Abstract. This position paper addresses the question of integrating GRID and MAS (Multi-Agent Systems) models by means of a service oriented approach. Service Oriented Computing (SOC) tries to address many challenges in the world of computing with services. The concept of service is clearly at the intersection of GRID and MAS and their integration allows to address one of these key challenges: the implementation of dynamically generated services based on conversations. In our approach, services are exchanged (i.e., provided and used) by agents through GRID mechanisms and infrastructure. Integration goes beyond the simple interoperation of applications and standards, it has to be intrinsic to the underpinning model. We introduce here an (quite unique) integration model for GRID and MAS. This model is formalized and represented by a graphical description language called Agent-Grid Integration Language (AGIL). This integration is based on two main ideas: (i) the representation of agent capabilities as Grid services in service containers; (ii) the assimilation of the service instantiation mechanism (from GRID) with the creation of a new conversation context (from MAS). The integrated model may be seen as a formalization of agent interaction for service exchange.
The integration of GRID and MAS (Multi-Agents Systems) is an active research topic. We have recently proposed the Agent-Grid Integration Language, to describe a service-based integration of GRID and MAS models. However, the complexity of the mutual integration aspects leads us to define a rigorous way to formalize the key concepts, their relations and the integration rules by means of an ontology. With this ontology, we can describe the elements and their composition that occur in various service exchange scenarios with agent on the Grid. The ontology could be used both to model the behaviour of GRID-MAS integrated systems and to check the consistency of these systems and their instances. A concrete scenario is illustrated.
The GRID and MAS (Multi-Agent Systems) communities believe in the potential of GRID and MAS to enhance each other as these models have developed significant complementarities. Thus, both communities agree on the 'what' to do: promote an integration of GRID and MAS models. However, while the 'why' to do it has been stated and assessed, the 'how' to do it remains a research problem. This paper addresses this problem by means of a service-oriented approach. Services are exchanged (i.e., provided and used) by agents through GRID mechanisms and infrastructure. The paper first consists of a set of states of the art about integration approaches in GRID, MAS and Service-Oriented Computing (SOC). It secondly proposes a model for GRID-MAS integrated systems. Concepts, relations between them and rules are semantically described by a set-theory formalization and a common graphical description language, called Agent-Grid Integration Language (AGIL). This language may be used to describe future GRID-MAS integrated systems. AGIL's concepts are directly influenced by OGSA (Open Grid Service Architecture) and the STROBE agent communication and representation model.
The paradigm shift from an information sharing infrastructure (i.e., the Web) to a resource sharing infrastructure (i.e., the Grid) has open new perspectives for CSCL (Computer Supported Collaborative Learning). With Grid, it is now possible to envisage a scalable infrastructure that offers live collaborative environments in a secure manner. The Grid Shared Desktop (GSD) is such a collaborative environment that inherits from the desktop as a natural humanmachine interface to become a multidimensional humans to humans interface via several dedicated desktops. However, the success of such environments depends upon several consideration that we will develop here. We have not so far identified any equivalent solution that can fully suit CSCL requirements. In fact, all solutions are either adhoc systemoriented or they are not scalable since they cannot manage resource efficiently. In order to satisfy the CSCL needs, we propose a platform independent solution that benefits of the intrinsic advantages of the Grid technology. This goal is greatly enhanced thanks to the capability of Grid, to support stateful, dynamic services. In this paper, we tackle also the problem of bootstrapping and supporting a collaborative environment. As we target communities of non computerliterate people, we investigate easytouse and flexible solutions. Finally, we present our latest experimental case study with the GSD in the context of collaborative construction of a shared ontology.
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