Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
3.3.5.
Design of agent behaviors
This phase enables the models that have come out of the agent analysis phase to
be refined to become models that can be directly translated into code. Class
diagrams directly modeling the behaviors of agents are specified to enable direct
implementation of agent behaviors. The services provided by the behaviors are
modeled using activity diagrams. State proactive actions can be represented by state-
transition diagrams.
3.3.6.
Implementation of agent behaviors
This consists of the effective realization of agent behaviors. For each behavior,
unitary tests are carried out. The creation of agents, their deployment and the
integration of their behavior is possible thanks to tools for agent administration.
After having deployed the agents, tests by simulation of PS must be carried out, to
check whether the multi-agent system (MAS), which constitutes the PS, meets the
objectives defined in the agent analysis phase. These tests can lead to a revision of
the analysis model of agents, which will require another realization of the different
phases of the PS part.
3.3.7.
Integration
This is the phase of integration of IS with PS to form the PIS. It consists of
making the IS and PS communicate for adaptation of the service developed in the IS
part. This phase can also be seen as a classic problem of electronic data interchange
[MAN 01]. Several methods are put forward in the literature for communication
between heterogeneous applications [ABO 03]. The approach that is most currently
used consists of communication by Web service [MON 04].
3.3.8.
Evaluations
At the end of the integration phase, it will be a matter of testing and evaluating
the personalized service obtained. These evaluations can be qualitative (the quality
of the personalization realized), quantitative (global performance of the PIS and
scalability) or ergonomic (constituting a research domain in its own right, for which
numerous methods are possible [HUA 08], [SEA 08]; see also [SOU 10] for works
in the domain of PIS evaluation). These evaluations can lead to iteration of the IS
part and/or PS part again.
