A Platform for Developing SOA/WS Applications as Open and Heterogeneous Multi-agent Systems

In this paper we consider the use of agent-oriented models and technologies — in particular intelligent agent technologies —  for the design and implementation of distributed interoperable software systems based on Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Web Services (WS) standards (SOA/WS in brief). To this end, we introduce a platform called CArtAgO-WS which promotes the development of SOA/WS applications as open workspaces populated of possibly heterogeneous agents, including BDI agent platforms such as Jason and Jadex, and suitably designed artifacts as defined by the Agents and Artifacts (A&A) conceptual model. Such artifacts are used by agents as tools encapsulating basic functionalities to interact with existing Web Services, and to implement and manage Web Services. The platform is meant to be a computational environment for effectively supporting the agile experimentation of advanced agent-based SOA/WS applications, such as goal-oriented services and goal-oriented service orchestration.