Core Design Pattern for Efficient Multi-agent Architecture

Interaction engineering is fundamental for agent based systems. In this paper we will present a design pattern for the core of a multi-agent platform - the message communication and behavior activation mechanisms - using language features of C#. An agent platform is developed based on the pattern structure, which is legiti- mated through experiences of using JADE in real applications. Results of the communication model are compared against the popular JADE platform

Core Design Pattern for Efficient Multi-agent Architecture

Interaction engineering is fundamental for agent based systems. In this paper we will present a design pattern for the core of a multi-agent platform - the message communication and behavior activation mechanisms - using language features of C#. An agent platform is developed based on the pattern structure, which is legiti- mated through experiences of using JADE in real applications. Results of the communication model are compared against the popular JADE platform

A security oriented approach in the development of multiagent systems : applied to the management of the health and social care needs of older people in England.

Security can play an important role in the development of some multi agent systems. However, a careful analysis of software development processes indicates that the definition of security requirements is, usually, considered after the design of the system. This approach, usually, leads to problems, such as conflicts between security and functional requirements, which can translate into security vulnerabilities. As a result, the integration of security issues in agent oriented software engineering methodologies has been identified as an important issue. Nevertheless, developers of agent oriented software engineering methodologies have mainly neglected security engineering and in fact very little evidence has been reported on work that integrates security issues into the development stages of agent oriented software engineering methodologies. This thesis advances the current state of the art In agent oriented software engineering in many ways. It identifies problems associated with the integration of security and software engineering and proposes a set of minimum requirements that a security oriented process should demonstrate. It extends the concepts and the development process of the Tropos methodology with respect to security to allow developers, even those with minimum security knowledge, to identify desired security requirements for their multi agent systems, reason about them, and as a result develop a system that satisfies its security requirements. In doing so, this research has developed (1) an analysis technique to enable developers to select amongst alternative architectural styles using as criteria the security requirements of the system, (2) a pattern language consisting of security patterns for multi agent systems, and (3) a scenario-based technique that allows developers to test the reaction of the system to potential attacks. The applicability of the approach is demonstrated by employing it in the development of the electronic single assessment process (eSAP) system, a real-life case study that provided the initial motivation for this research

Towards security monitoring patterns

Runtime monitoring is performed during system execution to detect whether the system’s behaviour deviates from that described by requirements. To support this activity we have developed a monitoring framework that expresses the requirements to be monitored in event calculus – a formal temporal first order language. Following an investigation of how this framework could be used to monitor security requirements, in this paper we propose patterns for expressing three basic types of such requirements, namely confidentiality, integrity and availability. These patterns aim to ease the task of specifying confidentiality, integrity and availability requirements in monitorable forms by non-expert users. The paper illustrates the use of these patterns using examples of an industrial case study