A timed extension of ReSpecT

Abstract

Among the existing extensions to the basic tuple space coordination model, the tuple centre approach has been introduced to allow for the flexible programming of a tuple space behaviour, so as to encapsulate coordination laws directly as behaviour of the coordination medium. In particular, the logic-based language ReSpecT has been used for programming tuple centres in the TuCSoN coordination infrastructure [11, 9].However, among the application contexts that can be suitably engineered with agents and coordination infrastructures, some involve coordination processes where the notion of time and duration play a relevant role. Examples include distributed control systems, protocol-based interactions as in auctions, and in general all the coordination contexts where high dynamism and openness are concerned, which call for time-aware coordination artifacts supporting timed system engineering.Accordingly, in this work we discuss how the basic ReSpecT tuple centre model has been extended to support the definition and enaction of time-aware coordination policies. Several examples are provided to show the expressiveness of the language to model temporal coordination primitives and laws.