A Multi-Agent Language for Pragmatic Telecommunications Network Management

The purpose of this paper is threefold: Firstly, demonstrate how intelligent agents and their cooperation can be applied to Telecommunications Network Management (TNM) via proposing a methodology for incorporating key agent types at switching nodes. Secondly, to illustrate the use of COAL, a notational language founded upon object-oriented programming constructs with declarative relational database queries for developing strategies concerning agent configuration, social interaction, knowledge manipulation, communication policies and so forth within Multi-Agent System (MAS) applications. Thirdly, present specific examples of how cooperation strategy definition and propagation can be established in TNM. The authors acknowledge that this research is supported in part by the European IMS Project 26508: Holonic Manufacturing Systems. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the official policies, either expressed or implied, of the HMS consortium or any other parties. Presented at the Third International Conference and Exhibition on The Practical Application of Intelligent Agents and Multi-Agent Technology, 23rd – 25th March 1998, London, U.K.