15401536
An aspect-oriented generative approach
The integration of generative and aspect-oriented techniques is not a trivial task. This paper describes our experience in the definition of an aspect-oriented generative approach for the context of multi-agent systems. Our generative approach is composed of: (i) a domain-specific language called Agent-DSL, which allows to model crosscutting and non-crosscuting agent features; (ii) an aspect-oriented architecture that models a family of software agents; and (iii) a code generator that maps abstractions of the Agent-DSL to specific compositions of objects and aspects in specific implementations of agent architectures. The use of aspect-oriented techniques in the definition of our generative approach brought benefits to the modeling and code generation of crosscutting features since early design stages.
45365979
Software Engineering for Multi-Agent Systems
979214
Enhancing agent-oriented models with aspects
The modular representation of concerns is imperative in the design modeling of multi-agent systems (MASs). However, MAS designers typically face a number of concerns that inherently affect several system agents and their respective internal elements, such as actions and goals. These crosscutting concerns encompass both internal and systemic properties, such as learning, mobility, error handling, and security. Without an explicit modeling of such MAS properties, designers can not properly communicate and reason about them and their broadly-scoped effects. The result is a multitude of agent-oriented design breakdowns: poor traceability from requirements to design models, hindering of reuse opportunities, and decreased evolvability. This paper presents an enhancement of an existing agent-oriented modeling language with aspects. We illustrate the use of our approach through some classical examples of crosscutting concerns in agent-oriented design models.
39578766
On the Quantitative Assessment of Modular Multi-Agent Architectures
5202352
Taming Agents and Objects in Software Engineering
Agent-based software engineering has been proposed in addition to object-oriented software engineering as a means of mastering the complexity associated with the development of large-scale distributed systems. However, there is still a poor understanding of the interplay between the notions of agents and objects from a software engineering perspective. Moreover, the many facets of agent-based software engineering are rarely used in the various phases of the software development lifecycle because of the lack of a comprehensive framework to provide the software designers with a clear understanding of the use of these two key abstractions. In this context, this paper presents TAO, an evolving innovative conceptual framework based on agent and object abstractions, which are the foundations for modeling large-scale software systems. The conceptual framework allows for the characterization of large-scale software systems as organizations of passive components, the objects, and autonomous components, the agents, with each of these elements playing roles to interact with each other and to coordinate their actions in order to fulfill system goals.
9474173
Improving modularity of reflective middleware with aspect-oriented programming
Reflective middleware has been proposed as an effective way to enhance adaptability of component-oriented middleware architectures. To be effectively adaptable, the implementation of reflective middleware needs to be modular. However, some recently emerged applications such as mobile, pervasive, and embedded applications have imposed more stringent modularity requirements to the middleware design. They require support for the conception of a minimal middleware while promoting finegrained modularity of reflective middleware features. The key problem is that fundamental mechanisms for decomposing reflective middleware implementations, such as object-oriented ones, suffer from not providing the proper means to achieve the required level of localizing reflection-specific concerns. This paper presents a systematic investigation on how aspect-oriented programming scales up to improve modularity of typical reflection-specific crosscutting concerns. We have quantitatively compared Java and AspectJ implementations of an OpenORB-compliant reflective middleware using separation of concerns metrics.
44575256
An X-Ray of the Brazilian e-Gov Web Sites
The digital inclusion promotes the reduction of social inequalities. Based on this principle, the Brazilian Government has been setting up an increasing number of Web access locations to render virtual support to its citizens. However, there are no guidelines for the construction and assessment of these electronic Government (e-Gov) sites. In this article we measure the web site quality in the e-Gov domain with the following proprieties: usability, accessibility, interoperability, security, privacy, information reliability, and service agility. We implemented our method, by using a checklist tool, in the evaluation of 127 Brazilian government sites (federal, state and municipal). Our method proved itself efficient in the diagnosis and identification of specific problems in the e-Gov site domain.
13425018
Lithofacies recognition hybrid bench
Well offshore petroleum exploration is a risky, but very profitable task. Determining the rock formation of each layer of a given reservoir diminishes the risks of expending a great deal of money drilling dry wells. Since collecting offshore rock samples is difficult and expensive, geologists must decide upon drilling based on indirect measures called well log. Traditional statistical methods have been used to assist this task. Neural networks have also been successfully used. As an alternative fuzzy logic based systems have an extra appeal of intuitive comprehension of some uncertainties. This paper presents a hybrid tool that combines neural networks, fuzzy logic and neuro-fuzzy logic to improve human intuition when analyzing the potential of oil fields.
29246421
Sharing design perspectives through storytelling
Design consists of analyzing scenarios and proposing artifacts, obeying the initial set of requirements that lead from initial to goal state. Finding or creating alternative solutions, analyzing them, and selecting the best one are expected steps in the designer’s decision making process. Very often, not a sole designer, but a team of them is engaged in the design process, sharing their expertise and responsibility to achieve optimum projects. In a design team, most conflicts occur due to misunderstanding of one’s assessment of specifications and contexts. Decision explanations play a key role in teamwork success. Designers are rational agents trained to follow rational methods. Acceptable justifications include value function, requirements, constraints, and criteria. Generally, explanations are delivered in a multimedia fashion, composed of text, graphics and gestures, to provide the audience the ability to perceive what was contextually imagined. The more spatial the reasoning is, the richer the explanation channel should be. This paper presents CineADD, a design explanation generation model based on cinema techniques such as animation, scripting, editing, and camera movements. The idea is to provide designers with a tool for describing the way their projects should be visually explained, as in a movie. Designers develop their projects in an active design document environment. Rationale is captured as a design model, so explanations can be generated instead of retrieved. The captured design model serves as a base to visually reconstruct design, giving emphasis and guidance by using movie storytelling techniques. CineADD was implemented for the domain of oil pipeline layout showing the feasibility of this approach. We expect CineADD to become a commodity attachable to any intelligent CAD system.
6083238
A Multiagent System Applied to the Design of Petroleum Off-Shore Platforms
This paper presents a model for cooperative multi-agents that interact in a closed environment, i.e., an environment where the rules are well known by the agents and do not change dynamically. In a computational environment where several different software agents share resources to reach their goals, the occurrence of conflicts is inevitable. Therefore it is of highest importance to have an efficient mechanism to solve such conflicts. While other models in the literature present solutions for conflict resolution based on centralized and distributed algorithms, our proposal is to solve the conflicts in a hierarchical manner. The proposed model is based on the application of Social Laws and it was inspired by the theory of Jean Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract, being denominated Tri-Coord Model, that is, of Triple Coordination. We implemented a prototype based on the Tri-Coord Model, and applied to the task of oil and gas process floorplan design in a petroleum off-shore platform. In that domain the project is divided in several subsystems, with an agent being responsible for each sub-system. Our experiments indicate that the Tri-Coord Model can indeed yield a better performance in the development of a project. First, because it decreases the interruptions for accomplishment of meetings to solve conflicts related to customization of sub-system’s parameters. Second, because it removes the bottleneck associated to a centralized model for conflict resolution. Third, because through the regulator environment of Tri-Coord the agents behavior can be controlled implicitly by the environment. In that way the agents learn how to interact correctly and the independence between the environment and the agents turns the system more flexible.