Home | Issues | Profile | History | Submission | Review
Vol: 47(61) No: 2 / June 2002        

On Modeling a Mobile Agent-Based Assessment Service
Mihaela Dinsoreanu
Computer Science Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Baritiu Str. 26-28, RO-3400, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, phone: 40-(0)64-194491, e-mail: Mihaela.Dinsoreanu@cs.utcluj.ro
Ioan Salomie
Computer Science Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Baritiu Str. 26-28, RO-3400, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: Ioan.Salomie@cs.utcluj.ro
Kalman Pusztai
Computer Science Department, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Baritiu Str. 26-28, RO-3400, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, e-mail: Kalman.Pusztai@cs.utcluj.ro


Keywords: Agents, UML, Agent-Oriented Software Engineering, Web-based Distance Education, Assessment Service.

Abstract
The Unified Software Development Process (USDP) and Unified Modeling Language (UML) have been now generally accepted as the standard methodology and modeling language for developing Object-Oriented Systems. Although Agent-based Systems introduces new issues, we consider that USDP and UML can be used in an extended manner for modeling Agent-based Systems.
The paper presents a methodology for designing Agent-based Systems and the specific models expressed in an UML-based notation corresponding to each phase of the software development process. UML was extended using the provided mechanism: stereotypes. The methodology presented was used to develop a Mobile Agent-based Assessment Service integrated in an existing Web-based Virtual University.

References
[1] Bauer B., Mueller J.P., Odell J. “Agent UML: A Formalism for Specifying Multiagent Interaction”, in P. Ciancarini and M. Wooldridge, editors, Agent-Oriented Software Engineering. Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes, Berlin, pp.91-103.
[2] Bergenti F., Poggi A. “Exploiting UML in the Design of Multi-Agent Systems”, ESAW Workshop at ECAI 2000.
[3]. DeLoach S.A., Wood M.F., Sparkman C.H. “Multiagent Systems Engineering”, IJSEKE, Vol.11, No. 3 (2001) pp. 231-258.
[4] DeLoach S.A. “Specifying Agent Behavior as Concurrent Tasks: Defining the Behavior of Social Agents”, AFIT/EN-TR-00-03. Technical Report, July 2000.
[5] Lacey T.H., DeLoach S.A. “Verification of Agent Behavioral Models”, IC-AI 2000, Las Vegas, USA.
[6] Sparkman C.H., DeLoach S.A., Self A.L. “Automated derivation of Complex Agent Architectures from Analysis Specifications”, AOSE – 2001, Montreal, Canada.
[7] Van Dyke Parunak H., Odell J. “Representing Social Structures in UML”, in Proc. of Agent-Oriented Software Engineering (AOSE) 2001, Agents 2001, Montreal, pp. 17-31.
[8] Wooldridge M., Jennings N.R., Kinny D. „The Gaia Methodology for Agent-Oriented Analysis and Design”, Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, 3(3): pp. 285-312, September 2000.
[9] Zambonelli F., Jennings N.R., Omicini A., Wooldridge M. „Agent-Oriented Software Engineering for Internet Applications”. In Coordination of Internet Agents: Models, Technologies and Applications. Springer-Verlag, December 2000.
[10] Zambonelli F., Jennings N.R., Wooldridge M. Organisational abstractions for the Analysis and Design of Multi-Agent Systems, in P. Ciancarini and M. Wooldridge, editors, Agent-Oriented Software Engineering. Springer-Verlag Lecture Notes in AI Volume 1957, January 2001.