Debugging complex software systems by means of pathfinder networks

  • Authors:

  • Emilio Serrano;Arnaud Quirin;Juan Botia;Oscar Cordón

  • Affiliations:

  • Universidad de Murcia, Facultad de Informática, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain;European Centre for Soft Computing, Edificio Científico-Tecnológico, 33600 Mieres, Asturias, Spain;Universidad de Murcia, Facultad de Informática, Campus Universitario de Espinardo, 30100 Murcia, Spain;European Centre for Soft Computing, Edificio Científico-Tecnológico, 33600 Mieres, Asturias, Spain

  • Venue:
  • Information Sciences: an International Journal
  • Year:
  • 2010

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Abstract

This paper introduces a new methodology based on the use of Pathfinder networks (PFNETs) for the debugging of multi-agent systems (MASs). This methodology is specifically designed to develop a forensic analysis (i.e. a debugging process performed on previously recorded data of the MAS run) of MASs showing complex tissues of relationships between agents (i.e. a high complexity in their social level). Like previous works in the field of forensic analysis of MASs, our approach is performed by considering displays of the system activity which aim to be understandable by human beings. These displays allow us to understand the social behavior of the system, discover emergent behaviors, and debug possible undesirable behaviors. However, it is well known that the visualization of information in a humanly comprehensible way becomes a complex task when large amounts of information have to be represented, as is the case of the social behavior of large-scale MASs. Our methodology tackles this problem through the use of PFNETs, which are considered to reduce the data complexity in order to obtain simple representations that show only the most important global interactions in the system. In addition, the proposed methodology is customizable thanks to the use of two thresholds allowing the user to define the desired specificity level in the display. The proposal is illustrated with a detailed case study considering a complex customer-seller MAS.