Case studies for contract-based systems

ABSTRACT

Of the ways in which agent behaviour can be regulated in a multi-agent system, electronic contracting - based on explicit representation of different parties' responsibilities, and the agreement of all parties to them - has significant potential for modern industrial applications. Based on this assumption, the CONTRACT project aims to develop and apply electronic contracting and contract-based monitoring and verification techniques in real world applications. This paper presents results from the initial phase of the project, which focused on requirements solicitation and analysis. Specifically, we survey four use cases from diverse industrial applications, examine how they can benefit from an agent-based electronic contracting infrastructure and outline the technical requirements that would be placed on such an infrastructure. We present the designed CONTRACT architecture and describe how it may fulfil these requirements. In addition to motivating our work on the contract-based infrastructure, the paper aims to provide a much needed community resource in terms of use case themselves and to provide a clear commercial context for the development of work on contract-based system.

REFERENCES

• 1: Roxana A. Belecheanu , Steve Munroe , Michael Luck , Terry Payne , Tim Miller , Peter McBurney , Michal Pěchouček, Commercial applications of agents: lessons, experiences and challenges, Proceedings of the fifth international joint conference on Autonomous agents and multiagent systems, May 08-12, 2006, Hakodate, Japan [doi>10.1145/1160633.1160932]
• 2: Santos, D., Blois, M., and Bastos, R. 2007. Developing a Conference Management System with the Multi-agent Systems Unified Process: A Case Study. In Proc. 8th Int. Workshop on Agent Oriented Software Engineering.
• 3: Tom Wagner , Les Gasser , Michael Luck, Impact for agents, Proceedings of the fourth international joint conference on Autonomous agents and multiagent systems, July 25-29, 2005, The Netherlands [doi>10.1145/1082473.1082810]
• 4: Henrique Lopes Cardoso , Eugenio Oliveira, Using and Evaluating Adaptive Agents for Electronic Commerce Negotiation, Proceedings of the International Joint Conference, 7th Ibero-American Conference on AI: Advances in Artificial Intelligence, p.96-105, November 19-22, 2000
• 5: Duran, F., Torres da Silva, V., and de Lucena, C. J. P. 2007. Using Testimonies to Enforce the Behaviour of Agents. In AAMAS '07 Workshop on Coordination, Organization, Institutions and Norms in agent systems, pages 25--36.
• 6: Dellarocas, C. 2000. Contractual Agent Societies: Negotiated Shared Context and Social Control in Open Multi-Agent Systems. In Workshop on Norms and Institutions in Multi-Agent Systems, Agents 2000, Barcelona, Spain.
• 7: Fabiola López Y López , Michael Luck , Mark D'Inverno, A normative framework for agent-based systems, Computational & Mathematical Organization Theory, v.12 n.2-3, p.227-250, October 2006 [doi>10.1007/s10588-006-9545-7]
• 8: Ludwig, H. 2003. Web Service Level Agreement (WSLA) Language Specification. IBM.
• 9: Andrieux, A. et al. 2004. Web Services Agreement Specification (WS-Agreement). http://www.gridforum.org/Meetings/GGF11/Documents/draft-ggf-graapagreement.pdf. Version 1.1. Draft 18, 2004.
• 10: Jakob, M. et al. 2007. Use Case Outlines and Requirements. CONTRACT project Deliverable D6.1, available from http://www.ist-contract.org/
• 11: IST CONTRACT project, http://www.ist-contract.org/
• 12: Felipe Meneguzzi , Simon Miles , Michael Luck , Camden Holt , Malcolm Smith, Electronic contracting in aircraft aftercare: a case study, Proceedings of the 7th international joint conference on Autonomous agents and multiagent systems: industrial track, May 12-16, 2008, Estoril, Portugal

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
        I.2.11 Distributed Artificial Intelligence
            Subjects: Multiagent systems

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.4 INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPLICATIONS
      H.4.2 Types of Systems
          Subjects: Decision support (e.g., MIS)

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
        I.2.11 Distributed Artificial Intelligence
            Subjects: Coherence and coordination

  K. Computing Milieux
  K.6 MANAGEMENT OF COMPUTING AND INFORMATION SYSTEMS
      K.6.4 System Management

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Management, Theory

Keywords:
architecture, contract-based systems, contracts, monitoring, multi-agent systems, services