Separating Agent-Functioning and Inter-Agent Coordination by Activated Modules: The DECOMAS Architecture

The embedding of self-organizing inter-agent processes in distributed software applications enables the decentralized coordination system elements, solely based on concerted, localized interactions. The separation and encapsulation of the activities that are conceptually related to the coordination, is a crucial concern for systematic development practices in order to prepare the reuse and systematic integration of coordination processes in software systems. Here, we discuss a programming model that is based on the externalization of processes prescriptions and their embedding in Multi-Agent Systems (MAS). One fundamental design concern for a corresponding execution middleware is the minimal-invasive augmentation of the activities that affect coordination. This design challenge is approached by the activation of agent modules. Modules are converted to software elements that reason about and modify their host agent. We discuss and formalize this extension within the context of a generic coordination architecture and exemplify the proposed programming model with the decentralized management of (web) service infrastructures

OntoMaven: Maven-based Ontology Development and Management of Distributed Ontology Repositories

In collaborative agile ontology development projects support for modular reuse of ontologies from large existing remote repositories, ontology project life cycle management, and transitive dependency management are important needs. The Apache Maven approach has proven its success in distributed collaborative Software Engineering by its widespread adoption. The contribution of this paper is a new design artifact called OntoMaven. OntoMaven adopts the Maven-based development methodology and adapts its concepts to knowledge engineering for Maven-based ontology development and management of ontology artifacts in distributed ontology repositories.Comment: Pre-print submission to 9th International Workshop on Semantic Web Enabled Software Engineering (SWESE2013). Berlin, Germany, December 2-5, 201

Feasibility model of a high reliability five-year tape transport, Volume 1

The development, performance, and test results for the spaceborne magnetic tape transport are discussed. An analytical model of the tape transport was used to optimize its conceptual design. Each of the subsystems was subjected to reliability analyses which included structural integrity, maintenance of system performance within acceptable bounds, and avoidance of fatigue failure. These subsystems were also compared with each other in order to evaluate reliability characteristics. The transport uses no mechanical couplings. Four drive motors, one for each reel and one for each of two capstans, are used in a differential mode. There are two hybrid, spherical, cone tapered-crown rollers for tape guidance. Storage of the magnetic tape is provided by a reel assembly which includes the reel, a reel support structure and bearings, dust seals, and a dc drive motor. A summary of transport test results on tape guidance, flutter, and skew is provided

Modularization Assessment of Product Architecture

Modularization refers to the opportunity for mixing-and-matching of components in a modular product design in which the standard interfaces between components are specified to allow for a range of variation in components to be substituted in a product architecture. It is through mixing-and-matching of these components, and how these components interface with one another, that new systems are created. Consequently, the degree of modularization inherent in a system is highly dependent upon the components and the interface constraints shared among the components, modules, and sub-systems. In this paper, a mathematical model is derived for analyzing the degree of modularization in a given product architecture by taking into consideration the number of components, number of interfaces, the composition of new-to-the-firm (NTF) components, and substitutability of components. An analysis of Chrysler windshield wipers controller suggests that two product architectures may share similar interface constraints, but the opportunity for modularization of one module is significant higher than the other due to the higher substitutability of its components and lower composition of NTF components.Product architecture, modularization, substitutability, new product development

Aggregation of Hospital Business Processes

There are estimates that up to 30% of hospital costs are due to inefficiently coordinated hospital processes. As a result many hospitals have tried to model and to reengineer their business processes. These efforts have very often been abandoned, because the normally constructed total models of hospital processes could hardly cope with the rapid technological and medical progress as well as with changing staff. We discuss approaches for a qualitative and quantitative process modularization which improve the understanding of processes and enables better planned simulations. Various methods are discussed which allow a qualitative modularization on the basis of a disaggregated process graph. To cope with this modularization numerically simple semi-stochastic formulas are developed for the calculation of expected values and variances of cycle times and costs from micro-data up to the modular level. Thus a qualitative as well as quantitative discussion of hospital business processes on the modular level become possible.OR in health care service, graph theory, business process reengineering, stochastic processes, simulation

On the decomposition of tabular knowledge systems.

Recently there has been a growing interest in the decomposition of knowledge based systems and decision tables. Much work in this area has adopted an informal approach. In this paper, we first formalize the notion of decomposition, and then we study some interesting classes of decompositions. The proposed classification can be used to formulate design goals to master the decomposition of large decision tables into smaller components. Importantly, carrying out a decomposition eliminates redundant information from the knowledge base, thereby taking away -right from the beginning- a possible source of inconsistency. This, in turn, renders subsequent verification and validation more smoothly.Knowledge; Systems;

Prototyping Formal System Models with Active Objects

We propose active object languages as a development tool for formal system models of distributed systems. Additionally to a formalization based on a term rewriting system, we use established Software Engineering concepts, including software product lines and object orientation that come with extensive tool support. We illustrate our modeling approach by prototyping a weak memory model. The resulting executable model is modular and has clear interfaces between communicating participants through object-oriented modeling. Relaxations of the basic memory model are expressed as self-contained variants of a software product line. As a modeling language we use the formal active object language ABS which comes with an extensive tool set. This permits rapid formalization of core ideas, early validity checks in terms of formal invariant proofs, and debugging support by executing test runs. Hence, our approach supports the prototyping of formal system models with early feedback.Comment: In Proceedings ICE 2018, arXiv:1810.0205