Java Agent Development Framework Platform Research Articles

Multi-Agent System in Web Services

The term "service-oriented architecture" (SOA) refers to a software paradigm for creating systems made up of a variety of services that interact with one another to accomplish a certain task. The communications involve more than just transmitting data back and forth; they also connect two or more services to coordinate the required operations. Cross-platform communication is necessary for the coordinating process when services are spread across several platforms. Several web service standards and specifications are used in the present SOA implementation. Based on the prototype's implementation and simulation, this proposed research study has been validated and evaluated. The suggested cross-platform communications architecture is implemented using NetBeans, JADE, WSIG, and OWL-S. An integrated development environment for Java is offered by Oracle in the form of NetBeans. Telecom Italia's Java Agent DEvelopment Framework (JADE) is an agent software framework that is entirely built in the Java language. Web Service Integration Gateway (WSIG), which helps to facilitate JADE agent services being called by Web service clients. The core fundamental engine of the suggested framework is OWL-S. It is a web ontology language used to describe Semantic Web Services in the Semantic Web's OWL-based framework. A quantitative approach is used in this study's performance analysis and comparative investigation for evaluation and validation. The prototype's major element is the Java agent development framework (JADE), which was used to create a multi-agent system for the agent-based MOM framework that has been presented. The creation of the multi-agent systems was facilitated by the JADE platform. JADE 3.7 was the version that was employed. Two key features of JADE are a FIPA-compliant agent platform and a package for creating Java agents. The implementation results show that the proposed agent-based MOM framework was successful communicate between multiple types of SOA application with a better performance of the average of round-trip time where the proposed framework was successful in responding to all the requests.

Towards a next-generation production system for industrial robots: A CPS-based hybrid architecture for smart assembly shop floors with closed-loop dynamic cyber physical interactions

Given the multiple varieties and small batches, the production of industrial robots faces the ongoing challenges of flexibility, self-organization, self-configuration, and other “smart” requirements. Recently, cyber physical systems have provided a promising solution for the requirements mentioned above. Despite recent progress, some critical issues have not been fully addressed at the shop floor level, including dynamic reorganization and reconfiguration, ubiquitous networking, and time constrained computing. Toward the next generation production system for industrial robots, this study proposed a hybrid architecture for smart assembly shop floors with closed-loop dynamic cyber physical interactions. Aiming for dynamic reorganization and reconfiguration, the study also proposed modularized smart assembly units for the deployment of physical assembly processes. Enabling technologies, such as multiagent system (MAS), self-organized wireless sensor actuator networks, and edge computing, were discussed and then integrated into the proposed architecture. Furthermore, a multijoint robot assembly process was selected as a target scenario. Thus, an MAS was developed to simulate the coordination and negotiation mechanisms for the proposed architecture on the basis of the Java Agent Development Framework platform.

Multiagent and Bargaining-Game-Based Real-Time Scheduling for Internet of Things-Enabled Flexible Job Shop

With the rapid advancement and widespread applications of information technology in the manufacturing shop floor, a huge amount of real-time data is generated, providing a good opportunity to effectively respond to unpredictable exceptions so that the productivity can be improved. Thus, how to schedule the manufacturing shop floor for achieving such a goal is very challenging. This paper addresses this issue and a new multiagent-based real-time scheduling architecture is proposed for an Internet of Things-enabled flexible job shop. Differing from traditional dynamic scheduling strategies, the proposed strategy optimally assigns tasks to machines according to their real-time status. A bargaining-game-based negotiation mechanism is developed to coordinate the agents so that the problem can be efficiently solved. To demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed architecture and scheduling method, a proof-of-concept prototype system is implemented with Java agent development framework platform. A case study is used to test the performance and effectiveness of the proposed method. Through simulation and comparison, it is shown that the proposed method outperforms the traditional dynamic scheduling strategies in terms of makespan, critical machine workload, and total energy consumption.

Hierarchical and decentralized optimization method based on multi-agent system for multiple AC/DC hybrid microgrids

AC/DC hybrid microgrids (MGs) have been developed rapidly in recent years due to their efficient integration and management of large-scale distributed energy resources. How to achieve the optimal operation and coordinated control of AC/DC hybrid MGs has become crucial. A multi-agent system (MAS) based hierarchical and decentralized method for coordination operation of multiple AC/DC hybrid MGs is proposed. First, a structure of AC/DC hybrid MGs including wind turbines, photovoltaics, micro-hydro, and biogas generators is designed, which aims at reducing the power conversion loss. Second, a three-level MAS including distribution network (DN) level, MG level, and distributed generation (DG) level is presented. At the DG level, the DG agents obtain the optimal results from the MG agent. At the MG level, the independent optimization is implemented based on the mixed integer linear programming, and the consensus algorithm is utilized to realize the coordination of MG with adjacent MGs through the communication among MG agents when there is imbalance power. At the DN level, the DN agent performs power exchange with AC/DC hybrid MGs to balance the load demand when needed. Finally, the distributed energy management platform is developed by the Java Agent Development Framework platform to simulate the optimal operation of AC/DC hybrid MGs. The results show the rationality and availability of the proposed optimization method.

Using MVCA to Improve Architecture Modularity of Smart Spaces

There has been increasing interest in the use of context awareness, as a technique for designing architectures dedicated to smart spaces in order to adapt and produce suitable services according to user context. In recent years, various architectures have been developed to support context-aware systems. The major challenge with these systems is decomposing the entire architecture into smaller, modular components that facilitate the comprehension and modification of the architecture. In this study, we propose the Model View Controller Adapter (MVCA) architecture, derived from the model-view-controller pattern, which is modular, flexible and capable of adapting services autonomously on behalf of users. The main concept of MVCA architecture is that it decomposes the overall functionalities into modular components with high cohesion and low coupling, which facilitates reusability and maintainability of the system. The MVCA architecture is essentially composed of four components that are responsible for sensing and managing the environmental context in order to adapt and produce services proactively according to user context. To clarify and show the usability of our architecture, we present a scenario-based simulation of MVCA architecture using the Java Agent Development Framework platform.

Fault-tolerant Control of a Cyber-physical System

Cyber-physical systems represent a new emerging field in automatic control. The fault system is a key component, because modern, large scale processes must meet high standards of performance, reliability and safety. Fault propagation in large scale chemical processes can lead to loss of production, energy, raw materials and even environmental hazard. The present paper develops a multi-agent fault-tolerant control architecture using robust fractional order controllers for a (13C) cryogenic separation column cascade. The JADE (Java Agent DEvelopment Framework) platform was used to implement the multi-agent fault tolerant control system while the operational model of the process was implemented in Matlab/SIMULINK environment. MACSimJX (Multiagent Control Using Simulink with Jade Extension) toolbox was used to link the control system and the process model. In order to verify the performance and to prove the feasibility of the proposed control architecture several fault simulation scenarios were performed.

Adaptive service composition in an ambient environment with a multi-agent system

The ambient intelligence consists of the integration of computer science technologies in the objects of the environment around us in order to create a smart one. Each object in the environment performs a different service as part of achieving a task. The adaptive Service composition is a context-aware system used in the situation where the user’s needs cannot be satisfied by a single service but by the combination of several ones. One of the main and principal characteristics of ambient environments is the adaptability to the context. The multi-agent systems with their characteristics of autonomy, proactivity, mobility and sociability are one of the most promising techniques of service composition and they became a major and significant paradigm for developping ambient systems. In this paper, we present a model of adaptive service composition in ambient environment based on multi-agent system named Multi Agent System for Adaptive Service Composition (MAS-ASC). To each object of the environment is associated an agent. The set of the agents coordinate their competences taking into account the context in order to perform an activity. MAS-ASC is based on the Contract Net Protocol in which the agents exchange their proposals in the form of call for proposal. It is implemented on Java Agent DEvelopment framework platform and has been tested to economize the consumption of energy in an intelligent lighting system example.

A multi-agent-based approach for fuzzy clustering of large image data

Data clustering usually requires extensive computations of similarity measures between dataset members and cluster centers, especially for large datasets. Image clustering can be an intermediate process in image retrieval or segmentation, where a fast process is critically required for large image databases. This paper introduces a new approach of multi-agents for fuzzy image clustering (MAFIC) to improve the time cost of the sequential fuzzy $$c$$ -means algorithm (FCM). The approach has the distinguished feature of distributing the computation of cluster centers and membership function among several parallel agents, where each agent works independently on a different sub-image of an image. Based on the Java Agent Development Framework platform, an implementation of MAFIC is tested on 24-bit large size images. The experimental results show that the time performance of MAFIC outperforms that of the sequential FCM algorithm by at least four times, and thus reduces the time needed for the clustering process.

OJADEAC: An Ontology Based Access Control Model for JADE Platform

Java Agent Development Framework (JADE) is a software framework to make easy the development of Multi-Agent applications in compliance with the Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents (FIPA) specifications. JADE propose new infrastructure solutions to support the development of useful and convenient distributed applications. Security is one of the most important issues in implementing and deploying such applications. JADE-S security add-ons are one of the most popular security solutions in JADE platform. It provides several security services including authentication, authorization, signature and encryption services. Authorization service will give authorities to perform an action based on a set of permission objects attached to every authenticated user. This service has several drawbacks when implemented in a scalable distributed context aware applications. In this paper, an ontology-based access control model called (OJADEAC) is proposed to be applied in JADE platform by combining Semantic Web technologies with context-aware policy mechanism to overcome the shortcoming of this service. The access control model is represented by a semantic ontology, and a set of two level semantic rules representing platform and application specific policy rules. OJADEAC model is distributed, intelligent, dynamic, context-aware and use reasoning engine to infer access decisions based on ontology knowledge.

Self-reliant mobile code: a new direction of agent security

The motivation for using mobile agent technology in the context of distributed application stems from its various advantages like intelligence, mobility, communication ability and fault tolerance capability. As every technological movement is aligned with its repercussions, the mobile agent technology also has its inherent security loop holes. Researchers have proposed various approaches to mitigate security bottlenecks but the threat of malicious execution environment in permissible and effectual conduct is still vague and unresolved.In this paper, we introduced a security protocol to protect mobile agent from different kinds of security attacks. The basic building blocks of our protocol are built on the foundation of integrity based confidentiality and self-protection approach based on agent driven security. The general idea behind self-protection is to make mobile agent less interactive during its execution. In order to achieve agent driven security, we bring forth a novel concept of symmetric key's component distribution, wherein a key component is distributed in secure manner and other key component is derived from ensuring integrity of data collected at run time. In order to verify the validity of our approach in overcoming different kind of security attacks, we present Petri net based formal representation of our protocol to strengthen the belief of distributed applications. In addition, we implement our approach on JADE (Java agent development framework) platform and compare it with well-known self-protection approach on the basis of computational complexity and services offered.