TABLE OF CONTENTS Giovanni Rimassa, Monique Calisti and Martin E. Kernland
Abstract. This chapter presents and discusses the Living Systems Technology Suite, LS/TS, a solution for the development and deployment of products and systems based on software agent technology and autonomic computing. LS/TS comprises a software development methodology and a Java-based agent platform with development tools. The focus of this paper is on the LS/TS agent platform: the concepts, API and development tools that support the design and implementation of multi-agent systems are described and discussed. This chapter also lists a few significant challenges that a middleware for multi-agent systems has to face, and also shows how each one of them is addressed by the LS/TS agent platform.
Keywords. agent middleware, development tools, run-time environment, development methodology.
In recent years, Agent Oriented Software Engineering (AOSE) has been increasingly adopted to provide solutions able to flexibly adapt in real-time to changing and unforeseen run-time conditions and fluctuations in the ever more complex and dynamic business world. However, in order to meet today s stringent IT requirements, a comprehensive and solid approach to agent-based software design, development and deployment is needed. In this perspective, we have conceived and developed the Living Systems Technology Suite, LS/TS, a comprehensive approach, including a development methodology and a Java-based set of components and tools, for the professional development and deployment of products and solutions based on software...
