Abstract: Apparatus and methods are disclosed for generating, sending, and receiving messages in a networked environment using autonomous (or semi-autonomous) agents. In one example of the disclosed technology, a method of controlling message flow in a computer network comprising a plurality of agents, agent data consumers, and an agent message bridge configured to send messages by receiving a set of messages, at least some of the messages including a message type, queuing the set of messages in a spooler that includes an indication of the respective message type for each of the messages, receive an indication that sending some of the messages queued in the spooler should be delayed for one or more indicated message types, and sending at least one of the messages to a selected one or more of the agent data consumers, the sent messages not being of the indicated message types.

Abstract: A method of assessing an electrical power system is provided that includes performing a plurality of contingencies using a mathematical model of the system and determining a representative solution for each contingency. For each bus and contingency, symptoms of system stress exhibited in the representative solution are tabulated. Each contingency is categorized into a contingency cluster based on its representative solution, and those buses having a highest number of the symptoms of system stress for each contingency categorized within a respective contingency cluster are sorted into a group associated therewith. The contingency clusters are arranged into a ranking based on its effect on the network, and a location for a network enhancement is selected from a group of buses associated with a contingency cluster of the ranking that has a largest effect on the network and also includes buses as a result of the sorting.