A Review on Multi-Agent Platforms and Environmental Decision Support Systems Simulation Tools
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A review on Multi-Agent platforms and Environmental Decision Support Systems Simulation tools Thania Rendón-Sallard, Miquel Sànchez-Marrè Knowledge Engineering and Machine Learning Group, Universitat Politèc- nica de Catalunya c/Jordi Girona 1-3, E08034, Barcelona, Spain {trendon,miquel}@lsi.upc.edu Abstract. This work depicts the state of the art of Multi-agent systems platforms for the development of Multi-agent systems, and reviews the Environmental Decision Support Systems Simulation tools available. Keywords: Multi-Agent Systems platforms 1. Introduction In order to design and develop a Multi-Agent System (MAS) to simulate different alternative scenarios for decision-making in Envi- ronmental Decision Support Systems (EDSS), we have revised the state of the art of MAS platforms and EDSS simulation tools. Par- ticularly, we are interested in river basin systems management through a Multi-Agent system approach. River catchments are important social, economical and environ- mental units. They sustain ecosystems, which are the main source of water for households, agriculture and industry. Due to population growth, industry and overexploitation, the demands made on the river basin are increasing while the capacity of the catchment to meet these demands is decreasing. Therefore the protection of all surface waters and groundwaters must be assured in their quality and quantity. The best way to fulfill these requirements is with a management system at catchment scale that integrates all the wa- ter systems involved (sewer system, Waste Water Treatment Plants and River) [2, 5]. The management of river basins involve many interactions be- tween physical, chemical and biological processes ergo these sys- tems become very intricate. Some of the problematic features found in the river basin domain are intrinsic instability, uncertainty and imprecision of data or approximate knowledge and vagueness, huge quantity of data, heterogeneity and different time scales to name a few [1]. Multi-Agent Systems have the ability to cope with complex prob- lems such those related to river basin system management. Thus, we have proposed the design of a MAS to simulate different alterna- tive scenarios for decision-making in river basin systems manage- ment [13]. The aim of this paper is to survey the state of the art in MAS plat- forms and EDSS simulation tools. This review presents a variety of Multi-Agent related work such agent languages or environments for MAS development, agent platforms and tools, and a number of methodologies for the development of MAS. There also is a section dedicated to the work done in modelling and simulation of EDSS. Our idea was to select the most suitable agent platform for our goals, and afterwards, to extend it with the new required functional- ities. The most essential extension will be the ability of some kinds of agents to incorporate some knowledge and reasoning models. 1.1 Organisation of the paper. Section 1 presented an Introduction to MAS and our —problem“. In Section 2 we present the several agent platforms, languages, environments found in the literature. For each one we will give a brief description along with a comparative table that summarizes some features of the products reviewed. Section 3 introduces a list of methodologies for the MAS development, as well as the stan- dards of communication between agents. In Section 4 the modelling and simulation tools for EDSS are presented. And finally, in Section 5 we state the conclusions. 2. Multi-Agent System platforms Nowadays, a great number of agent platforms and languages for the MAS development can be found in the literature. This section presents a wide variety of approaches (commercial and academic) found in the agent domain. Table 1 summarizes the toolkits that will be presented here. PLATFORM TYPE AVAILABILITY SUPPLIER W EBPAGE 3APL Language or Academic (Free) Universiteit http://www.cs.uu.nl environment for Utrecht /3apl/ MAS develop- ment ABLE Language or Academic (Free) IBM T. J. W at- http://www.alpha- environment for son Research works.ibm.com/tec MAS develop- Center h/able ment ADK Agent platform Commercial (Li- Tryllian http://www.tryllian. censed) org/ Agent Factory Language or Academic (Licensed) PRISM Lab. http://www.agentfa environment for University Col- ctory.com/ MAS develop- lege Dublin ment AgentBuilder Agent platform Commercial (Li- AgentBuilder http://www.agentbu censed) ilder.com/ AgentSheets Language or Commercial (Li- AgentSheets http://www.agentsh environment for censed) Inc. eets.com MAS develop- ment AgentTool MAS engineer- Academic (Free) Kansas State http://macr.cis.ksu. ing approach University edu/projects/agent- Tool/agentool.htm Aglets Agent plat- Academic (Licensed) IBM Tokio Re- http://aglets.sourcef form search Lab. orge.net/ A-Globe Agent platform Academic (Free) Agent Technol- http://agents.felk.cv ogy Group ut.cz/aglobe/ (Czech) AMETAS middleware Academic (Licensed) Universität http://www.accsis.c platform for Frankfurt om/ametas/ mobile agent- based April Agent platform broken link Fujitsu Labs http://www.nar.fujit sulabs.com/ Bee-gent Language or Commercial (Free) Toshiba Corpo- http://www2.toshib environment for ration a.co.jp/rdc/bee- MAS develop- gent/index.htm ment CABLE Language or Commercial (Li- Logica UK Ltd http://public.logi- environment for censed) cacmg.com/~grace/ MAS develop- Architec- ment ture/Cable/public/ Comet W ay JAK for auto- Commercial (Free) Comet W ay http://www.com mated services Ltd. et- way.com/content.a gent?page_name= Home CORMAS Language or Commercial (Free) CIRAD http://cormas.cirad. environment for fr/indexeng.htm MAS develop- ment Cougaar Language or Academic (Licensed) DARPA / BBN http://www.cougaar environment for Technologies .org/ MAS develop- ment Cybele Language or Commercial (Li- Intelligent http://www.cybelep environment for censed) automation, Inc ro.com/ MAS develop- ment DECAF Language or Academic (Free) University of http://www.cis.udel environment for Delaware .edu/~decaf/ MAS develop- ment DESIRE Agent platform Academic (Free) Vrije Univer- http://www.few.vu. siteit Amster- nl/~wai/demas/tool dam s2.html DIETagents Agent platform Academic (Licensed) Future Tech- http://diet- nologies Group agents.sourceforge. net/Index.html EXCALIBUR EXCALIBU Architecture AI center http://www.ai- Agent R Agent cen- ter.com/projects/ex calibur/ FIPA-OS Language or Commercial (Free) Emorphia Ltd. http://fipa- environment for os.sourceforge.net/i MAS develop- ndex.htm ment Grasshopper Language or Commercial (Li- IKV++ http://www.grassho environment for censed) Technologies pper.de MAS develop- AG ment IDOL Language or Commercial (Li- Commercial http://www.agentli environment for censed) (Licensed) nk.org MAS develop- ment IM PACT Methodology Academic (Li- University of http://www.cs.umd. for de- censed) Maryland edu/projects/impact sign/developme / nt INDUS Language or Academic (Free) N/A http://developer.au environment for meganet- MAS develop- works.com/ ment INGENIAS Methodology Academic (Licensed) Universidad http://ingenias.sour for de- Complutense de ceforge.net/ sign/developme Madrid nt JACK Language or Commercial (Li- Agent Oriented http://www.agent- environment for censed) Software Pty. soft- MAS develop- Ltd ware.co.uk/shared/ ment home/ Jackdaw Language or Commercial (Li- Calico Jack http://www.cali environment for censed) (UK) co- MAS develop- jack.co.uk/solutions ment .html JADE Support soft- Commercial (L gen- TILAB http://jade.tilab.co ware eral public license) m/ JADEX Language or Academic (Licensed) University of http://vsis- environment for Hamburg www.informatik.un MAS develop- i- ment ham- burg.de/projects/jad ex/ JAM Language or Academic (Licensed) University of http://www.mar environment for Michigan cush.net/IRS/irs_do MAS develop- wnloads.html ment Jason Language or Academic (Licensed) University of http://jason.sourcef environment for Durham orge.net/ MAS develop- ment JATLite Language or Academic (Licensed) Univesity of http://java.stanford. environment for Stanford edu/ MAS develop- ment JATLiteBean Support soft- Academic (Free) University of http://kmi.open.ac. ware Otago uk/people/emanuel a/JATLiteBean/ JESS Language or Academic (Free) Sandia National http://herzberg.ca.s environment for Laboratories andia.gov/jess/ MAS develop- ment JIAC Framework Commercial (Li- Dai Lab. (Tech- http://www.dai- to develop and censed) nische Univer- la- support agent sität Berlin ) bor.de/4.0.html?L= technology 1 based on Ser- viceware JINI open archi- Commercial (Free) Sun Microsys- http://www.sun.co tecture tems, Inc. m/software/jini/ Kaariboga Language or Other (Free - BSD- Other http://www.projec- environment for style license) tory.de/kaariboga/i MAS develop- ndex.html ment Living Mar- Language or Commercial (Li- Living Systems http://www.living- kets environment for censed) AG sys- MAS develop- tems.com/pages/ind ment ex.html LOST W AX Language or Commercial Lost W ax http://www.lostwax environment for .com MAS develop- ment MadKit Agent platform Academic (Licensed) University of http://www.madkit. Montpellier org MAML MAS-based Commercial (Free) Agent-Lab Ltd. http://www.maml.h model- u/ ling/simulation tool MASSYVE Language or Academic (Free) Federal Univer- http://www.gsigma KIT environment for sity of Santa - MAS develop- Catarina gru- ment con.ufsc.br/softs.ht ml NARVAL Framework Commercial (GN gen- Logilab http://www.logilab. to develop per- eral public license) org/ sonal assistants RePast MAS-based Academic (Free- BSD- University of http://repast.sourcef