EVALUATING THE DEPLOYMENT OF FIPA STANDARDS WHEN DEVELOPING APPLICATION SERVICES

Abstract

We draw upon various practical experiences of designing and implementing complex systems through a multiagent approach which supports engineering of dynamic open distributed services. The general scope of multiagent system software engineering is reviewed with focus on the analysis and evaluation of certain aspects of the current specification standards provided by FIPA (Foundation of Intelligent Physical Agents). The benefits and drawbacks of a multiagent approach, using the FIPA standards as a benchmark, are evaluated and further illustrated through the deployment of an audio–video entertainment broadcasting (AVEB) system. The development and testing of the AVEB application was part of an EU project called FACTS (acts AC317). A main result of using agent engineering paradigm for complex distributed development, especially apparent in FIPA standards, has been the identification of the usefulness and power of its protocols. The reason for the importance of the protocols in developing multiagent systems (MAS) is it provides a degree of expressing cooperation within MAS architecture. As the protocols stand currently they are not sufficient to capture a complete explicit model of the cooperative requirements in multiagent systems. However, they provide a basis from which to start. We examine this feature of FIPA further in order to evaluate its role as a bridge between the mental agency and social agency requirements in the development of cooperation in multiagent systems.