Analysis and design of a SOA-based multi-agent architecture

Abstract

One of the most prevalent approaches among distributed architectures is Multi-Agent Systems. The agents have characteristics such as autonomy, reasoning, reactivity, social abilities and pro-activity which make them appropriate for developing distributed systems based on highly dynamic scenarios. Nevertheless, the development of a multi-agent system can be an extensive and delicate process. During this process, it is convenient to utilize Agent-Oriented Software Engineering (AOSE) tools. Such tools facilitate and improve the engineering process, achieving models that are more detailed and closer to the multi-agent systems implementation. This paper presents the analysis and design of a Flexible and User Services Oriented Multi-agent Architecture (FUSION@). This is a new architecture that integrates intelligent agents with a service-oriented approach to facilitate and optimize the development of highly dynamic distributed systems.