Local agent-based self-stabilisation in global resource utilisation. (16th December 2010)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pournaras, Evangelos; Warnier, Martijn; Brazier, Frances M.T.
• Is Part Of: International journal of autonomic computing. Volume 1:Number 4(2010)
• Page Start: 350
• Page End: 373
• Publication Date: 2010-12-16
• Subjects: software agents -- adaptation -- tree overlay -- resource utilisation -- stabilisation -- energy management -- thermostatic devices -- agent-based systems -- multi-agent systems -- MAS -- distributed management -- large-scale infrastructures -- power distribution; Autonomic computing -- Periodicals; Computer science -- Periodicals; 004.05
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1741-8569

Abstract

Distributed management of complex large-scale infrastructures, such as power distribution systems, is challenging. Sustainability of these systems can be achieved by enabling stabilisation in global resource utilisation. This paper proposes the Energy Plan Overlay Self-stabilisation system (EPOS), for this purpose. EPOS is an agent-based approach that performs self-stabilisation over a tree overlay, as an instance of a hierarchical virtual organisation. The global goal of stabilisation emerges through local knowledge, local decisions and local interactions among software agents organised in a tree. Two fitness functions are proposed to stabilise global resource utilisation. The first proactively keeps deviations minimised and the second reactively reverses deviations. Extensive experimentation reveals that EPOS outperforms a system that utilises resources in a greedy manner. Finally, this paper also investigates and evaluates factors that influence the effectiveness of EPOS.