An architecture for E-cooperating business agents

Abstract

The task of coordinating business agents to accomplish complex goals, which could not be accomplished by any of the agents on its own, is a complex one. This paper addresses the problem of coordinating companies within a general architecture for e-cooperation. This architecture articulates the interoperation of business process over the Internet with varied degrees of security requirements. The implementation infrastructure is used to support the cooperative design and construction of production facilities (spot-welding lines, assembly lines). These are typically complex systems, which are made of several subsystems (robots, machines, cells), that are designed and built by different companies in different countries. Design and construction involves several types of companies, from OEMs to small engineering houses. With this architecture we aim at improving the otherwise time consuming task of coordinating their activities, especially when models (geometric, process, and workflow models), machine programs, documentation, etc. must be exchanged frequently and securely.