Challenger: A multi-agent system for distributed resource allocation (1997)

by A Chavez, A Moukas, P Maes
Venue:In Proceedings of the First International Conference on Autonomous Agents
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Sold!: Auction Methods for Multirobot Coordination

by Brian P. Gerkey, Maja J. Mataric , 2002
"... The key to utilizing the potential of multirobot systems is cooperation. How can we achieve cooperation in systems composed of failure-prone autonomous robots operating in noisy, dynamic environments? In this paper, we present a novel method of dynamic task allocation for groups of such robots. We i ..."
Abstract - Cited by 318 (10 self) - Add to MetaCart
The key to utilizing the potential of multirobot systems is cooperation. How can we achieve cooperation in systems composed of failure-prone autonomous robots operating in noisy, dynamic environments? In this paper, we present a novel method of dynamic task allocation for groups of such robots. We implemented and tested an auction-based task allocation system which we call MURDOCH, built upon a principled, resource centric, publish /subscribe communication model. A variant of the Contract Net Protocol, MURDOCH produces a distributed approximation to a global optimum of resource usage. We validated MURDOCH in two very different domains: a tightly coupled multirobot physical manipulation task and a loosely coupled multirobot experiment in long-term autonomy. The primary contribution of this paper is to show empirically that distributed negotiation mechanisms such as MURDOCH are viable and effective for coordinating physical multirobot systems.
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A Real-Life Experiment in Creating an Agent Marketplace

by Anthony Chavez, Daniel Dreilinger, Robert Guttman, Pattie Maes - In: Proceedings of the Second International Conference on the Practical Application of Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agent Technology, PAAM'97, The Practical Application Company Ltd , 1997
"... Software agents help people with time consuming activities. One increasingly popular application for software agents is electronic commerce, namely having agents buy and sell goods and services on behalf of users. We recently conducted a real-life experiment in creating an agent marketplace, using a ..."
Abstract - Cited by 81 (11 self) - Add to MetaCart
Software agents help people with time consuming activities. One increasingly popular application for software agents is electronic commerce, namely having agents buy and sell goods and services on behalf of users. We recently conducted a real-life experiment in creating an agent marketplace, using a slightly modified version of the Kasbah system [Chavez96]. Approximately 200 participants intensively interacted with the system over a one-day, six-hour period. This paper describes the setup of the experiment, the architecture of the electronic market and the behaviors of the agents. We discuss the rationale behind the design decisions and analyze the results obtained. We conclude with a discussion of current experiments involving thousands of users interacting with the agent marketplace over a long period of time, and speculate on the long-range impact of this technology upon society and the economy. 1. Introduction Software agents help people with time consuming activities [Maes95]. In...
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Market-based resource control for mobile agents

by Jonathan Bredin, David Kotz, Daniela Rus - In Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Autonomous Agents , 1998
"... Mobile agents are programs that can migrate from machine to machine in a heterogeneous, partially disconnected network. As mobile agents move across a network, they consume resources. We discuss a system for controlling the activities of mobile agents that uses electronic cash, a banking system, and ..."
Abstract - Cited by 56 (7 self) - Add to MetaCart
Mobile agents are programs that can migrate from machine to machine in a heterogeneous, partially disconnected network. As mobile agents move across a network, they consume resources. We discuss a system for controlling the activities of mobile agents that uses electronic cash, a banking system, and a set of resource managers. We describe protocols for transactions between agents. We present xed-pricing and dynamic-pricing policies for resources. We focus on and analyze the sealed-bid second-price auction as a mechanism for dynamic pricing. 1
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Negotiating socially optimal allocations of resources

by Ulle Endriss, Nicolas Maudet, Fariba Sadri, Francesca Toni - 2006) 315–348. P.E. Dunne, Y. Chevaleyre / Theoretical Computer Science 396 , 2008
"... A multiagent system may be thought of as an artificial society of autonomous software agents and we can apply concepts borrowed from welfare economics and social choice theory negotiation framework where agents can agree on multilateral deals to exchange bundles of indivisible resources. We then ana ..."
Abstract - Cited by 47 (20 self) - Add to MetaCart
A multiagent system may be thought of as an artificial society of autonomous software agents and we can apply concepts borrowed from welfare economics and social choice theory negotiation framework where agents can agree on multilateral deals to exchange bundles of indivisible resources. We then analyse how these deals affect social welfare for different instances of the basic framework and different interpretations of the concept of social welfare itself. In particular, we show how certain classes of deals are both sufficient and necessary to guarantee that a socially optimal allocation of resources will be reached eventually. 1.
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Market-based Resource Allocation for Grid Computing: A Model and Simulation

by Jacek Gomoluch, Michael Schroeder - Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Middleware for Grid Computing. Rio de , 2003
"... Resource allocation is an important aspect of Grid computing. One approach uses market mechanisms to allocate resources. In this paper, we review the literature on market-based resource allocation for Grid computing classifying approaches as model- or state-based and pre-emptive or non-pre-emptive. ..."
Abstract - Cited by 47 (1 self) - Add to MetaCart
Resource allocation is an important aspect of Grid computing. One approach uses market mechanisms to allocate resources. In this paper, we review the literature on market-based resource allocation for Grid computing classifying approaches as model- or state-based and pre-emptive or non-pre-emptive. Many of the existing market-based approaches take it for granted that markets are an improvement. We investigate under which circumstances marketbased resource allocation by continuous double auctions and by the proportional share protocol, respectively, outperforms a conventional round-robin approach. To answer this question, we develop and justify a model for clients, servers and the market, and present simulation results. The factors which are studied include the amount of load in the system, the number of resources, different degrees of resource heterogeneity, and communication delays.
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Market-based Multirobot Coordination for Complex Tasks

by Robert Zlot, et al. , 2006
"... ..."
Abstract - Cited by 45 (2 self) - Add to MetaCart
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Dynamic Resource Allocation by Market-Based Routing in Telecommunications Networks

by Gibney And Jennings, M. A. Gibney, N. R. Jennings - In 2nd Int. Workshop on Multi-Agent Systems and Telecommunications , 1998
"... . We present an approach to resource allocation in telecommunications networks based on the interaction of self-interested agents which have limited information about their environment. A system architecture is described which allows agents representing various network resources, potentially own ..."
Abstract - Cited by 23 (5 self) - Add to MetaCart
. We present an approach to resource allocation in telecommunications networks based on the interaction of self-interested agents which have limited information about their environment. A system architecture is described which allows agents representing various network resources, potentially owned by different real-world enterprises, to coordinate their resource allocation decisions without assuming a priori cooperation. It is argued that such an architecture has the potential to provide a distributed, robust and efficient means of traffic management for telecommunications networks. Some preliminary work on the design of the trading behaviour of the agents in the economy is presented, including the results of experiments which investigate the relative performance of market-based agents compared with traffic management based on static routing. Keywords: multi-agent systems, telecommunications networks, market-based resource allocation 1
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Non-cooperative, semi-cooperative, and cooperative games-based grid resource allocation

by Samee Ullah Khan, Ishfaq Ahmad - Proc. Int. Parallel & Distrib. Proc. Symp, (IPDPS , 2006
"... In this paper we consider, compare and analyze three game theoretical Grid resource allocation mechanisms. Namely, 1) the non-cooperative sealed-bid method where tasks are auctioned off to the highest bidder, 2) the semi-cooperative n-round sealed-bid method in which each site delegate its work to o ..."
Abstract - Cited by 23 (7 self) - Add to MetaCart
In this paper we consider, compare and analyze three game theoretical Grid resource allocation mechanisms. Namely, 1) the non-cooperative sealed-bid method where tasks are auctioned off to the highest bidder, 2) the semi-cooperative n-round sealed-bid method in which each site delegate its work to others if it cannot perform the work itself, and 3) the cooperative method in which all of the sites deliberate with one another to execute all the tasks as efficiently as possible. To experimentally evaluate the above mentioned techniques, we perform extensive simulation studies that effectively encapsulate the task and machine heterogeneity. The tasks are assumed to be independent and bear multiple execution time deadlines. The simulation model is built around a hierarchical Grid infrastructure where machines are abstracted into larger computing centers labeled “federations, ” each of which are responsible for managing their own resources independently. These federations are then linked together with a primary portal to which Grid tasks would be submitted. To measure the effectiveness of these game theoretical techniques, the recorded performance is evaluated against a conventional baseline method in which tasks are randomly assigned to the sites without any task execution guarantee. 1.
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A Multi-Agent Architecture for Cooperative Software Engineering

by Alf Inge Wang, Reidar Conradi, Chunnian Liu , 1999
"... This paper looks at how Cooperative Software Engineering (CSE) can be supported. We first investigate the process aspects by presenting a traditional process architecture supporting CSE. Then we propose a multi-agent architecture for CSE, which is better in terms of simplicity and flexibility, and p ..."
Abstract - Cited by 20 (11 self) - Add to MetaCart
This paper looks at how Cooperative Software Engineering (CSE) can be supported. We first investigate the process aspects by presenting a traditional process architecture supporting CSE. Then we propose a multi-agent architecture for CSE, which is better in terms of simplicity and flexibility, and particularly useful in modelling and providing support to cooperative activities. We describe an industrial scenario of CSE, and show how to apply the proposed architecture to this scenario. The scenario is based on a software development and maintenance process for a Norwegian software company. Keywords: Computer-Supported Cooperative Work, Cooperative Software Engineering, Software Process Technology, Multi-Agent Systems 1 Introduction Most of the work in the software process community has been focusing on how to make people work together in an organised and planned way (partly pre-planned). For highlevel processes with little details, it is likely that it is possible to make people work...
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GEM: A Global Electronic Market System

by Benny Rachlevsky-Reich - Information Systems , 1999
"... 1 List of Symbols and Abbreviations 3 1 Introduction 5 1.1 Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.1.1 Global Electronic Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.1.2 Distributed Market Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1.1.3 Generic Mark ..."
Abstract - Cited by 13 (0 self) - Add to MetaCart
1 List of Symbols and Abbreviations 3 1 Introduction 5 1.1 Motivation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.1.1 Global Electronic Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 1.1.2 Distributed Market Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 1.1.3 Generic Market Architecture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 1.2 Research Objectives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 1.3 System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 1.4 Dissertation Overview and Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 2 Related Work 13 2.1 An Overview of Auction Mechanisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2.1.1 Double Sided Auctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2.1.2 Single Sided Auctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2.2 Examples of Markets and Online Auctions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2.2.1 Stock Markets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 2.2.2 Onl...