Consistency and Context Management in a Multi Agent Belief Revision Testbed

Multi-agent architectures are well suited for complex inherently distributed problem solving domains. From the many challenging aspects that arise within this framework, a crucial one emerges: how to incorporate dynamic and conflicting agent beliefs? While the belief revision activity in a single agent scenario is concentrated on incorporating new information while preserving consistency, in a multi-agent system it also has to deal with possible conflicts between the agents perspectives. To provide an adequate framework, each agent, built as a combination of an assumption based belief revision system and a cooperation layer, was enriched with additional features: a distributed search control mechanism allowing dynamic context management, and a set of different distributed consistency methodologies. As a result, a Distributed Belief Revision Testbed (DiBeRT) was developed. This paper is a preliminary report presenting some of DiBeRT contributions: a concise representation of external beliefs; a simple and innovative methodology to achieve distributed context management; and a reduced inter-agent data exchange format.

An Intelligent Distributed System for Environmental Management

Environmental management is a complex task. The amount and heterogeneity of the data needed for an environmental decision making tool is overwhelming without adequate database systems and innovative methodologies. As far as data management, data interaction and data processing is concerned we here propose the use of a Geographical Information System (GIS) whilst for the decision making we suggest a Multi-Agent System (MAS) architecture. With the adoption of a GIS we hope to provide a complementary coexistence between heterogeneous data sets, a correct data structure, a good storage capacity and a friendly user’s interface. By choosing a distributed architecture such as a Multi-Agent System, where each agent is a semi-autonomous Expert System with the necessary skills to cooperate with the others in order to solve a given task, we hope to ensure a dynamic problem decomposition and to achieve a better performance compared with standard monolithical architectures. Finally, and in view of the partial, imprecise, and ever changing character of information available for decision making, Belief Revision capabilities are added to the system. Our aim is to present and discuss an intelligent environmental management system capable of suggesting the more appropriate land-use actions based on the existing spatial and non-spatial constraints.

Management Driven Hybrid Multicast Framework for Content Aware Networks

The need for better adaptation of networks to transported flows has led to research on new approaches such as content aware networks and network aware applications. In parallel, recent developments of multimedia and content oriented services and applications such as IPTV, video streaming, video on demand, and Internet TV reinforced interest in multicast technologies. IP multicast has not been widely deployed due to interdomain and QoS support problems; therefore, alternative solutions have been investigated. This article proposes a management driven hybrid multicast solution that is multi-domain and media oriented, and combines overlay multicast, IP multicast, and P2P. The architecture is developed in a content aware network and network aware application environment, based on light network virtualization. The multicast trees can be seen as parallel virtual content aware networks, spanning a single or multiple IP domains, customized to the type of content to be transported while fulfilling the quality of service requirements of the service provider.

Distributed, Agent-Based Intelligent System for Demand Response Program Simulation in Smart Grids

A distributed, agent-based intelligent system models and simulates a smart grid using physical players and computationally simulated agents. The proposed system can assess the impact of demand response programs.

Assessing the balance between biodiversity conservation and coastal and estuarine management of the Sado Estuary Natural Reserve, Portugal, using BIO-SAFE

Dissertação apresentada na Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia da Universidade Nova de Lisboa para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia do Ambiente, perfil de Engenharia Ecológica

Multi-agent management system for electric vehicle charging

This paper proposes an implementation, based on a multi-agent system, of a management system for automated negotiation of electricity allocation for charging electric vehicles (EVs) and simulates its performance. The widespread existence of charging infrastructures capable of autonomous operation is recognised as a major driver towards the mass adoption of EVs by mobility consumers. Eventually, conflicting requirements from both power grid and EV owners require automated middleman aggregator agents to intermediate all operations, for example, bidding and negotiation, between these parts. Multi-agent systems are designed to provide distributed, modular, coordinated and collaborative management systems; therefore, they seem suitable to address the management of such complex charging infrastructures. Our solution consists in the implementation of virtual agents to be integrated into the management software of a charging infrastructure. We start by modelling the multi-agent architecture using a federated, hierarchical layers setup and as well as the agents' behaviours and interactions. Each of these layers comprises several components, for example, data bases, decision-making and auction mechanisms. The implementation of multi-agent platform and auctions rules, and of models for battery dynamics, is also addressed. Four scenarios were predefined to assess the management system performance under real usage conditions, considering different types of profiles for EVs owners', different infrastructure configurations and usage and different loads on the utility grid (where real data from the concession holder of the Portuguese electricity transmission grid is used). Simulations carried with the four scenarios validate the performance of the modelled system while complying with all the requirements. Although all of these have been performed for one charging station alone, a multi-agent design may in the future be used for the higher level problem of distributing energy among charging stations. Copyright (c) 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Lean management: aplicação a uma pequena empresa de construção civil

Trabalho Final de Mestrado para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil Especialização em Edificações

Proposal for shared services performance management model applied to portugueses public administration

Comunicação apresentada no 8º Congresso Nacional de Administração Pública - Desafios e Soluções, em Carcavelos de 21 a 22 de Novembro de 2011.

An adaptive IoT management infrastructure for eco transport networks

The complexity associated with fast growing of B2B and the lack of a (complete) suite of open standards makes difficulty to maintain the underlying collaborative processes. Aligned to this challenge, this paper aims to be a contribution to an open architecture of logistics and transport processes management system. A model of an open integrated system is being defined as an open computational responsibility from the embedded systems (on-board) as well as a reference implementation (prototype) of a host system to validate the proposed open interfaces. Embedded subsystem can, natively, be prepared to cooperate with other on-board units and with IT-systems in an infrastructure commonly referred to as a center information system or back-office. In interaction with a central system the proposal is to adopt an open framework for cooperation where the embedded unit or the unit placed somewhere (land/sea) interacts in response to a set of implemented capabilities.

Knowledge management systems and intellectual capital measurement in portuguese organizations: a case study

This paper presents the results of an exploratory study on knowledge management in Portuguese organizations. The study was based on a survey sent to one hundred of the main Portuguese organizations, in order to know their current practices relating knowledge management systems (KMS) usage and intellectual capital (IC) measurement. With this study, we attempted to understand what are the main tools used to support KM processes and activities in the organizations, and what metrics are pointed by organizations to measure their knowledge assets.

Lean and quality management integration: improvement program implementation in a service company

Lean Thinking is an important pillar in the success of any program of continuous improvement process. Its tools are useful means in the analysis, control and organization of important data for correct decision making in organizations. This project had as main objective the design of a program of quality improvement in Eurico Ferreira, S.A., based on the evaluation of customer satisfaction and the implementation of 5S. Subsequently, we have selected which business area of the company to address. After the selection, there was an initial diagnostic procedure, identifying the various points of improvement to which some tools of Lean Thinking have been applied, in particular Value Stream Mapping and 5S methodology. With the first, we were able to map the current state of the process in which all stakeholders were represented as well as the flow of materials and information throughout the process. The 5S methodology allowed to act on the wastage, identifying and implementing various process improvements.

Accommodation management system using mobile devices

Os dispositivos móveis são pessoais, intransmissíveis e cada vez mais utilizados, tornando-se assim numa boa ferramenta para a realização de um conjunto de serviços na indústria hoteleira. Entre esses serviços que necessitam da identificação pessoal, encontram-se a possibilidade do cliente reservar um quarto ou utilizar o serviço de quartos. Atualmente é muito utilizado, nos locais de alojamento, um smart card que possibilite ao cliente ter acesso a alguns dos serviços disponíveis. O objetivo deste documento é apresentar uma alternativa ao sistema de cartões, utilizando para o efeito, dispositivos móveis. De modo a garantir a segurança e uma utilização semelhante ao sistema de cartões existentes foi utilizada a tecnologia NFC (Near Field Communication) que, ao permitir o modo de emulação de cartão, facilita a transação do sistema de smart card existente, para o da utilização de dispositivos móveis na realização das mesmas funções. Mais concretamente, será abordada a utilização de smartphones para o processo de abertura de portas. Para que exista uma melhor compreensão e para que haja um conhecimento das suas capacidades e limites foram estudados casos de uso da tecnologia NFC. Este documento apresenta ainda os processos de desenvolvimento de uma aplicação nativa para o sistema operativo Android, cujo objetivo é proporcionar ao cliente de um local de alojamento um novo modo de acesso ao quarto, utilizando a tecnologia NFC. Para além desta funcionalidade a aplicação permite ainda ao utilizador fazer reservas, fazer o check-in, fazer o check-out entre outras. Posteriormente serão apresentadas as conclusões e possíveis trabalhos futuros.

Iberian peninsula ecosystem carbon fluxes: a model-data integration study

Dissertação apresentada para obtenção do Grau de Doutor em Engenharia do Ambiente pela Universidade Nova de Lisboa,Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia

Integrated Management of Cloud Computing Resources

Lunacloud is a cloud service provider with offices in Portugal, Spain, France and UK that focus on delivering reliable, elastic and low cost cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) solutions. The company currently relies on a proprietary IaaS platform - the Parallels Automation for Cloud Infrastructure (PACI) - and wishes to expand and integrate other IaaS solutions seamlessly, namely open source solutions. This is the challenge addressed in this thesis. This proposal, which was fostered by Eurocloud Portugal Association, contributes to the promotion of interoperability and standardisation in Cloud Computing. The goal is to investigate, propose and develop an interoperable open source solution with standard interfaces for the integrated management of IaaS Cloud Computing resources based on new as well as existing abstraction libraries or frameworks. The solution should provide bothWeb and application programming interfaces. The research conducted consisted of two surveys covering existing open source IaaS platforms and PACI (features and API) and open source IaaS abstraction solutions. The first study was focussed on the characteristics of most popular open source IaaS platforms, namely OpenNebula, OpenStack, CloudStack and Eucalyptus, as well as PACI and included a thorough inventory of the provided Application Programming Interfaces (API), i.e., offered operations, followed by a comparison of these platforms in order to establish their similarities and dissimilarities. The second study on existing open source interoperability solutions included the analysis of existing abstraction libraries and frameworks and their comparison. The approach proposed and adopted, which was supported on the conclusions of the carried surveys, reuses an existing open source abstraction solution – the Apache Deltacloud framework. Deltacloud relies on the development of software driver modules to interface with different IaaS platforms, officially provides and supports drivers to sixteen IaaS platform, including OpenNebula and OpenStack, and allows the development of new provider drivers. The latter functionality was used to develop a new Deltacloud driver for PACI. Furthermore, Deltacloud provides a Web dashboard and REpresentational State Transfer (REST) API interfaces. To evaluate the adopted solution, a test bed integrating OpenNebula, Open- Stack and PACI nodes was assembled and deployed. The tests conducted involved time elapsed and data payload measurements via the Deltacloud framework as well as via the pre-existing IaaS platform API. The Deltacloud framework behaved as expected, i.e., introduced additional delays, but no substantial overheads. Both the Web and the REST interfaces were tested and showed identical measurements. The developed interoperable solution for the seamless integration and provision of IaaS resources from PACI, OpenNebula and OpenStack IaaS platforms fulfils the specified requirements, i.e., provides Lunacloud with the ability to expand the range of adopted IaaS platforms and offers a Web dashboard and REST API for the integrated management. The contributions of this work include the surveys and comparisons made, the selection of the abstraction framework and, last, but not the least, the PACI driver developed.

Media Brokerage: Agent-Based SLA Negotiation

Media content personalisation is a major challenge involving viewers as well as media content producer and distributor businesses. The goal is to provide viewers with media items aligned with their interests. Producers and distributors engage in item negotiations to establish the corresponding service level agreements (SLA). In order to address automated partner lookup and item SLA negotiation, this paper proposes the MultiMedia Brokerage (MMB) platform, which is a multiagent system that negotiates SLA regarding media items on behalf of media content producer and distributor businesses. The MMB platform is structured in four service layers: interface, agreement management, business modelling and market. In this context, there are: (i) brokerage SLA (bSLA), which are established between individual businesses and the platform regarding the provision of brokerage services; and (ii) item SLA (iSLA), which are established between producer and distributor businesses about the provision of media items. In particular, this paper describes the negotiation, establishment and enforcement of bSLA and iSLA, which occurs at the agreement and negotiation layers, respectively. The platform adopts a pay-per-use business model where the bSLA define the general conditions that apply to the related iSLA. To illustrate this process, we present a case study describing the negotiation of a bSLA instance and several related iSLA instances. The latter correspond to the negotiation of the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) for a specific end viewer.