Run-Time Verification of MSMAS Norms Using Event Calculus

Abstract

Modelling Self-managing Multi Agent Systems (MSMAS) is a software development methodology that facilitates designing and developing complex distributed systems based on the multiagent systems paradigm. MSMAS uses a declarative modelling style to capture system requirements by specifying four types of what we call system norms over: the system goals, the system roles, the business activities, and communications. MSMAS utilises system norms to capture system requirements in a formal language which can subsequently be monitored and verified at runtime. In this paper we present the main elements of MSMAS and introduce MSMAS defined norm types. We model the life cycle of MSMAS norms as non-atomic activities and formally express them as Event Calculus (EC) theories. Our acclimatisation of MSMAS system norms as first-order EC allows for reasoning with a metric time representation which we illustrate through a monitoring example of two execution traces to verify the system compliance with its intended design requirements and show how to detect any violation of norms.