A peer-to-peer-based multi-agent framework for decentralized grid workflow management in collaborative design

Identifying the shortcomings of traditional centralized workflow architecture, this paper describes a preliminary attempt at using a peer-to-peer (P2P)-based multi-agent framework for decentralized grid workflow management in semantic grid enabled collaborative design. A decentralized, scalable semantic service registry is laid out in the P2P network for semantic discovery of distributed, heterogeneous grid services with multi-agent support. The service-oriented, decentralized problem solving strategy for grid workflow construction makes it possible for the decentralized peer agents to utilize the formal semantics to interact and cooperate with each other to support the users in constructing the grid workflow of a complex engineering design process from widely dispersed multidisciplinary design resources effectively. A prototype system is built and validated with an illustrative example from metal stamping industry to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach.

[1]  Amit P. Sheth,et al.  METEOR-S WSDI: A Scalable P2P Infrastructure of Registries for Semantic Publication and Discovery of Web Services , 2005, Inf. Technol. Manag..

[2]  Qiong Liu,et al.  Gird manufacturing: a new solution for cross-enterprise collaboration , 2008 .

[3]  Nicholas R. Jennings,et al.  The Semantic Grid: Past, Present, and Future , 2005 .

[4]  Simon J. Cox,et al.  Numerical Optimisation as Grid Services for Engineering Design , 2004, Journal of Grid Computing.

[5]  Liang Gao,et al.  An agent- and service-based collaborative design architecture under a dynamic integration environment , 2007 .

[6]  Minjie Zhang,et al.  An agent-based peer-to-peer grid computing architecture: convergence of grid and peer-to-peer computing , 2006, ACSW.

[7]  Nathan Griffiths,et al.  BPEL4WS-based coordination of Grid Services in design , 2006, Comput. Ind..

[8]  Yong Yin,et al.  Information service of the resource node in a manufacturing grid environment , 2008 .

[9]  Jianwei Yin,et al.  Exploring Semantic Web technologies for ontology-based modeling in collaborative engineering design , 2008 .

[10]  Simon J. Cox,et al.  SEMANTICS‐ASSISTED PROBLEM SOLVING ON THE SEMANTIC GRID , 2005, Comput. Intell..

[11]  Yuan Cao,et al.  Grid-based distributed simulation of an aero engine , 2006 .

[12]  Dongbo Li,et al.  A grid-based agile process preparation system , 2008 .

[13]  Xiaoyun Zhang,et al.  Conception and implementation of a collaborative manufacturing grid , 2007 .

[14]  Christoph Bussler,et al.  Workflow Management: Modeling Concepts, Architecture and Implementation , 1996 .

[15]  M. Brian Blake,et al.  Coordinating multiple agents for workflow-oriented process orchestration , 2003, Inf. Syst. E Bus. Manag..

[16]  Jerry R. Hobbs,et al.  DAML-S: Semantic Markup for Web Services , 2001, SWWS.

[17]  Timothy W. Simpson,et al.  Product family design knowledge representation, aggregation, reuse, and analysis , 2007, Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing.

[18]  G. A. Britton,et al.  Indexing and retrieval in case-based process planning for multi-stage non-axisymmetric deep drawing , 2006 .

[19]  John S. Gero,et al.  Function–behavior–structure paths and their role in analogy-based design , 1996, Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and Manufacturing.

[20]  Y.-M. Deng,et al.  Abstracting and Exploring Functional Design Information for Conceptual Mechanical Product Design , 2000, Engineering with Computers.

[21]  Ian Gibson,et al.  A web-based system for collaborative electro-acoustic composition , 2006 .

[22]  Deborah L. McGuinness,et al.  OWL Web ontology language overview , 2004 .

[23]  George Q. Huang,et al.  Agent-based workflow management in collaborative product development on the Internet , 2000, Comput. Aided Des..

[24]  Takahiro Kawamura,et al.  Semantic Matching of Web Services Capabilities , 2002, SEMWEB.