Applying Petri net to analyze a multi-agent system feasibility - A process mining approach

Abstract

Using agent development tools to construct an agent-based system is a popular approach. However, the developed agent system might not be feasible due to certain mutual conflicted rules stored in various agents. Currently, the development tools do not have the function to check the feasibility about the workflow of the agent system during it implementation stage. Therefore, in this research, a Petri Net (PN) based evaluation approach was developed. There were three stages in the proposed system. In the conceptual stage, the pitfall of the current agent system developing process was examined and an improvement analysis process was specified. Then, in the system design stage, an evaluation approach which extracted the process log file from a developing agent system into a PN model in terms of a process mining approach- algorithm was proposed. This model was simulated in a PN simulation package. The agent system performance was evaluated in terms of analyzing the deadlock phenomena of the PN model. Finally, in the implementation stage, the proposed concept was implemented by using an agent developing tool JADE and a PN simulation tool CPN. An agent-based robotic assembly system was used to examine the possible deadlock of the agent system. © Springer-Verlag London Limited 2009.