Agent OrientationAgent Orientationandand

Information SystemsInformation Systems

Eric YuUniversity of Toronto

Presentation at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China

July 8, 1999

@ Eric Yu 19992

Information Systems research at theInformation Systems research at theUniversity of TorontoUniversity of Toronto

Dept. of Computer Science Databases, Information Systems Artificial Intelligence, Knowledge Rep. Software Engineering, Requirements Eng.

Dept. of Industrial Engineering Faculty of Management Faculty of Information Studies Knowledge Media Design Institute

@ Eric Yu 19993

Outline of this talk Outline of this talk

1. An Emerging Paradigm in Computing

2. Agent Orientation for Enterprise Information Systems?

3. An Agent-Oriented Modelling Framework i*i*

4. Research Directions

@ Eric Yu 19994

AOIS workshop AOIS workshop @ AutonomousAgents’99 Seattle USA May 1, 1999 @ AutonomousAgents’99 Seattle USA May 1, 1999 @ CAiSE*99 Heidelberg Germany June 14-15, 1999 @ CAiSE*99 Heidelberg Germany June 14-15, 1999

Invited speakers Katia Sycara (Carnegie-Mellon Univ.) Mike Huhns (Univ. S.Carolina) John Mylopoulos (Univ. Toronto) Cristiano Castelfranchi (Psych., NRC, Italy) Stefan Kirn (TU-Ilmenau, Germany)

2 panels, 9 contributed papers

http://aois.org

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Part 1Part 1

Agent-Orientation as an emergingAgent-Orientation as an emergingparadigm in Computingparadigm in Computing

Programming Paradigms Agent Abstractions Agent Architectures

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Programming ParadigmsProgramming Paradigms 1950’s -- Machine and assembly language 1960’s -- Procedural programming 1970’s -- Structured programming 1980’s -- Object-based and declarative programming 1990’s -- Frameworks, design patterns, scenarios, protocols, and

components (ActiveX/COM and Java Beans)

The trend has been from elements that represent abstract computations to elements that represent the real world

[Huhns AOIS’99]

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Features ofFeatures ofLanguages and ParadigmsLanguages and Paradigms

Concept Procedural Language Object Language Multiagent Language

AbstractionBuilding BlockComputation modelDesign ParadigmArchitecture

Modes of BehaviorTerminology

TypeInstance, DataProcedure/CallTree of proceduresFunctional decomposition

CodingImplement

ClassObjectMethod/MessageInteraction patternsInheritance and PolymorphismDesigning and usingEngineer

Society, TeamAgentPerceive/Reason/ActCooperative interactionManagers, Assistants, and PeersEnabling and enactingActivate

[Huhns AOIS’99]

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Agent AbstractionsAgent Abstractions Agent abstractions are mentalistic

• beliefs: agent’s representation of the world

• knowledge: (usually) true beliefs

• desires: preferred states of the world

• goals: consistent desires

• intentions: goals adopted for action

Multi-agent abstractions involve interactions• social: about collections of agents

• organizational: about teams and groups

• ethical: about right and wrong actions

• legal: about contracts and compliance

[Huhns AOIS’99]

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Why Do These Abstractions Matter?Why Do These Abstractions Matter?

Because modern applications go beyond traditional metaphors and models in terms of their dynamism, openness, and trustworthiness virtual enterprises: manufacturing supply

chains, autonomous logistics electronic commerce: utility management communityware: social user interfaces problem-solving by teams

[Huhns AOIS’99]

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Agent architecturesAgent architecturesAgent architecturesAgent architectures

AgentArchitectures

ReactiveAgents

HybridAgents

OtherApproaches

InteractingAgents

DeliberativeAgents

[Kirn AOIS’99]

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Reactive AgentsReactive AgentsReactive AgentsReactive Agents

World

SSeennssoorr

EEffffeeccttoorr

Pattern 1

Pattern 2

Pattern n

Plan 1

Plan 2

Plan n

.

.

.

.

.

.

Stimuli PlansController

Agent

[Kirn AOIS’99]

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Deliberative AgentsDeliberative AgentsDeliberative AgentsDeliberative Agents

World

SSeennssoorr

EEffffeeccttoorr

Agent

Memory

EnvironmentModel

Domain Knowledge

Cognition

Goals

UtilityFunction

Inter-pretation

Planner

Inference Strategies

[Kirn AOIS’99]

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Types of Information AgentsTypes of Information Agents

“Standard” information agents and architectures are becoming available Ontology Agent

Application Program

MediatorAgent

BrokerAgent

Database Resource Agent Database Resource Agent

Query orUpdateIn SQL

Reply

Reg/Unreg (KQML)

Reg/Unreg(KQML)

Reg/Unreg(KQML)

Mediated Query (SQL)

Reply

Schemas(CLIPS)

Reply

Mediated Query (SQL)

Ontology(CLIPS)

User InterfaceAgent

ReplyReg/Unreg(KQML)

[Huhns AOIS’99]

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Part 2Part 2

Agent-Orientation for Agent-Orientation for Enterprise Enterprise Information SystemsInformation Systems

The Changing Nature of Enterprise The Challenge for Enterprise Systems Why Agent-Orientation for Enterprise Systems

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The Changing Nature of EnterpriseThe Changing Nature of Enterprise

distributed and networked people, organization, and work practices, not just

the technology! diversity, local autonomy, open-endedness

much uncertainty, incomplete knowledge & control

need flexibility change and evolution

constantly and rapid

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The Challenge for Enterprise SystemsThe Challenge for Enterprise Systems

need to deal with conflicting needs and demands from many players / stakeholders

From Integration to Cooperation

FullIntegration

AutonomousIslands

Cooperation“working together”

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Why Agent-Orientation for Why Agent-Orientation for Enterprise Information SystemsEnterprise Information Systems Agent orientation addresses the demands and

challenges of new enterprise environments and systems What would it mean?

We should develop Agent-Oriented... requirements engineering techniques, models design and architectural approaches implementation methods and technologies run-time and evolution support

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Part 3Part 3

An Agent-Oriented Modelling An Agent-Oriented Modelling Framework Framework i*i*

Understanding “Why” — intentionality Strategic Dependencies Strategic Rationales Analysis and Design Support Knowledge Representation

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Modelling for Enterprise SystemsModelling for Enterprise Systems

It is well-recognized that many types of modelling are required to deal with the various aspects of enterprise, e.g., activity modelling function modelling resource modelling information modelling organization modelling

e.g., CIMOSA, GERAM,...

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Towards richer organization Towards richer organization modellingmodelling How do we express and reason about

motivations rewards different ways for achieving objectives

•understanding “why”•opportunities and vulnerabilities

… … strategicstrategic business and social business and social relationshipsrelationships

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Consider one very successful Consider one very successful enterprise...enterprise...

important organizational and social aspects are missing in conventional models

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Modelling Strategic Actor Modelling Strategic Actor Relationships and Rationales Relationships and Rationales

- - thethe i*i* modelling frameworkmodelling framework

have goals, beliefs, abilities, commitments depend on each other for goals to be achieved,

tasks to be performed, resources to be furnished are semi-autonomous -- not fully knowable /

controllable

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Wants and AbilitiesWants and Abilities

I want...

I can provide

...

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A Strategic Dependency ModelA Strategic Dependency Model

actor

goal dependencytask dependencyresource dependencysoftgoal dependency

LEGEND

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Roles, Positions, AgentsRoles, Positions, Agents

A Strategic Dependency model showing reward structure for improving performance, based on an example in [Majchrzak96]

agent

position

role

LEGEND

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Some strategic dependencies between Some strategic dependencies between IKEA and its customersIKEA and its customers

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A Strategic Rationale ModelA Strategic Rationale Model

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Analysis and Design SupportAnalysis and Design Support

opportunities and vulnerabilities ability, workability, viability, believability insurance, assurance, enforceability node and loop analysis [Yu ICEIMT’97]

design issues raising, evaluating, justifying, settling based on qualitative reasoning

[Chung Nixon Yu Mylopoulos, forthcoming monograph]

29 @ Eric Yu 1999

Means-Ends AnalysisMeans-Ends Analysis

Settleclaim

Verifypolicy

ClaimsClaimsHandlingHandlingClaimsClaimsHandlingHandling

Handleclaim

Settlementcost?

Prepareoffer

Whosefault?

Get accidentinfo

Determinefault

Police

Witness

DoctorAppraiser

Determinecost to settle

Accidentinfo

Sufficienttreatment Injury

infoAppraisedamage

Minimalrepairs

DDD D

D

ActorActorboundaryboundary

[Mylopoulos AOIS’99]

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Sample Sample i*i* representation for an actor representation for an actor (in (in TelosTelos)) TELL Class Physician IN PositionClass ISA ProfessionalPosition WITH

resDepends, committedTo fs: FeeForTreatment WITH dependee cm:ClaimsManager end

goalDepended, commitsTo td: $Treated(p.injury)$ WITH depender p:Patient end

taskDepends, committedTo tm: TakeMedication(p.med) WITH dependee p:Patient end

covers tp: TreatingPatient(p) bi: Billing(p.insurCo)

integrityConstraint correctClaimsManager: $cm=p.insurCo.claimsMgr$

end

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The Strategic Rationale Model The Strategic Rationale Model - a partial schema- a partial schema

Title:

Creator:idrawPreview:This EPS picture was not savedwith a preview included in it.Comment:This EPS picture will print to aPostScript printer, but not toother types of printers.

@ Eric Yu 199932

ContributionsContributions

new ontology new types of reasoning applied to business process modelling, enterprise

modelling, requirements engineering, software process, organization analysis

Some applications by external groups software maintenance domain [Briand95, 97] CIM [Petit98]

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Ongoing WorkOngoing Work

formal knowledge representation using a conceptual modelling language Telos

tool building - GUI, repository support knowledge libraries

• strategic knowhow

• case-based reasoning

• patterns

case studies coordination with other modelling techniques

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Related WorkRelated Work

Goal-Oriented and Agent-Oriented Requirements Engineering (e.g., Feather87, Dardenne93, Chung93, Bubenko93, Dubois94, Anton97)see also ISRE, ICRE, RE j., REFSQ.

CSCW, groupware, workflow, COOCS (now GROUP)

Enterprise Integration (e.g., ICEIMT) AI, Distributed AI Organization Theories

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Part 4Part 4

Research DirectionsResearch Directions

#1 Requirements-Driven Information Systems Engineering (J. Mylopoulos, E. Yu)

#2 Cooperative Information Systems(G. DeMichelis, E. Dubois, M. Jarke, F. Matthes, J. Mylopoulos,

M. Papazoglou, J. Schmidt, C. Woo, E. Yu)

#3 Intentionality Management (E. Yu)

36 @ Eric Yu 1999

Research Direction #1Research Direction #1Requirements-Driven Information Requirements-Driven Information System EngineeringSystem Engineering

Traditionally, IS Engineering has been implementation-driven. This means that the programming paradigm of the day dictated the

design and requirements paradigms. So, structured programming led to structured design and

(requirements) analysis, while object-oriented programming led to object-oriented design and analysis.

What wouldWhat would requirementsrequirements-driven-driven

IS Engineering look like??IS Engineering look like??

[Mylopoulos AOIS’99]

37 @ Eric Yu 1999

Why Requirements-Driven?Why Requirements-Driven?

Requirements analysis is arguably the most important phase of information system development; that’s where the most and the costliest errors are introduced in software systems.

The importance of detailed design and implementation will wear off over time, thanks to software reuse, COTS and the like; requirements analysis will always be there and will always be important.

Requirements analysis is the phase where technology meets the real world, where technical considerations have to be balanced against personal, organizational and social ones; this calls for special skills on the part of the requirements engineer, and makes the phase particularly challenging.

[Mylopoulos AOIS’99]

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Where Are We??Where Are We??

Early

Early

requirements

requirements Late

Late

requirements

requirements

Architectural

Architectural

design

design Detaile

d

Detailed

design

design

Implementatio

n

Implementatio

n

i*i*

KAOSKAOS

ZZ

UMLUML

Agent-oriented Agent-oriented programmingprogramming

[Mylopoulos AOIS’99]

39 @ Eric Yu 1999

Where Do We Want To Be??Where Do We Want To Be??

Early

Early

requirements

requirements Late

Late

requirements

requirements

Architectural

Architectural

design

design Detaile

d

Detailed

design

design

Implementatio

n

Implementatio

n

i*i*Agent-oriented Agent-oriented programmingprogramming

Guiding Principle: Push concepts as far down as Guiding Principle: Push concepts as far down as possible (…and see what happens!)possible (…and see what happens!)

[Mylopoulos AOIS’99]

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Research Direction #2Research Direction #2Cooperative Information SystemsCooperative Information Systems

“Cooperative Information Systems: A Manifesto” G. DeMichelis, E. Dubois, M. Jarke, F. Matthes, J. Mylopoulos, M.

Papazoglou, K. Pohl, J. Schmidt, C. Woo, E. Yu in Cooperative Information Systems: Trends and Directions, M. Papazoglou and G. Schlageter (eds).

Academic Press, 1997.

“A three-faceted view of information systems”G. DeMichelis, E. Dubois, M. Jarke, F. Matthes, J. Mylopoulos,

J. Schmidt, C. Woo, E. Yu. Communications of the ACM, December 1998.

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When is an IS When is an IS cooperativecooperative??

“An information system is cooperative if it shares goals with other agents in its environment, such as other information systems, human agents and the organization itself, and contributes positively towards the fulfillment of these common goals.”

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Three Facets of Three Facets of “Working Together”“Working Together”

GroupCollaborationFacet

OrganizationalFacet

SystemsFacet

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Complementarity of...Complementarity of... Organizational Facet andOrganizational Facet andGroup Collaboration FacetGroup Collaboration Facet

Execution ModelOrganizationalModel

defines what is possible

modifies

GroupCollaborationSupport

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Towards a generic architectureTowards a generic architecturefor Cooperative Information Systemsfor Cooperative Information Systems

GroupCollaborationFacet

OrganizationalFacet

Systems FacetBase Layer

CooperationSupport Layer

base layer systemsystems coop. support agentorganizational coop. support agentgroup coop. support agentmulti-facet coop. support agentrepository

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Research Direction #3Research Direction #3Intentionality ManagementIntentionality Management Beyond information management

managing the networks of intentional attitudes and relationships – goals, beliefs, wants, abilities, commitments, …

managing choice, decision making, uncertainty, openness and freedom

is an elaboration on an important aspect of “knowledge management”

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Intentionality Management (cont’d)Intentionality Management (cont’d)

Software development is but one example of “intentionality-intensive” work environments. other examples: enterprise management, virtual

enterprise, product design/development, “knowledge work” in general, ...

@ Eric Yu 199947

Summary and ConclusionsSummary and Conclusions

We are at the threshold of a new era for computing.

Agent-Orientation will give us

(not only) more powerful computing technologies (but also) more effective computing that will better meet

enterprise and human needs

• through use of social organization paradigm for computing

•and incorporation of social organizational analysis into overall framework for modelling analysis, and design

@ Eric Yu 199948

Sponsors and PartnersSponsors and Partners Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of

Canada (NSERC) Communications and Information Technology Ontario

(CITO) Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS) Mitel Corporation IBM

For further information and references, please see http://www.fis.utoronto.ca/~yu