The MESSAGE Methodology for Agent-Oriented Analysis and Design

Abstract

This chapter presents the MESSAGE agent-oriented software engineering methodology and illustrates it in an analysis and design case study. The methodology covers MAS analysis and design and is intended for use in mainstream software engineering departments. MESSAGE integrates into a coherent AOSE methodology basic agent-related concepts (such as organisation, role, goal, interaction, and task) that have so far been studied largely in isolation. The MESSAGE notation extends the UML with agent knowledge-level concepts and diagrams with notations for viewing them. The proposed diagrams extend UML class and activity diagrams. TheMESSAGE analysis and design process is based on the Rational Unified Process (RUP). The methodology distinguishes high-level from detailed design. An organisation-driven approach is presented for detailed design, where the global architecture of the MAS is derived from the structure and behaviour of the organisations that interact. Experimentation with the methodology shows that it supports the analysis and design of multi-agent systems that are flexible and adapt to specific kind of changes in a heterogeneous and dynamic environment.