FOUNDATION FOR INTELLIGENT PHYSICAL AGENTS

 

 

F. G. McCabe

fgm@fla.fujitsu.com

 

Problem Statement:  The Abstract Architecture specification XC00001I defines the core services required for agent interoperability. However, it does not address services in a manner that allows agents to discover and access services in general. This makes it harder to augment realizations of the AA in a manner that is consistent. In addition, the specification does not address the issues surrounding bootstrapping agent systems.

        

Objective: The main objectives of this work-plan:

1.       Review potential models for services in general (abstract services) in relation to the Abstract Architecture

2.       Develop a specification of an abstract service model

3.       Modify as necessary the Abstract Architecture specification to incorporate a service model.

 

Technology:  The modeling of abstract services is fundamentally analogous to the methodology used in the AA itself

 

Functionality: The service model specification should indicate

·         How services may identified and discovered by agents and other services

·         How services may modify their descriptions and how users of services may be informed of changes

·         How systems involving modeled services may be bootstrapped

 

Specifications generated: A modification of the specification FIPA00001 incorporating the abstract service model

 

Plan for Work and Milestones: The plan is for a 7 month program of work and includes the following steps:

·         2001/07 Initiation within a FIPA TC

·         2001/10 First draft of service model specification

·         2002/01 Experimental version of specification published

 

The project plan will be reviewed and revised, if and when necessary.

 

Dependencies:

·         [FIPA00001] FIPA Abstract Architecture Specification

 

Support:

·         Frank McCabe (Fujitsu Labs of America)

·         David Levine (IBM)

·         Jeff Bradshaw (IHMC)

·         Geoff Arnold (Sun)