QoS-Based Middleware Architecture for Distributed Control Systems

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85863-8_70This paper presents an implementation of a middleware architecture to control distributed systems. The main objective is providing a QoS level between the communications layer and the control layer. This architecture is based on the use of a hierarchical communications structure called logical namespace tree and a structured set of control processes interconnected, called logical sensors graph . This architecture is named Frame Sensor Adapter Control (FSA-Ctrl). In this architecture communication layer and control layer can manage the QoS policies. The communication layer is based on the Data Distribution Service (DDS), a standard proposed by Object Management Group (OMG). Control layer is derived from the Sensor Web Enablement (SWE) model proposed by Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). Middleware components use messages queues to manage components QoS requirements. By means of QoS policies, control components can take important decisions about distributed questions, like components mobility or information redundancy detection.The architecture described in this article is a part of the coordinated project KERTROL: Kernel control on embedded system strongly connected. Education and Science Department, Spanish Government. CICYT: DPI2005-09327-C02-01/02.Poza-Lujan, J.; Posadas-Yagüe, J.; Simó Ten, JE. (2009). QoS-Based Middleware Architecture for Distributed Control Systems. En International Symposium on Distributed Computing and Artificial Intelligence 2008 (DCAI 2008). Springer. 587-595. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-85863-8_70S587595Matteucci, M.: Publish/Subscribe Middleware for Robotics: Requirements and State of the Art. Technical Report N 2003.3, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy (2003)OMG. Data Distribution Service for Real-Time Systems, v1.1. Document formal/2005-12-04 (2005)Botts, M., Percivall, G., Reed, C., Davidson, J. (eds.): OGC. Sensor Web Enablement: Overview and High Level Architecture. OGC White Paper. OGC 06-050r2 (2006)Coulouris, G., Dollimore, J., Kindberg, T.: Distributed systems, concepts and design, 3rd edn. Addison-Wesley, Reading (2001)OMG. Real-Time Corba Specification version 1.1. Document formal /02-08-02 (2002)FIPA. Specfication. Part 2, Agent Communication Language. Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents (1997)Hapner, M., Sharma, R., Fialli, J., Stout, K.: JMS specification, vol. 1.1. Sun Microsystems Inc., Santa Clara (2002)Pardo-Castellote, G.: OMG Data-Distribution Service: architectural overview. In: Proceedings of 23rd International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops, Providence, USA, vol. 19-22, pp. 200–206 (2003)Vogel, A., Kerherve, B., von Bochmann, G., Gecsei, J.: Distributed Multimedia and QoS: A Survey. IEEE Multimedia 2(2), 10–19 (1995)Crawley, E., Nair, R., Rajagopalan, B.: RFC 2386: A Framework for QoS-based Routing in the Internet. IETF Internet Draft, pp. 1–37 (1998)Botts, M., Percivall, G., Reed, C., Davidson, J.: OGC. Sensor Web Enablement: Overview and High Level Architecture. OpenGIS Consortium Inc. (2006)Posadas, J.L., Perez, P., Simo, J.E., Benet, G., Blanes, F.: Communication structure for sensory data in mobile robots. Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence 15(3-4), 341–350 (2002)Poza, J.L., Posadas, J.L., Simó, J.E., Benet, G.: Hierarchical communication system to manage maps in mobile robot navigation. In: Proceedings of International Conference on Automation, Control and Instrumentation, Valencia, Spain (2006)Poza, J.L., Posadas, J.L., Simó, J.E.: Distributed agent specification to an Intelligent Control Architecture. In: 6th International Workshop on Practical Applications of Agents and Multiagent Systems, Salamanca, Spain (in press, 2007

Adding an ontology to a standardized QoS-based MAS middleware

The final publication is available at Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-02481-8_12In a Multi-Agent system, middleware is one of the components used to isolate control and communications. The use of standards in the implementation of an intelligent distributed system is always advantageous. This paper presents a middleware that provides support to a multi-agent system. Middleware is based on the standard Data Distribution Services (DDS), proposed by Object Management Group (OGM). Middleware organizes information by tree based ontology and provides a set of quality of service policies that agents can use to increase efficiency. DDS provides a set of quality of service policy. Joining quality of service policy and the ontology allows getting many advantages, among others the possibility of to conceal some details of the communications system to agents, the correct location of the agents in the distributed system, or the monitoring agents in terms of quality of service. For modeling the middleware architecture it has used UML class diagrams. As an example it has presented the implementation of a mobile robot navigation system through agents that model behaviors.The MAS architecture described in this article is a part of the coordinated project SIDIRELI: Distributed Systems with Limited Resources. Control Kernel and Coordination. Education and Science Department, Spanish Government. CICYT: MICINN: DPI2008-06737-C02-01/02.Poza-Lujan, J.; Posadas-Yagüe, J.; Simó Ten, JE. (2009). Adding an ontology to a standardized QoS-based MAS middleware. En Distributed Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Bioinformatics, Soft Computing, and Ambient Assisted Living. Springer. 83-90. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-02481-8_12S8390Coulouris, G., Dollimore, J., Kindberg, T.: Distributed systems, concepts and design, 3rd edn. Addison Wesley, Reading (2001)Hapner, M., Sharma, R., Fialli, J., Stout, K.: JMS specification, vol. 1.1. Sun Microsystems Inc., Santa Clara (2002)Lewis, R.: Advanced Messaging Applications with MSMQ and MQ Series. Que Publishing (1999)OMG. Real-Time Corba Specification version 1.1. Document formal /02-08-02 (2002)FIPA. Specfication. Part 2, Agent Communication Language. Foundation for Intelligent Physical Agents (1997)Vogel, A., Kerherve, B., von Bochmann, G., Gecsei, J.: Distributed Multimedia and QoS: A Survey. IEEE Multimedia 2(2), 10–19 (1995)Smith, B.: Beyond concepts, or: Ontology as reality representation. In: Formal Ontology in Information Systems (FOIS 2004), pp. 73–84 (2004)Gruber, T.R.: Toward Principles for the Design of Ontologies Used for Knowledge Sharing. International Journal Human-Computer Studies 43(5-6), 907–928 (1995)Pardo-Castellote, G.: OMG Data-Distribution Service: architectural overview. In: Proceedings of 23rd International Conference on Distributed Computing Systems Workshops, Providence, USA, vols. 19-22, pp. 200–206 (2003)Object Management Group (OMG). Unified Modeling Language Specification, v1.4.2, ISO/IEC 19501 (2001)Poza, J.L., Posadas, J.I., Simó, J.E.: Distributed agent specification to an Intelligent Control Architecture. In: 6th International Workshop on Practical Applications of Agents and Multiagent Systems, Salamanca (2007)Poza, J.L., Posadas, J.l., Simó, J.E.: QoS-based middleware archi-tecture for distributed control systems. In: International Symposium on Distributed Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Salamanca (2008

Compiling symbolic attacks to protocol implementation tests

Recently efficient model-checking tools have been developed to find flaws in security protocols specifications. These flaws can be interpreted as potential attacks scenarios but the feasability of these scenarios need to be confirmed at the implementation level. However, bridging the gap between an abstract attack scenario derived from a specification and a penetration test on real implementations of a protocol is still an open issue. This work investigates an architecture for automatically generating abstract attacks and converting them to concrete tests on protocol implementations. In particular we aim to improve previously proposed blackbox testing methods in order to discover automatically new attacks and vulnerabilities. As a proof of concept we have experimented our proposed architecture to detect a renegotiation vulnerability on some implementations of SSL/TLS, a protocol widely used for securing electronic transactions.Comment: In Proceedings SCSS 2012, arXiv:1307.802

From SMART to agent systems development

In order for agent-oriented software engineering to prove effective it must use principled notions of agents and enabling specification and reasoning, while still considering routes to practical implementation. This paper deals with the issue of individual agent specification and construction, departing from the conceptual basis provided by the SMART agent framework. SMART offers a descriptive specification of an agent architecture but omits consideration of issues relating to construction and control. In response, we introduce two new views to complement SMART: a behavioural specification and a structural specification which, together, determine the components that make up an agent, and how they operate. In this way, we move from abstract agent system specification to practical implementation. These three aspects are combined to create an agent construction model, actSMART, which is then used to define the AgentSpeak(L) architecture in order to illustrate the application of actSMART

A Case Study on Formal Verification of Self-Adaptive Behaviors in a Decentralized System

Self-adaptation is a promising approach to manage the complexity of modern software systems. A self-adaptive system is able to adapt autonomously to internal dynamics and changing conditions in the environment to achieve particular quality goals. Our particular interest is in decentralized self-adaptive systems, in which central control of adaptation is not an option. One important challenge in self-adaptive systems, in particular those with decentralized control of adaptation, is to provide guarantees about the intended runtime qualities. In this paper, we present a case study in which we use model checking to verify behavioral properties of a decentralized self-adaptive system. Concretely, we contribute with a formalized architecture model of a decentralized traffic monitoring system and prove a number of self-adaptation properties for flexibility and robustness. To model the main processes in the system we use timed automata, and for the specification of the required properties we use timed computation tree logic. We use the Uppaal tool to specify the system and verify the flexibility and robustness properties.Comment: In Proceedings FOCLASA 2012, arXiv:1208.432

An agent-based architecture for managing the provision of community care - the INCA (Intelligent Community Alarm) experience

Community Care is an area that requires extensive cooperation between independent agencies, each of which needs to meet its own objectives and targets. None are engaged solely in the delivery of community care, and need to integrate the service with their other responsibilities in a coherent and efficient manner. Agent technology provides the means by which effective cooperation can take place without compromising the essential security of both the client and the agencies involved as the appropriate set of responses can be generated through negotiation between the parties without the need for access to the main information repositories that would be necessary with conventional collaboration models. The autonomous nature of agents also means that a variety of agents can cooperate together with various local capabilities, so long as they conform to the relevant messaging requirements. This allows a variety of agents, with capabilities tailored to the carers to which they are attached to be developed so that cost-effective solutions can be provided. </p