Abstract. Jade este o platform de dezvoltare a sistemelor multi-agent, n concordan cu specificaiile FIPA.

Aceast librrie este disponibil n seciunea de Download a site-ului oficial http://jade.tilab.com, fiind liceniat sub GNU LGPL (Lesser General Public License).

1. Introducere
Scopul acestui tutorial este acela de a ghida utilizatorii nceptori n a crea ageni JADE simpli i de a executa diverse operaii pe acetia. JADE este implementat integral n Java i ofer utilizatorilor posibilitatea de a folosi n Java n implementarea agenilor proprii n consecin pentru parcurgerea acestui tutorial este necesar un anumit nivel de familiaritate cu limbajul de programare Java. n afara facilitilor elementare descrise n acest tutorial, JADE ofer i cteva alte faciliti de exemplu, suport pentru protocoale avansate de interaciune.

2. Privire de ansamblu
JADE este o librrie middleware care faciliteaz dezvoltarea sistemelor multi-agent, care include: un mediu runtime, care servete ca platform pentru ageni i trebuie s ruleze pe orice sistem folosit n reeaua sistemului multi-agent; o colecie de componente pe care programatorii o pot folosi pentru a dezvolta ageni specializai; o colecie de intrumente grafice care permit monitorizarea i administrarea agenilor.

2.1 Contaninere i platforme

Fiecare instan activ a mediului runtime se numete container, deoarece poate menine numeroi ageni. Mulimea containerelor active se numete platform. Exist un singur container principal, care trebuie s fie activ pe toat ntreaga durat de via a platfomei toate celelalte containere trimit cereri de nregistrare ctre acesta, dup ce a fost creat.

Containere i Platforme

Avantajul folosirii JADE este acela c izoleaz complet detaliile implementrii mediului runtime. Un exemplu de lansare a unui container principal este:
javacp<classpath>jade.Bootgui

Pentru lansarea unui container periferic:

javacp<classpath>jade.Bootcontainerhostavalon.tilab.comagentspoke:myPackage.myclass

2.2. Servicii
n afara abilitii de a accepta cereri de nregistrare de la alte containere, un container principal difer de un container obinuit prin faptul c lucreaz cu doi ageni speciali, lansai n mod automat: Sistemul de management al agenilor care ofer serviciul de denumire (se asigur c fiecare agent are atribuit un nume unic) i servicii de administrare a agenilor. Mecanismul de localizare care ofer servicii gen Pagini Aurii - prin intermediul crora un agent poate localiza ali ageni.

3. Exemplu Comerul cu Cri

Acest capitol ilustreaz un exemplu practic de implementare a unei aplicaii multiagent folosind JADE. Scenariul descris n acest exemplu implic nite ageni care vnd cri i alii care cumpr, dirijai de utilizatori umani. Fiecare agent-cumprtor primete titlul crii pe care o cumpr sub forma unui argument n linia de comand. De asemeni, cere periodic tuturor agenilor-vnztori cunoscui s emit o ofert. n momentul cnd oferta este recepionat, cumprtorul o accept i emite un ordin de cumprare. n cazul n care mai muli vnztori emit aceai ofert , cumprtorul o alege pe cea mai rentabil. Dup ncheierea operaiei de cumprare, agentul-cumprtor ncheie execuia. Fiecare agent-vnztor are o interfa grafic simpl, prin intermediul creia utilizatorul poate aduga n catalogul asociat titluri noi i preul acestora. Agenii vnztori sunt n continu ateptare de cereri din partea cumprtorilor. Cnd sunt interogai pentru a emite o ofert, n prim instan verific dac aceasta exist n catalog i n cazul afirmativ, rspund cu valoarea preului sau n caz contrar refuz cererea. n momentul finalizrii cu succes a unei astfel de tranzacii, cartea vndut este eliminat din catalog.

4. Crearea unui agent (Clasa Agent)

Crearea unui agent utiliznd JADE se rezum la simpla extindere a clasei jade.core.agent i implementarea metodei setup(), aa cum este demonstrat aici:
importjade.core.Agent; publicclassBookBuyerAgentextendsAgent { protectedvoidsetup() { System.out.println(Hello!Buyeragent+getAID().getName()+is ready.);
}

Metoda setup() este menit s serveasc la iniializarea agentului funcionalitatea efectiv a lui poate fi descris prin implementarea comportamentului.

4.1. Identificatori ai agenilor

Fiecare agent este identificat cu ajutorul unui identificator, obinut prin instanierea clasei jade.core.AID. Metoda getAID() a clasei Agent permite accesul la identificatorul asociat instanei agentului n cauz. Un obiect AID conine un nume unic i un numr de adrese. Sintaxa de formare a numelui unic n cadrul JADE este <nickname>@<platforma>. Cmpurile de adres n cadrul obiectelor AID se refer la adresele platformei unde agentul este rezident i sunt utilizate numai n eventualitatea n care un agent are necesitatea de a comunica cu un altul, localizat ntr-o platform diferit. Dac nickname-ul unui agent este cunoscut, obiectul AID asociat poate fi obinut astfel:
AIDid=newAID(nickname,AID.ISLOCALNAME);

Constanta ISLOCALNAME indic faptul c primul parametru (nickname-ul) se refer la un agent local platformei, nu la numele global unic al agentului.

4.2. Rularea agenilor

Agentul creat poate fi compilat astfel:
javacclasspath<JADE><CLASA>

Pentru a putea rula, agentul compilat trebuie lansat cu un nickname:

javaclasspath<JADE>;.jade.Boot<agent>

4.3. Suspendarea agenilor

Perntru a suspenda execuia unui agent este disponibil metoda doDelete(). Similar metodei setup(), invocat de mediul runtime pentru iniializarea agentului, exist metoda takeDown(), care are scopul de a disponibiliza resursele utilizate n timpul rulrii agentului.

4.4. Specificarea argumentelor pentru ageni

Agenii pot avea specificate argumente la lansare. Acestea pot fi accesate apelnd metoda getArguments() a clasei Agent. Urmtoarea secven prezint un exemplu complet de definire a unui agent:
importjade.core.Agent; importjade.core.AID; publicclassBookBuyerAgentextendsAgent {
//Titlulcrii

privateStringtargetBookTitle;
//listaagenilorvnztoricunoscui

privateAID[]sellerAgents={ newAID(seller1,AID.ISLOCALNAME), newAID(seller2,AID.ISLOCALNAME) };

//iniializareaagentului

protectedvoidsetup() { System.out.println(Hello!Buyeragent+getAID().getName()+isready.);
//citireatitluluicriidinargumentelelinieidecomand Object[]args=getArguments();

if(args!=null&&args.length>0) { targetBookTitle=(String)args[0]; System.out.println(Tryingtobuy+targetBookTitle);

}

else {

//Maketheagentterminateimmediately

System.out.println(Nobooktitlespecified);
doDelete(); } }

protectedvoidtakeDown() { System.out.println(Buyeragent+getAID().getName()+terminating.);
}

Argumentele liniei de comand pot fi specificate ntre paranteze, fiind permise spaii.

5. Definirea comportamentelor
Dup derivarea i iniializarea unui agent, comportamentul su reprezentnd funcia pe care acesta trebuie s o ndeplineasc poate fi definit prin derivarea unui obiect ce extinde jade.core.behaviours.Behaviour. Pentru a determina un agent s execute aciunea (numit comportament) definit de un obiect de definire a comportamentului, este suficient adugarea acestuia utiliznd addBehaviour() din obiectul Agent curent.

5.1. Funcii
Un agent poate executa multiple comportamente n paralel, ns spre deosebire de execuia tradiional, bazat pe fire de execuie comportamentele unui agent lucreaz n mod cooperativ, ceea ce nseamn c atunci cnd o funcie este programat pentru execuie, aceasta va rula fr intrerupere pn la terminarea execuiei. n consecin, este responsabilitatea programatorului s defineasc cnd un agent trece de la execuia unei funcii la alta.

Calea de execuie a unui agent

Dei necesit un efort suplimentar din partea programatorului, aceast abordare are multiple avantaje: face posibil ca fiecare agent s utilizeze un singur fir de execuie; elimin dificultile de sincronizare ntre fire de execuie paralele la accesarea resurselor comune; un ctig de performan n cazul delegrilor de comportament.

5.2. Comportamente singulare, comportamente ciclice i comportamente generice

Putem distinge trei tipuri distincte de comportamente, n funcie de modelul lor de execuie: 1) Comportamente singulare, care sunt finalizate imediat ce metoda action() termin execuia.
publicclassMyOneShotBehaviourextendsOneShotBehaviour { publicvoidaction() { //executoseriedeoperaii } }

Operaiile se execut o singur dat. 2) Comportamente ciclice care nu ajung la completare i a cror metod action() execut aceleai operaii la fiecare apel. Clasa care faciliteaz acest comportament este jade.core.behaviours.CyclicBehaviour.
publicclassMyCyclicBehaviourextendsCyclicBehaviour { publicvoidaction() { //executoseriedeoperaii } }

3) Comportamente generice, care nglobeaz variabile de status i execut diferite operatii n funcie de acest status, ajungnd la final cnd anumite condiii sunt ndeplinite.
publicclassMyThreeStepBehaviourextendsBehaviour { privateintstep=0; publicvoidaction() { switch(step) { case0: break;

//executoperaiaX step++;

case1: break;

//executoperaiaY step++;

case2: break;
} }

//executoperaiaZ step++;

publicbooleandone() { returnstep==3;
} }

Operaiile X, Y, i Z sunt efectuate n ordine, una cte una, dup care comportamentul se finalizeaz.

6. Comunicarea ntre ageni

O facilitate important a framework-ului JADE o reprezint abilitatea agenilor de a comunica. Paradigma de comunicare adoptat n acest scop este transmiterea asincron a mesajelor. Fiecare agent dispune de o coad de ateptare unde mediul runtime stocheaz mesajele ndat ce sunt recepionate,

agenii procesndu-le n ordinea inserrii cnd i dac programatorul dorete, dup urmtoarea schem:

Modelul de implementare a comunicaiei ntre ageni

6.1. Limbajul ACL

Mesajele tranzacionate de agenii JADE respect un format definit de FIPA (http://www.fipa.org), i anume limbajul ACL. Acest format integreaz o serie de cmpuri, n mod deosebit: emitorul mesajului; lista de receptori; intenia de comunicare, ce indic scopul n care mesajul a fost emis; acesta poate fi REQUEST, n cazul n care emitorul dorete ca receptorul s ndeplineasc o anumit sarcin, INFORM, n cazul n care emitorul dorete s ntiineze receptorul de un anume fapt, QUERY_IF - dac emitorul dorete s interogheze receptorul asupra unei aserii, CFP (call for proposal) i de asemeni PROPOSE, ACCEPT_PROPOSAL, REJECT_PROPOSAL dac emitorul i receptorul sunt angajai ntr-o negociere, i altele; coninutul, mai exact informaia specific coninut de mesaj (de exemplu tipul, felul i ali parametri ai unei aciuni ntr-un mesaj de tip REQUEST); limbajul coninutului mai exact sintaxa folosit pentru a descrie coninutul; vocabularul de simboluri folosite n coninut i nelesul lor; Un mesaj n JADE este implementat ca un obiect de tipul jade.lang.ACLMessage care conine metode de citire i scriere a diverselor cmpuri.

6.2. Trimiterea mesajelor

Trimiterea mesajelor ctre un agent presupune simpla scriere a cmpurilor ntr-o instan a unui obiect ACLMessage i apelarea metodei send() a clase Agent curente:
ACLMessagemsg=newACLMessage(ACLMessage.INFORM); msg.addReceiver(newAID(Peter,AID.ISLOCALNAME)); msg.setLanguage(English); msg.setOntology(Weatherforecastontology); msg.setContent(Todayitsraining); send(msg);

6.3. Recepionarea mesajelor

Aa cum am menionat mai devreme, n momentul recepionrii, mediul runtime JADE stocheaz mesajele n coada de ateptare a agentului-destinatar. Mesajele astfel primite sunt disponibile prin apelul metodei receive() a obiectului destinatar. Aceast metod ntoarce unul cte unul mesajele primite, n ordinea sosirii lor (FIFO) i apoi le elimin sau null n cazul n care nici un mesaj nu exist n coad.
ACLMessagemsg=receive();

if(msg!=null){ }

//Processeazmesajul

Bibliografie
1. Documentaia oficial JADE (http://jade.tilab.com/doc/) 2. Pagina wikipedia pentru sisteme distribuite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_computing) 3. Resurse variate n legtur cu programarea paralel, oferite de serviciul google code: (http://code.google.com/edu/parallel/)

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