Towards an Integration Test Architecture
for Open MAS
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues
Gustavo Robichez de Carvalho
Rodrigo de Barros Paes
Carlos José Pereira de Lucena
03/10/2005
{lfr,guga,rbp,lucena}@inf.puc-rio.br
Outline
• Motivation
– The integration problem
• Integration Test Architecture
• Related Work
– Diagnosis Based Adaptability
• Conclusions
• Next Steps
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Motivation
• MAS pros
– Use of distributed resources
– Towards multiple goals in parallel
– Reduce risk of a single point of failure
• MAS con
– Complex environment rules
• Incorrect assumptions
• Failure to act on incorrect assumptions
– Degraded performance
– Incorrect results
– System Halt (worst case)
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Motivation Example
• TAC
– Trade Agent Competition
– Interaction rules must be respected
• New developed agent
– How to ensure correct interaction with the system?
– How to observe agent’s malfunctions?
– How to detect causes of malfunctions?
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Integration Test Architecture
• Open MAS approach
• System observation
• Report generation
• XMLaw based
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
XMLaw
• Enforcement language
• Environment
– Structural model
• Relations among law elements
– Dynamic model
• Event-driven architecture
• Communication among elements
• Central Server
– Mediator Agent blocks “out-law” messages
Paes, R., Carvalho, G., Lucena, C., Alencar, P., Almeida, H., and da Silva, V. T. (2005).
Specifying laws in open multi-agent systems. In Agents, Norms and Institutions for
Regulated Multiagent Systems - ANIREM, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
XMLaw – Structural Model
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
XMLaw Example
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Observing the System
• Assertions establishment
• Observation Points
– Time to live
– Cardinality
– Agent Type
– Agent Role
– Entrance State
– Execution Trace
– Execution Context
– Evolution Logic
– …
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Observation Points
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Integration Test Architecture
• Collector Agent
– Subscribe to all events (1)
– Store Events (2)
– Block / Unblock operation mode (3)
•
Report Engine
– Templates Definition
– Reports Generation (4)
• New Agent
– Send Interaction Messages
– A new Agent to be integrated
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Integration Test Architecture
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Related Work
Horling, Bryan, Lesser, Victor, Vincent, Regis, Bazzan, Ana, and Xuan, Ping. Diagnosis as an
Integral Part of Multi-Agent Adaptability. Proceedings of DARPA Information Survivability
Conference and Exposition, IEEE Computer Society, pp. 211-219. January 2000
Related Work
• Diagnosis Based Adaptability
– Expectation and Assumptions
• Knowledge about the agent's expected operational behavior
• TAEMS
– Detecting Possible Failures
• Methods for detecting deviations from expectations
– Performing the Diagnosis
• Faculties for diagnosing these deviations when they are found
• Causal Model
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Expectations and Assumptions - TAEMS
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Performing the Diagnosis – Causal Model
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Conclusion and Next Steps
Comparing both approaches
• Diagnosis Based Adaptability
– Expected Behavior
• Agent Property
• TAEMS
– Abnormal method results
• Quality, cost and duration
– Diagnosis
• Causal Model
• Integration Test Architecture
– Expected Behavior
• System Property
• XMLaw
– Abnormal method results
• Observation points
– Diagnosis
• Human Report Interpretation
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Conclusion
• Law approach
– Single point of control
– Expected Behavior
• Diagnosis Approach
– Diagnose Model
– Diagnose Automation
• Report Generation
– Information filter
– Human Interpretation
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Next Steps and Future Work
• Next Steps
– Study of Diagnose Techniques
• Model-based
• Symptom-direct
• Collaborative
– Use a diagnose technique in the integration test
architecture
Luiz Fernando Rodrigues <[email protected]>
Questions?