Bala M. Balachandran

Development of a Multi-Agent System for Travel Industry Support

Multi-agent systems (MAS) are collections of autonomous intelligent entities that collaborate in the joint resolution of a complex problem. In this paper we argue that MAS are well suited to tackle travel industry problems, and propose a multi-agent architecture for the travel support system. Our paper explores some of the methodologies for multi-agent systems development and examines an open source Java toolkit called, JADE for building a multi-agent system for travel industry support.

A comparison of three agent-oriented software development methodologies: ROADMAP, prometheus, and MaSE

Agent-Oriented Software Development is one of the recent contributions to the field of Software Engineering. To date numerous methodologies for agent-oriented software development have been proposed in the literature. However, their application to real-world problems is still limited due to their lack of maturity. Evaluating their strengths and weaknesses is an important step towards developing better methodologies in the future. This paper presents research results obtained by applying three agent-oriented methodologies, namely ROADMAP, MaSE and Prometheus in the context of an E-commerce system. The results are presented and future work is discussed.

C2TP: a service model for cloud

The notion of cloud computing capability is gathering momentum rapidly. However, the governance and enterprise architecture to obtain repeatable, scalable and secure business outcomes from cloud computing is still greatly undefined. There is very little research explored to define a framework that not only considers financial motivations, but also business initiatives, IT governance structures, IT operational control structures and technical architecture requirements to evaluate the benefits regarding cloud investment. We are proposing a novel model to address this. This model can be leveraged by an organisation to evaluate the ‘tipping point’ where the organisation can make an informative decision to embrace cloud computing at the expense of on-premise hosting options. The authors refer to this model as cloud computing tipping point (C2TP) model. The model is a service centric framework created by mapping cloud computing attributes with industry best practices such as ValIT, COBIT and ITIL.

Developing multi-agent e-commerce applications with JADE

Agent technology has been claimed to be a promising tool for creating e-commerce applications. To develop a multi-agent e-commerce system effectively, the developers have to deal with several issues such as agent characteristics, agent functionalities, protocols, communication, cooperation and coordination. JADE (Java Agent Development Environment), an open source software framework, is currently the state-of-the-art tool used for developing multi-agent systems. In this paper, our aim is to present our experience in designing and developing an e-commerce multi-agent system with JADE. Our objective is realised through the presentation of the analysis, design and implementation phases of an agent software system we currently develop in the context of travel industry. We will also discuss some lessons we have learned in using the JADE platform.

Network Security Evaluation Method via Attack Graphs and Fuzzy Cognitive Maps

When presented with an attack graph, network administrator may raise question on how to harden the network. To defend his network, network administrator should be supplied with list of all attack paths that can compromise the network. With this list, he can decide which paths are worth paying attention to and defending against. In the event of limited resources, network administrator may only be interested in certain critical paths which cause worst network attack. Attack graph alone is not always helpful on its own and needs additional work for this purpose. In this paper we present the use of a Fuzzy Cognitive Map which is converted from attack graph with genetic algorithm to find attack scenarios causing worst impact on network security. The identified scenarios can then help network administrator to mitigate risks associated with the attack scenarios and improve his network security.

Software Development for B92 Quantum Key Distribution Communication Protocol

In cryptography, quantum key distribution (QKD) is a highly secure transmission method used to send secret keys from sender to receiver. This paper discusses about the software implementation of the first two phases of QKD: (1) raw key extraction and (2) error estimation. This paper also discusses about future work proposed to enhance these two phases. A TCP/IP based Client-Server concept has been used to implement the communication between two users in C++ language.

Development of a Fuzzy-based Multi-agent System for E-commerce Settings

Abstract In this paper we present our experience in developing a fuzzy-logic based multi-agent e-commerce system capable of achieving a mutually beneficial deal for the seller and buyer using a negotiation process. We use fuzzy logic to assist users to express their preferences about a product in fuzzy terms such as low, medium and high. Our system evaluates offers based on a fuzzy utility function and feeds utility scores to a fuzzy inference system which then computes its next counter offer. Our paper presents issues involved in the development of a multi-agent system for e-commerce settings using the JADE platform - a modern agent development environment. In this paper our focus is on implementing agents of different types/roles engaged in activities usually encountered with buying and selling in an e-commerce environment. Our concluding remarks and future research are presented.

An Agent-Mediated Collaborative Negotiation in E-Commerce: A Case Study in Travel Industry

This paper examines an agent-mediated collaborative negotiation framework for e-commerce. This paper specifically focuses on travel industry. Individual customers and travel agencies will both be able to benefit from the usage of the system, since its negotiation strategies will not depend on price only, but several attributes, such as the number of rooms, the required facilities, and so on. The key issues in automating negotiation are the negotiation protocol, the negotiation object, and the negotiation strategy. Our paper addresses these issues by discussing the development of an agent-mediated e-commerce system using the FIPA compatible agent development framework, the JADE platform. Finally we provide our conclusions and discuss possible future work.

Extending Prometheus with Agent Cooperation

Agent cooperation is a central component of many multi-agent systems. To be successful in open, multi-agent environments, agents must be capable of dynamically forming a team and solving a problem by cooperating with each other. Such an autonomous agent cooperation process has the potential to execute a plan to achieve a common goal. To date numerous methodologies for agent-oriented software engineering (AOSE) have been proposed in the literature. However, those methodologies lack the ability to model agent cooperation strategies effectively. This research work proposes a set of artefacts to extend Prometheus development methodology in order to support agent cooperation. We will illustrate the extended Prometheus methodology using an example from the domain of e-commerce. The results are presented and our future work is discussed.

Fuzzy utility and inference system for bilateral negotiation

In this paper the development of a fuzzy logic based software agent for bilateral e-negotiation is considered. The developed fuzzy logic based intelligent agent is applied to a laptop purchasing model which allows users that have limited knowledge on different range of laptops available, to define the different attributes of laptop in human language such as low, medium or high price, speed, screen size and other attributes. The intelligent agent then performs an automatic evaluation on how close an item matches user preferences using fuzzy logic based decision-making built into the intelligent agent. We develop tactic for the intelligent agent so that it can change its decision making for example how much the agent should increase counter offer in its negotiation, depending on laptop utility score, offer price of the laptop and remaining negotiation time. Simulation results show that the buyer agent concedes more (i.e. raises its offer price) if laptop attributes being negotiated meets its client preferences better and concedes less if otherwise.