TODAY! Wed 10/17 1:30pm: Multi-Agent Framework - JLab TechnicalComputing Seminar

[Sandy Philpott <sandy.philpott@jlab.org>]

Multi-Agent Framework
Vardan Gyurjyan
Oct 17, 2007
CEBAF Center F326

Vardan will present the framework (Multi-Agent Framework for Experiment
Control Systems: AFECS) that was developed in the Data Acquisition group
to design and deploy large scale experiment control systems. AFECS is a
pure Java based software framework for designing and implementing
distributed control systems. The unique feature which sets this system
apart from conventional control systems is its incorporation of
intelligent agent concepts (virtualization). AFECS design is based on
SOA (service oriented architecture). AFECS creates a control system
environment as a collection of software agents behaving as finite state
machines. These agents can represent real entities, such as hardware
devices, software tasks, or control subsystems. A special control
oriented ontology language (COOL), based on RDFS (Resource Definition
Framework Schema) was developed to provide control system description,
and inter-agent communications.  AFECS agents can be distributed over a
variety of platforms. Agents communicate with their associated physical
components using range of communication protocols, including tcl-DP,
cMsg (publish-subscribe communication system developed in DAQ group as
well), SNMP (simple network management protocol), EPICS channel access
protocol, etc.

This framework has been successfully used to develop a new CODA run
control system and CLAS experiment web-based monitoring system.

Vardan joined  JLab in '97 with Dieter Cords in  Hall B and has been in
the CODA group since 2000. His background is in high energy physics:
PhD, post doctoral position at INFN Frascat (Italy), Hermes experiment
at CERN and at DESY; post doctoral position at Ohio University, prior to
working here at the lab.