Contract and adaptation: workflow management and component binding based on agent model

摘要

This paper describes about some proposals to introduce "contract" concept into agent technologies based on the "Parasitic/Symbiotic Agent Model" which was proposed by the authors, and apply to workflow management and bindings among agents in general. The model provides ability to organize dynamically and abstract a nested group of agents as a single agent. Such a nested group can be transported through the network in the same way as a tingle agent. The model also presents an abstract model of mobility of such agents. In this paper, agents based on the model are treated as technologies to model some entities in workflow management, such at processes (activities), products (documents) and participants. In this paper "contract" concept is introduced by using the workflow management model.