Just-in-time information sharing architectures in multiagent systems

Abstract

ACORN (Agent-based Community Oriented Routing Network) is a distributed multi-agent architecture for the search, distribution and management of information across networks. ACORN utilises the concept of 'information as agent' together with an application of Stanley Milgram's Small World Problem (the idea of the Six Degrees of Separation) in order to route individual items of information around a network of people and agents. This paper describes additions made to the ACORN architecture and the implementation. A directory server that facilitates real-time communication between a client and corresponding agent is implemented. This server allows for instant feedback and modification to the agent by the client. The concept of an anonymous service provider is introduced to allow clients to generate anonymous agents that cannot be traced back to the original creator of the agent. This service is vital for maintaining some privacy aspects of the user. ACORN consists of a set of information-sharing locations referred to as Cafés. A dynamic café clustering method is developed. Using the proposed clustering method, cafés are dynamically created / destroyed to most accurately reflect the collective interests of the given members of said café. The performance evaluation of the proposed structure for the café using a testbed of multiple virtual users shows that the addition of multi-café component to ACORN's architecture improves its information sharing efficiency and leads to significant reduction in unnecessary mingling. Lastly, the concept of a fat and thin agent is introduced. A fat/thin agent architecture allows for minimizing network traffic as agents traverse the network in search of or distribution of knowledge.

Architectural Components of Information–Sharing Societies

“…In this work, we have used multiple autonomous virtual users within a test bed to carry out extensive testing and evaluation of the proposed clustering scheme. See Carter et al (2002) for detailed results on traveling patterns and the anonymity server.…”

“…It has no structure in place to provide real-time communication with agents which have left the site. The current café structure (static café) provided in ACORN is a simple yet effective information-sharing scheme; however, a café with the support for just-in-time information-sharing (Carter et al 2002) (i.e., dynamic clustering of agents within the café) will extensively improve the social ability of ACORN.…”

Agent and multi-agent applications to support distributed communities of practice: a short review

“…The user can recommend the offered information to other recipients that could also find it interesting. In doing so, ACORN mixes recommendations generated automatically with those elaborated by humans [16,69,72]. A system like ACORN can be useful to disseminate information among community members.…”

Recent Advances in Mobile Agent‐Oriented Applications

“…Agent-based community-oriented routing network (ACORN) is a matchmaking system designed to realize long-term queries/goals of users [2]. The system's ultimate goal is to achieve a state where agents can be routed to their destination (or relevant information) based on observed behavior of the community consisting of a Web of users.…”