The ROADMAP meta-model for intelligent adaptive multi-agent systems in open environments

In this paper, we introduce the ROADMAP meta-model, designed to describe intelligent adaptive systems in open environments, using agent concepts such as roles. Developing intelligent adaptive systems creates new challenges in engineering software quality attributes such as correctness and reliability. The ROADMAP meta-model captures our understanding of properties of intelligent adaptive systems and our perspective on organizational concepts such as roles. The meta-model does not solve specific engineering problems, but provides a clean high-level structure where engineering issues can be grouped and classified. Infrastructure to support these issues can then be put in place progressively with consistency. An informal evaluation of the meta-model and comparison to related work is also presented. We expect developers of AOSE methodologies, tools, programming languages and frameworks to benefit from understanding the design and structure of the ROADMAP meta-model. By adopting the meta-model, the resulting methodologies, tools and languages may inherit its desirable characteristics and better support the development of intelligent adaptive systems in open environments.