirements for Launching and Configuring MAS (1) Terms: agent type vs. agent instance  type: static implementation parts  instance: concrete description of an agent society type vs. society instance  type: static application properties composition of agent types + constraints  instance: special application configuration composition of agent instances + constraints

12. Page 12 Requirements for Launching and Configuring MAS (2) Basic Management Services: starting/stopping of agent- and society instances  on local platform by local platform management  on remote platforms by requests to remote service-agents initiating node local agents started by local platform delegate startup of remote agents delegate startup of remote subordinated agents node running an agent-platform and service-agent

13. Page 13 Outline Motivation What can be learned from OO-Deployment ? Requirements Deployment Reference Model Prototype Implementation Conclusion

14. Page 14 Deployment Reference Model (1)

15. Page 15 Deployment Reference Model (2) Launching, monitoring & reconfiguration-services are based on specification of agents & societies. The AgentType-model 5

16. Page 16 Deployment Reference Model (3) The SocietyType-model examples.partyservice 10 true http://134.100.11.53:80

17. Page 17 Deployment Reference Model (4) The Dependency-model http://192.168.1.2:7778 […]

18. Page 18 Outline Motivation What can be learned from OO-Deployment ? Requirements Deployment Reference Model Prototype Implementation Conclusion

19. Page 19 Prototype Implementation (1) ASCML service-agent self-contained component standardized interface  easy porting to other FIPA-compliant platforms

20. Page 20 Prototype Implementation (2) Currently implemented for JADE- and Jadex platforms Currently used & tested by the DFG priority research program SPP 1083 publicly available at the beginning of 2005 ?

21. Page 21 Outline Motivation What can be learned from OO-Deployment ? Requirements Deployment Reference Model Prototype Implementation Conclusion

22. Page 22 Conclusion and Outlook Agent application deployment should be better supported  esp. configuration and launching issues  concepts besides agents are needed (e.g. the notion of an agent application or society)  ASCML as a first approach Combination with organisational approaches (AGR-Ferber, AUML-Odell)

23. Page 23 Questions ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ??? ? ? ? ?