Simulation Systems with Decentralized Knowledge Bases: Process of Agents' Orientation in Environment

Malgorzata ZABINSKA, Krzysztof CETNAROWICZ, Grzegorz DOBROWOLSKI, Edward NAWARECKI

Institute of Computer Science University of Mining and Metallurgy AGH al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland phone: +48-12-339406 E-mail: cetnaruci.agh.edu.pl

1996

Keywords: Distributed system, Decentralized system, Multi-agent system

Contemporary complex simulation systems require realization of simulation in a decentralized and distributed manner. Information in such simulation systems is stored in the form of distributed data bases. E cient use of distributed information systems still makes a problem especially in case of possible variability of systems' structure. It seems that decentralized approach to such systems may enable more e cient and exible processing. Distributed data base system may be considered as a graph-form environment with autonomous agents operating in it while transaction service in the system may be treated as an orientation problem of the agent in the environment of the form of a graph. A primary attempt to orientation of agents in distributed and decentralized environment and to representation of the knowledge on the environment and rules concerning information exchange between agents were presented in the paper.

Abstract

1 INTRODUCTION

Decentralized information systems have a structure of large networks. There are information resources at nodes of a network. Most of tasks performed in these systems are related to search of data in nodes of the graph. In general, structure of the system may vary due to changes of graph structure and contents of nodes. Information on changes of system structure spreads over the network with limited speed. Therefore application of xed methods of search of data in the network may be ine ective. Thus application

of autonomous agents who would perform search of appropriate resources in a system seems to make sense. The agent uses incomplete information on environment (local information on network structure) and completes it during performing its tasks, moving between network nodes to nd data distributed in a graph. Such search of a path in a graph by agent who has in its disposal incomplete information on its environment will be called orientation problem. In the paper, problem of orientation of autonomous agent in graph-form environment was considered and an attempt to formal description of the orientation problem was presented. The orientation problem of agents related to functioning of distributed data base system, especially when taking into account variability of structure of the system was described. Solving agent's orientation problem and other problems related to it is essential to enable realization of decentralized information systems making use of heterogeneous resources in intelligent manner.

2 DEFINITION OF AGENT'S ORIENTATION IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Autonomous active agent operates in the environment. For the most of applications the environment is of the form of a graph. The graph-form environment class will be considered in the paper. Graph-form environment (called in the paper environment) may be de ned: where:

G =< V E V ; E ; : E ;! V : E ;! V

>

(1)

set of nodes set of edges ; begin operation ; end operation

Let:

P ; cost function () P : E ;! <

For any x y 2 V let: where:

r(x y) ; path in G () r(x y) = < e e :::e >

1 2
n

8 8

1 <= i <= n e 2 E 1 <= i < n (e ) = (e ) (e ) = x (e ) = y

i i i+1

r (x y) - an elementary path () it does not take the same node more than once.
e

It is obvious that any path may be considered as a subgraph of a given graph. Let:

L(r(x y)) ; length of the path r(x y) () L(r(x y)) = L((e :::e )) = P k(e )
1
n i=1 :::n i

If cost function P in not de ned:

L(r(x y)) = L((e e :::e )) = n

1 2
n

Let:

d (x y) ; distance in graph between x y () d (x y) = min L(r(x y))

G G r (x y )

For any G =< V E

0 0 G G

> - subgraph of graph G and y 2 V d (G y) ; distance in graph between G and y () d (G y) = min d (x y)

0 0 0 0 0 0 x2V 0 G

For any graph G

D(G) ; diameter of graph G () D(G) = max d (x y )

x2V y2V G

We can consider that in the graph-form environment G =< V E > an autonomous agent Ag operates. It can remain in nodes of G and can travel from one node to another one using edges of the environment. Def.: Orientation of agent Ag in environment G is subgraph G of graph G.
0

The evaluation of orientation G' of agent Ag that has to go to node y is the distance: d (G y).
0 G

If an agent is in node x 2 V , we have:

V = ; an agent does not know where it is V = fxg ; an agent does not have any orientation in the graph y2V ; an agent has orientation to reach node y G = G ; an agent has full orientation in the graph: We can assume that agent Ag is at node x of graph G. Agent Ag is to reach node y of G. At the moment, agent Ag has an orientation G , but looks for information to improve its orientation. As a result of obtaining new information agent Ag acquires orientation G. if d (G y) > d (G y) then the orientation G is better than G , if D(G ) > D(G ) then the orientation G is wider than G , if G G then the orientation G is greater than G . If d (G y) > d (G y) then information is signi cant for orientation of agent Ag to search node y. We can assume that in node x there is an information center (RIA) that contains a collection of orientation ; in its disposal. Process of acquiring an orientation by agent Ag with the use of the information center (RIA) is equivalent to the existence of the function: F (G ;) = G and d(G y) > d(G y) Using dependencies G G and D(G ) > D(G ) the value of the acquired information may be estimated by an agent. To improve process of orientation acquisition proper orientation collection ; must be prepared by the information center. Agent Ag has to be able to pro t from the proposed by RIA orientation ie. has to possess the properly de ned function F, and methods to evaluate the acquired information G" with respect to quality of possesd one - G .
0 0 0 0 0 00 G 0 G 00 00 0 00 0 00 0 00 0 00 0 G 0 G 00 0 00 0 00 00 0 00 0 0

3 TRANSACTION SERVICE IN DISTRIBUTED DATA BASE SYSTEM WITH THE APPLICATION OF AUTONOMOUS AGENTS
3.1 Assumptions
We will consider a system of distributed data base comprising local data bases of di erent type residing at network nodes. More than one copy of a local data base may exist in a distributed data base system. Users reside at network nodes but not necessarily at these where there are local data bases which they need. A user generates requirements of data base access from his/her node. The requirements will be called transactions. They are formulated in some high level language (e. g. SQL). It is de ned in a transaction what sort of operation is to be performed and on which data but it is usually not stated to 4

which local data base and which node the transaction should be directed. It is possible to distinguish two types of transactions depending on operation to be performed on a data base 7]: query transactions i.e. search for single data or sets of data update transactions i.e. requirements to change data base contents We will take into account single transactions i.e. concerning one operation on data and on one local data base. An outline of transaction service procedure in the heterogeneous distributed data base is the following: Transaction formulation (e.g. in SQL) Analysis of transaction (transaction type, what operation, on what data) Search for an appropriate local data base Decision on a node (copy of a local data base) Execution of operation on data in a found local data base at a found node Transmission of a reply to a user The key problem is to nd a local data base to which the transaction is directed and a node with a copy of it. Distributed data base system may have variable structure.. Changes of the structure concern network nodes which may disappear (disconnection) from a network and appear again (re-connection) what changes a network graph. Changes of the structure may be also related to contents of nodes, viz. copies of local data bases may be removed from a node or added to it. We will consider a distributed data base system as a decentralized environment of the graph-form whose nodes contain local data bases. The local data bases are searched for by an autonomous agent who wants to use information contained in them. An autonomous agent moves between network nodes in search of an appropriate local data base and an appropriate node using knowledge on its graph-form environment acquired from the environment during the search. performed in autonomous way.

3.2 Introducing the Notion of Transaction Agent (TA) , Resident Information Agent (RIA) and Searching Agent (SA)
Let us consider the above-mentioned procedure of transaction service in distributed data base system. A user generates a transaction in a node. We assume that together with a transaction, an autonomous agent 3], D2 originates in the node. Its main purpose is transaction service, i.e. delivery to a user needed data in case of query or a message on realization of update. The agent, called Transaction Agent (TA) disappears when the transaction is served. To perform its tasks (transaction service) the agent has to nd an appropriate local database and a node containing a copy of it. TA has the capability of moving between network nodes. The search is carried out with the use of information possessed by the agent and information acquired during the search by the agent from its informants. The former information is given to the agent at the start - it 5

consists of results of analysis of transaction formulated by a user . After the analysis, the agent "knows" (at least): what type of transaction is to be served (query or update), what operations should be performed on data and which data the transaction concerns. The acquisition of the latter information portion may begin in the node where TA originates. In general, the knowledge acquisition consists in communication between TA and informants belonging to the following groups: professional informants (information centers described later) and casual informants (transaction agents met on the way of the TA). TA looks for the information center at the node. If an information center exists it is consulted by the TA, otherwise TA tries to contact other transaction agents active at the node. The information is the basis for TA's nding - directly or indirectly - a proper node for transaction processing or at least selecting the node to be visited next. If nalizing of the transaction is impossible at the node, TA migrates to another node. It repeats the procedure at each node until it reaches the appropriate one. Final task of TA is execution of operation on a found local data base and transfer of reply (set of found data or a message) to the user's node. Now we consider features of the above mentioned "information center". The information center is run by a special agent which will be called Resident Information Agent (RIA). At a network node RIA may play the role of both TA's informant and middleman providing uniform interface to di erent types of local databases. RIA originates at a node of a local data base and ceases to exist when the local data base is removed from the node. It possesses information on a local data base at the node (static) and collects and stores dynamic information on neighborhood (some subset of the network) useful in solving problem of selection of a node to be visited if TA cannot nalize its transaction locally ("orientation problem"). The information collected by RIA from TAs is kept in the "blackboard" 3], M1 and is accessible by TAs. In case of incompleteness of its knowledge (discovered by TA), RIA can send additional (moving) agent. It will be called Searching Agent (SA). SA is brought to life by the RIA and its task is to complete the information on the environment. SA acquires the information and stores it in the RIA's "blackboard". Let us look at Fig. 1. It shows a concept of transaction service in distributed data base system with the application of agents: Transaction Agent (TA) and Resident Information Agent (RIA). A transaction formulated by a user at node "k" activates TA who communicates with Resident Information Agent at node "i" (RIAi). RIAi possesses information on the Local Data Base (LDBi) at the node and maintains a Blackboard (Bbi) as a tool for information exchange between agents.
1

Since we assumed the agent is created from the scratch each time the user generates a transaction there is no "inter- transaction memory". Otherwise the information portion possessed by TA could contain agent's "reminiscences" from previous transaction services, which may be very useful in case the user generates a series of related transactions.
1

Figure 1: General idea of application of autonomous agents for transaction service in distributed data base system

4 AGENT'S ORIENTATION IN DISTRIBUTED DATA BASE SYSTEM - CASE STUDY

Let us consider basic cases which may appear during transaction service in distributed data base system with the application of autonomous agents. A user residing at node "k" generates a transaction. Case 1: Positive at start. trivial case There is a local data base in "k". Transaction Agent (TA) originated in "k" communicates with Resident Information Agent (RIA) in "k" and if it turns out that a local data base is the one to which the transaction is directed. TA may nalize the transaction on the data base. Case 2: Negative at start There is no local data base in "k" at all or there is a local data base there but according to information possessed by RIA in "k", the data base is not the one which is needed. In the former case (no LDB and RIA in node) TA can consult in "k" other TAs only. Otherwise (there are none or their information is insu cient) TA has to make an arbitrary decision where to go further on. If RIA exists in "k" but the local data base is inappropriate for the transaction, TA consults the RIA again. It looks into RIA's blackboard (Bb) and tries to nd information to which node it should go next. Thus TA tries to solve orientation problem (see Chapter 2) with the use of information on the distributed data base system, stored by RIA. Case 3: Migration through a network - su cient information If the socollected information is su cient, TA migrates to the node pointed by RIA (directly) and nds there the appropriate data base. It is possible that information given by RIA concerns a set of nodes for further search. Thus TA moves between them, communicates with RIAs in them and the described procedure repeats. TA checks at rst with RIA in the node whether the appropriate data base resides there and if not it goes through RIA's blackboard to nd out where to go next. It is carried out until the searched data base is reached. Case 4: Migration - insu cient information It may happen on every stage of search that information on a network contained in RIA's blackboard is insu cient. Then RIA may send its special, auxiliary agent - Searching Agent (SA) 7

who moves to neighboring nodes and collects from Resident Information Agents (RIAs) additional information on a network needed at this stage of search by TA. SA comes back with it to its RIA and completes RIA's blackboard with so acquired information on distributed data base system. Case 5: More than one node pointed out It may also happen that RIA (on the basis of its blackboard contents) points out more than one node containing the searched data base. Thus it is necessary to make a decision which copy TA should take. Therefore TA should be provided with criteria concerning its decision to cope with such a situation and should make up its mind on e.g. either quicker or cheaper way through nodes (minimal time or cost) to the local data base copy. In the process of transaction service, the most important problem is the search by TA the path in the network (graph) such as to reach the appropriate local data base (LDB) of the distributed data base system. In fact it is the de nition which path (via which nodes) TA should take to serve the transaction, possessing incomplete knowledge on the distributed environment and completing it on its way through a network with information acquired from RIAs and other TAs. This problem may be considered as an orientation of the agent in the environment of the form of the graph - see Chapter 2.

5 CONCLUSION
Orientation of agents in distributed and decentralized environment belongs to the most often encountered problems in decentralized systems construction, also these which are designed to serve complex simulation processess applying distributed knowledge. In the paper, a primary attempt to formulate this often inexplicitly mentioned however so-far insu ciently studied problem has been presented. The application of the orientation problem to distributed data base systems was shown. The orientation problem should be examined with the use of simulation methods. The subsequent research should be focused on the following problems related to the agent's orientation: I. a manner of communication between agents: A. Transaction Agent (TA) and Resident Information Agent (RIA), B. two (or more) Transaction Agents (TAs) C. Resident Information Agent (RIA) and Searching Agent (SA) II. a way of storing the knowledge on: A. local data bases at nodes B. a network (graph). The solution of them would give tools to solve the orientation problem.

References

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