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In-Depth Information
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Fig. 1.
Framework overview
As already mentioned, the core of our model-driven framework for developing
multiagent systems is the PIM4Agents metamodel. PIM4Agents is independent
of a concrete execution platform but inherently possesses different degrees of ab-
straction (see Figure 1). The requirements layer is the most abstract degree and
covers abstract goals, roles, interactions, and organizations. The system design
degree contains (i) agent types, (ii) behavior templates, (iii) concrete goals, etc.
The lowest degree is the deployment layer which specifies concrete deployment
configurations (e.g. agent instances and resources).
Our aim is to define for DSML4MAS a plugin framework that allows to flex-
ibly extend or completely replace the different foreseen aspects. Additionally to
the idea that parts of the metamodel can be extended by plugins with differ-
ent realizations, we assume that there will be a landscape of metamodels which
share a common sub-set of concepts. It is a quite safe guess that it should be
possible to arrange these different metamodels in a hierarchy of specialization
with a common root. At least the concept of an agent is likely to be part of
any metamodel that people come up with when they want to do modelling of
agent-based or multiagent systems. With a landscape of metamodels in mind,
it is easy to foresee also a landscape of model repositories that hold models
or model fragments according to different metamodels. In this framework col-
laborative modelling can be supported in the sense that system engineers can
store and retrieve models or model fragments to and from model repositories.
