An obligation-based framework for web service composition via agent conversations

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Gutierrez-Garcia, J. Octavio^{; ;} | Ramos-Corchado, Felix F. | Koning, Jean-Luc

Affiliations: Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, Unidad Guadalajara, 1145 Av. del Bosque, Col. El Bajío, Zapopan 45010, Jalisco, México | Grenoble Institute of Technology, LCIS Research Laboratory, 50 rue Barthélémy de Laffemas, BP 54, 26902 Valence Cedex 9, France

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected].

Abstract: This paper presents a framework for web service composition based on social norms, particularly obligations. Web services are implemented and orchestrated by agents. Agent interaction is defined by means of obligations. Then, obligation-based agent conversations are translated into a web service composition method. Web services' functionalities are conceived as a set of actions with preconditions and effects, both expressed in terms of obligations that are adopted by agents as goals. In addition, an agent communication language that defines how messages affect agents' states, and as a consequence, the access to the services is presented. Moreover, a method for automatically creating generic composer agents is proposed. Composer agents are capable of managing and composing web services by means of inducing obligations to agents that implement and orchestrate web services.

Keywords: Agent-based web services, agent communication languages, conversational agents, normative multiagent systems, social norms, software agents, web services, web service composition

DOI: 10.3233/WIA-2012-0237

Journal: Web Intelligence and Agent Systems: An International Journal, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 135-150, 2012