Developing a Multi-Agent Knowledge Management System with INGENIAS

The literature proposes some characteristics that methodologies for the development of agent oriented systems should provide. They should assist in all the phases of the development process of an agent oriented system; for example, by providing models and views for the different phases of analysis and design, and tools to support the methodology. INGENIAS is an agent oriented methodology that covers most of the required characteristics proposed by the literature. In this paper we describe our experience using INGENIAS to develop a multi-agent knowledge management system for a software maintenance group. We present some of the main models developed to describe the system structure and behaviour; focusing on the advantages and disadvantages that we have found using this methodology. Finally, we present some of the functionality of a prototype developed based on the models proposed by INGENIAS.