ProcessLink Component Descriptions
The
ProcessLink framework
provides for the integration, coordination, and project management
of distributed interacting CAD tools and services in a large
project. Specifically, this framework implements a structured design
methodology based upon the Redux and DesignRoadmap models and provides
a design space structure , as well as mapping and navigation services
for distributed design. This framework consists a reusable protocol
and generic domain-independent services including:
Generic Agents
- Redux' -
This is the core generic service for coordinating domain agents. The
domain-independent Redux model of design provides a unique technology
for integrating software and automating design interaction with
minimal burden on the user. The current agent will be modified to
register agents dynamically, control inputs and outputs, and
communicate appropriately with new generic services. These services
will require extensions to reflect project planning and control as
well as constraint problem solving representations. A major extension
will be the ability to consider a small set of multiple decisions for
a given task/issue simultaneously.
- Constraint
Manager (CM) - this is an agent broker with which various
constraint satisfaction agents can be registered. These will range
from simple constraint monitors to arc consistency to K-consistency
and will cover the domains ranging from finite discrete to continuous
and both logical and algebraic constraints. The CM shall be able to
handle several such modules at the same time and be able to route
constraint management requests as appropriate.
-
Plan Manager - this generic agent, (based on the earlier Procura work and associated domain-specific
ones, will plan a project with more dynamic capabilities than existing
project management models. The PM allows planning and
scheduling to be distributed among project members according
to their responsibilities and expertise. It allows changes in
the evolving distributed design to affect the plan and schedule, as well
allowing changes go the other way. Thus, not only are
fast track projects facilitated in terms of change
notification, but also distributed concurrent design and planning.
Agent Language and Infrastructure
- Electronic Project Language (EPL) - a formal language of
message types and syntax, based upon previous Next-Link
Redux'-based protocols, such that domain design agents, the CM,
Redux', and the PM can exchange messages specific to the semantics of
these agents and useful for the coordination, tracking, and management
of distributed design projects.
- ACL Agent Infrastructure (AAI) - an agent router and
methodology for exchanging agent messages (Agent Communications
Language, such as EPL) over and above just the specification of a
language. This work is being done by the ABE group based on the
JATLite infrastructure.
- Distributed Design Methodology (DDM) - a formal
methodology that facilitates the management and coordination of
distributed engineering projects, supported by the ProcessLinkLink framework
services.
Additional Research
In addition to the development and testing of the components above,
there are many other agents and services that might be developed
including:
- Negotiation agents that work with the CM to generate
sets of alternatives and work with domain agents to
make tradeoffs among them,
- Sensitivity agents that take domain knowledge and
make recommendations for design revision,
- Case reasoning agents that retrieve designs and
using the stored Redux dependencies, determine
the effects changed requirements, and
- Message Filtering agents that take generic Redux
messages and decide whether the domain agent really needs to
see them based upon domain knowledge.
In addition, we collaborate with the
CIFE 4D CAD project.
Charles
Petrie
Last modified: Wed Mar 24 15:35:20 PST 1999