Embedding agents in business processes using enterprise integration patterns

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of integrating agents with a variety of external resources and services, as found in enterprise computing environments. We propose an approach for interfacing agents and existing message routing and mediation engines based on the message endpoint pattern from the enterprise integration patterns of Hohpe and Woolf. A design for agent percept, action and message endpoints is presented, and an architecture for connecting the Jason agent platform to the Apache Camel enterprise integration framework using these types of endpoint is described. The approach is illustrated by means of a business process use case, and a number of Camel routes are presented. These demonstrate the benefits of interfacing agents to external services via a specialised message routing tool that supports enterprise integration patterns. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.