Checking consistency of agent designs against interaction protocols for early-phase defect location

Multi-agent systems are increasingly being used in complex applications due to features such as autonomy, proactivity, flexibility, robustness and social ability. However, these very features also make verifying multi-agent systems a challenging task. In this paper, we propose a mechanism, including automated tool support, for early phase defect detection by comparing agent interaction specifications with the detailed design of the agents participating in the interactions. The basic intuition of our approach is to extract sets of possible traces from the agent design and to verify whether these traces conform to the protocol specifications. Our approach is based on the Prometheus agent design methodology but is applicable to other similar methodologies. Our initial evaluation shows that even simple protocols developed by relatively experienced developers are prone to defects, and our approach is successful in uncovering some of these defects.