Net.ObjectDays 2006
 CFP .pdf
 
Erfurt, Germany 18-21th September 2006 
 

Multiagent Systems and Software Architecture - MASSA

Special Track at Net.ObjectDays - NODe 2006

19th September 2006

 

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Program
Submissions
Call For Papers
Topics of Interest
Publications
Officials
Contact

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Important Dates:

Paper submission deadline : extended to June 1, 2006
Paper notification : June 26, 2006, postponed to June 30
Camera ready paper : July 15, 2006
Registration : See the NODe Web Site
Conference : September 18-21, 2006

  

The goal of this Special Track is to explore the relationship between multiagent systems and software architecture. There is a clear connection between multiagent systems and software architecture, yet this connection is rarely explored.

Multiagent systems are generally considered as an approach for engineering applications in complex domains. A multiagent system application is designed as a set of autonomous software entities (agents) that are embedded in shared structure (the environment). Agents can flexibly achieve their design objectives by acting in the environment and interacting with one another. Multiagent systems are typically ascribed quality properties such as adaptability, robustness, or scalability.

Mainstream software engineering generally recognized software architecture as the primary vehicle to manage complexity and to achieve the system's required qualities. Software architecture consists of the structures of the system, which comprise software elements, the externally visible properties of those elements, and the relationships among them. Software elements provide the functionality of the system, while the required system qualities are primarily achieved through the structures of the software architecture.

So there is a clear connection between multiagent systems and software architecture. Yet this connection is rarely explored. Agent-oriented methodologies typically give an individual interpretation to the various phases of the software engineering process. This isolates agent-oriented software engineering from mainstream software engineering practice, hampering the industrial acceptance of agent technology.

This Special Track places the connection between multiagent systems and software architecture in the forefront. The overall goal is to explore how current practice in software architecture can be valuable for agent-oriented software engineering. 
 

Special Track Program                                                                                                             (top)

The Special Track is an integral part of the Net.ObjectDays conference (NODe). The general objective of the seventh edition of NODe is bring together research communities that are related to object-oriented and component technology on the one side and multi-agent systems on the other side. NODe 2006 specifically aims to explore interdisciplinary research on software engineering, opening venues for unifying research. The particular focus of MASSA is to explore the connection between multiagent systems and software architecture.
 

MASSA program - Tuesday 19th September, 2006

9.00 - 10.00  Keynote talk Net.ObjectDays

10.00 - 10.15  Coffee


10.15 - 10.25  Opening

10.25 - 10.55  "Multiagent Systems and Software architecture"
Danny Weyns* and Tom Holvoet

10.55 - 11.25  "On Applying the PROSA Reference Architecture in Multiagent Manufacturing Control Applications"
Paul Verstraete*, Bart Saint Germain, Paul Valckenaers, Hadeli, and Hendrik Van Brussel

11.25 - 11.45  "The Proper Role of Agent Technologies in Design and Implementation of Dependable Network Enabled Systems"
Rune Gustavsson*, Martin Fredriksson, and Per Mellstrand


11.45 - 12.00 Coffee break


12.00 - 12.20  "A Scalable Agent-Based Workflow Management System For Business Process Management Environments"
Hesam Chiniforooshan Esfahani* and Seyed Hassan Mirian Hosseinabadi

12.20 - 12.40  "Time-Aware Multi Agent Systems"
Daniela Micucci*, Marco Oldani, and Francesco Tisato

12.40 - 13.00  "Metamodeling of Semantic Web Enabled Multiagent Systems"
Geylani Kardas*, Arda Goknil, Oguz Dikenelli, N. Yasemin Topaloglu

13.00 - 13.30  "Experiences with Theme/UML for Architectural Design of a Multiagent Systems"
Nelis Boucke* and Tom Holvoet


13.30 - 14.30  Lunch


14.30 - 15.15  Invited talk Net.ObjectDays

15.15 - 15.30  Coffee break


15.30 - 16.00  "On the Quantitative Assessment of Aspect-Oriented Agent Architectures"
Alessandro Garcia, Cidiane Lobato*, Claudio Sant'Anna, Uira' Kulesza, Christina Chavez, and Carlos Lucena

16.00 - 16.20  "A Description Language for Component and Aspect-Oriented Agent Architectures"
Mercedes Amor* and Lidia Fuentes

16.20 - 16.50  Discussion (TBA)

16.50 - 17.00  Closing
 

Submissions                                                                                                                                         (top)

We welcome the submission of original research papers. We seek theoretical, experimental, methodological as well as application papers. Papers may report on completed work, descriptions of work in progress, or discussion papers. Papers outside the scope of the relationship between multiagent systems and software architecture will be rejected.

Submissions will be peer reviewed by three members of the program committee. Selection criteria include: relevance, technical correctness, originality of contribution and quality of exposition.

Submissions should be 12-15 pages in length, including figures and references. The paper must be formatted according to the Springer-Verlag LNCS style.

Papers must be sent in PDF format to danny.weyns[at]cs.kuleuven.be.
 

Call for Papers                                                                                                                                    (top)

The Call for Papers is available here:

Topics of Interest                                                                                                                            (top)

Topics of interest include, but are not restricted to:

  • Role of software architecture in agent-oriented software engineering
  • Quality requirements for multiagent systems
  • Architectural tactics, patterns, and styles for multiagent systems
  • Reference models and reference architectures for multiagent systems
  • Architectural design of multiagent systems
  • Integration of architectural design in agent-oriented methodologies
     
  • Software architectures for multiagent systems
  • Architectural description languages for such software architectures
  • Documentation of software architectures for multiagent system
  • Evaluation of software architectures for multiagent system
  • Domains related to software architecture and multiagent systems, such as:
    - Aspect-oriented software development for multiagent systems
    - Middleware support for multiagent systems
  • Practical applications of software architecture in multiagent systems
     

Publications                                                                                                                                           (top)

All accepted papers will be published in the Net.ObjectDays Conference Proceedings. It is planned to publish selected papers of the Special Track with a renowned publishing company, such as Springer-Verlag or Whitestein.

Additionally, authors of high-quality papers will be invited to submit an extended version of their paper for a Special Issue of the Journal on Multiagent and Grid Systems or the International Journal of Agent-Oriented Software Engineering.
 

Officials                                                                                                                                                      (top)

  • Chair: Danny Weyns, Department of Computer Science Leuven, Belgium
     
  • Program Committee
    • Hausi Muller, University of Victoria, British Columbia, USA
    • David Garlan, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
    • Dennis Smith, Software Engineering Institute, SEI, USA
    • Marin Litoiu, IBM Canada Ltd., Canada
    • Renee Elio, University of Alberta, Canada
    • Wouter Joosen, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
    • Paolo Giorgini, University of Trento, Italy
    • Jorg Muller, Technical University Clausthal, Germany
    • Tom Holvoet, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
    • James Odell, Intelligent Automation, Inc., USA
    • Van Parunak, Altarum Institute, Ann Arbor, USA
    • Liz Sonenberg, University of Melbourne, Australia
    • Franco Zambonelli, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy
    • Onn Shehory, IBM Reseach Labs, Israel
    • Alessandro Garcia, Lancaster University, UK

Contact                                                                                                                                                        (top)

For further information about the Special Track you can send an email.

 

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