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The Tropos Advantage

The Tropos Advantage. Eric Yu First Tropos Workshop Trento, Italy November 15-16, 2001. Outline. What is the Tropos Advantage? Two implicit assumptions in current AOSE methodologies The Tropos Advantage is …. What is the Tropos Advantage?.

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The Tropos Advantage

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  1. The Tropos Advantage Eric Yu First Tropos Workshop Trento, Italy November 15-16, 2001

  2. Outline • What is the Tropos Advantage? • Two implicit assumptions in current AOSE methodologies • The Tropos Advantage is …

  3. What is the Tropos Advantage? • How is Tropos better than other AO methodologies ? • How is Tropos better than non-AO methodologies ? What is the AO Advantage ? • How is AO better than non-AO ? What should be the Tropos Advantage ? Is Tropos bringing out the best of the AO Advantage?

  4. Observation:Implicit Assumption #1 • The objective of AOSE methodologies is … to enable AO Systems to be developed. • Means-Ends: • AO computational system is the “End” • AOSE meth is the “Means” • An AOSE meth is intended to lead only to an Agent technology based system.

  5. Challenging Assumption #1 • What is the purpose of Sw. Development? (hence, of a Sw. Dev. Methodology) • To produce software that addresses some real-world problem/needs • Users don’t care whether it is AO, but do care that the problem will be addressed. • AO Tech is one possible class of solutions for addressing real-world problems • Matching of solutions to problems is done during the Dev. Process, not before. • A SE Meth should aim to address SE problems/ challenges, not to support a particular class of solutions. • Decision to adopt AO tech should be a result of applying a meth, not an a priori decision or foregone conclusion.

  6. Why Agent Technology ?( the usual understanding of the AO advantage ) • A better computational paradigm • More powerful functionalities • More flexible, robust, … • Better able to handle complexity • New application environment conditions • Decentralized control, autonomy • Openness, dynamism, … Therefore, let’s adopt AO tech. (wholesale) • Now, we need a meth so we can develop a system

  7. Observation:Implicit Assusmption #2 • The benefits of AO lie in the AO technology. • The methodology is just a way to get to the technology – the good stuff.

  8. Challenging Assumption #2 • Software Development Stages • At each stage, we are solving part of the problem, narrowing the space of possible solutions, and moving incrementally towards the solution. • Decisions /commitments are made along the way towards the implemented system. • Run-time computational system is concrete manifestation of the “solution”, but a significant part of the solution lies in the decisions made earlier in the SD process.

  9. Realizing AO benefits • An AOSE meth should guide decisions about what AO solution features to adopt (or not) at each point in the SE process, where applicable • Where and how to deal with what kinds of heterogeneity, distribution, conflicts, … • Where and how to deal with various kinds of change, dynamism… • Decisions involve tradeoffs among competing requirements, design goals • The benefits of AO (The AO Advantage) are realized at every decision in the context of the application requirements – made explicit in the tradeoff analysis (esp. NFRs) • Must include non-AO options throughout!

  10. Conclusions Current AOSE mindset: • Technology-driven: Methodology in service of the technology Critique: • Cannot be faithful to the problem ! Desired AOSE mindset: • Problem-driven: Methodology in service of the problem

  11. The Tropos Advatnage is … • … that those 2 assumptions implicit in other AO methodlogies need not apply to Tropos. • In Tropos, • AO abstractions can lead to choice among range of AO technology features, without prior commitment. • AO benefits can be demonstrated at each step throughout the development process, not just at the end.

  12. Exploiting the Tropos Advantage • Articulate, demonstrate, illustrate • Explicit addressing of SE goals at each step, eg. Tradeoffs among flexibility, life-cycle costs, time-to-market, reusability, … • Assessing of alternaitves – with AO and non-AO options side-by-side

  13. The scope of an AOSE methodology – as a viable SE methodology • …should be broad enough to encompass • The classes of problems that AO tech are supposed to be good for • (All) classes of solutions for addressing the above problems, including AO tech solutions. • Aim for contribution to SE, not just to AO Tech.

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