Distributed Transparency in Endogenous Environments: The JaCaMo Case

Abstract

This paper deals with distribution aspects of endogenous environments, in this case, distribution refers to the deployment in several machines across a network. A recognized challenge is the achievement of distributed transparency, a mechanism that allows the agent working in a distributed environment to maintain the same level of abstraction as in local contexts. In this way, agents do not have to deal with details about network connections, which hinders their abstraction level, and the way they work in comparison with locally focused environments, reducing flexibility. This work proposes a model based on hierarchical workspaces, creating a distinctive layer for environment distribution, which the agents do not manage directly but can exploit as part of infrastructure services. The proposal is in the context of JaCaMo, the Multi-Agent Programming framework that combines the Jason, CArtAgO, and MOISE technologies, specially focusing on CArtAgO, which provides the means to program and organize the environment in terms of workspaces.