| Paper title: |
Multi Agent Systems to Set Up Virtual Enterprises |
| Published in: | Issue 1, (Vol. 2) / 2008 |
| Pages: | 15-23 |
| Author(s): | Lupu Catalin, Lupu Valeriu |
| Abstract. | This work presents a model of organizing more enterprises into a virtual or a web enterprise. To constitute virtual enterprises multiagent systems are utilized. In this sense the following are to be considered: elaborating a model to constitute the virtual enterprise, the implementation of a multiagent system based on this model and the testing and evaluation of the system performances, comparing them with more classic types of realization. In this paper, we describe how the multi-agent architecture can be used to support Virtual Enterprises (VE). We have focused on understanding how aVE is formed and, in particular, how the partners of a VE are selected. We tryto analyse this scenario in the form of an Agent Interaction Protocol (AIP) and then discuss how the multi-agent architecrure can be used to support this process. Our working definition of a VE is: a team of partners that collaborate to achieve a specific goal. The partners may be human beings, organisations or software agents. We believe that software agents, hereafter referred to as agents, are a suitable means of representing the partners of a VE. One important reason is that by representing the partners of a VE as agents and by delegating agents to look for the next VE and conduct the negotiation on behalf of the partners, the partners would then have the time to do the actual work required in the current VE. At the end of the paper we will present an experimental system for the architecture of a virtual enterprise. |
| Keywords: | Multi Agent Systems, Virtual Enterprises, Software Agents |
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