Abstract: An anomaly management method is provided for a multi-agent system (MAS) in which a plurality of application agents are arranged to be capable of interacting with each other over a communications network. The MAS has a plurality of anomaly management agents arranged to receive reports from a referring agent regarding a referred agent when a referring agent has determined an interaction anomaly has occurred which was potentially caused by one or more conditions associated with a referred agent. The anomaly management agent is arranged to determine one or more conditions associated with the referred agent which have caused the interaction anomaly. The anomaly management agent is also arranged to remedy the condition. The method comprises at least one of said plurality of anomaly management agents receiving a message containing information related to the interaction with the referred agent from the referring agent.

Abstract: An anomaly management method is provided for a multi-agent system (MAS) in which a plurality of application agents are arranged to be capable of interacting with each other over a communications network. The MAS has a plurality of anomaly management agents arranged to receive reports from a referring agent regarding a referred agent when a referring agent has determined an interaction anomaly has occurred which was potentially caused by one or more conditions associated with a referred agent. The anomaly management agent is arranged to determine one or more conditions associated with the referred agent which have caused the interaction anomaly. The anomaly management agent is also arranged to remedy the condition. The method comprises at least one of said plurality of anomaly management agents receiving a message containing information related to the interaction with the referred agent from the referring agent.

Abstract: A method is provided for communicating between software agents in a multi-agent system. Communication between agents is defined by means of a conversation model comprising a sequence of defined tasks which, when executed by a software agent, implement one or more roles in an inter-agent conversation. A software agent is provided which, when executed on a computer, is arranged to implement the method, in particular to receive a conversation model, for example one not previously known to the agent, to identify the ontology items used in the conversation model with respect to a defined role to be implemented by the software agent, to determine whether the agent is capable of providing or processing each of the identified ontology items, and if capable, to execute the tasks defined in the conversation model to implement the role.

Abstract: A service component enables client/server interactions even when information on the content language and/or interaction protocol required for the service the client agent has requested from the service agent is not known a priori. The service component has a generic structure comprising a plurality of role components which perform the service interaction between the client agent and the server agent and which provide sufficient information on the interaction requirements to enable the requested service to be provided.