Coalition%20Agents%20eXperiment%20-%20The%20Coalition%20TIE

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CoAX Coalition Agents eXperiment AFRL, AIAI,
BBN, Boeing, Dartmouth, DSTO, Lockheed Martin
ATL, Michigan, OBJS, QinetiQ, USC/ISI,
UWF/IHMC Support from DREV, GITI, ISX, MITRE, MIT
Sloan, Schafer, Stanford http//www.aiai.ed.ac.uk
/project/coax/
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Briefing Outline

• Context and Scenario
• Whats New
• CoAX Binni 2001 Demo
• Technical Detail
• Next Steps
• Transition Plans

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Context

• Increasing military requirements for coalition
  operations
• Belief that agent computational model can
  support
• Coalition interoperability requirements
• Dynamic and Decentralized C3I
• International Agent Research Programmes
• US DARPA Control of Agent Based Systems (CoABS)
• UK DSTL/QinetiQ Agents Project
• Australian and Canadian Agents and Coalition Work
• TTCP C3I Groups for international involvement
• Need for middleware such as is provided by
  CoABS Grid Infrastructure

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Aim of Coalition TIE

• To address unique aspects of coalition operations
  through the development and evaluation of
• agent domain management services
• agent task, process and event management services
• Specific agent services
• Aim will be met through delivery of
• Phased technical demonstrations of increasing
  complexity
• Integration of diverse agent systems
• Development of generic Coalition-oriented grid
  services
• Requirements
• Use of a wide variety of different agent systems
• Use of existing military (non-agent) applications

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Demonstration Schedule

• 1-month demo at kick-off in February 2000 showing
  direct connection between DERA MBP and LM ATL
  AODB
• 6-month integration milestone in July 2000
  showing initial integration of selected CoAX
  components for year 2000 demo
• CoAX Binni 2000 demo in Fall 2000
• Briefing the CoAX TIE and Binni scenario
• Showing full integration of selected CoAX
  components in Binni
• Telling a relevant story about agents for
  information gathering
• CoAX Binni 2001 demo in Fall 2001
• Fully integrating all CoAX components in a rich
  coalition scenario
• Expanding scope to cover dynamic re-planning
• CoAX Binni 2002 demo in Fall 2002
• Showing dynamic aspects of coalition
  organization, domain management, tasking and
  event handling
• Expanding scope to cover dynamic planning,
  coordination and execution.

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The CoABS Grid

• The CoABS/Infrastructure code provides a
  framework for integrating diverse agent-based
  systems, and provides additional common services.
• The Grid allows agents to find services and other
  agents so that agent teams can be dynamically
  formed to solve context-based tasks.
• The Grid is built using JiniTM technology. Direct
  agent communication is provided using message
  queues built on JAVA RMI. Grid Logging Markup
  Language based on XML.

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CoAX Components
Agent Frameworks KAoS Agents (IHMC,
Boeing) NOMADS Mobile Agents (IHMC) EMAA/CAST
Agents (LM-ATL) GMAS (Dartmouth, IHMC,
LM-ATL) DAgents (Dartmouth) eGents (OBJS)
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Briefing Outline

• Context and Scenario
• Whats New
• CoAX Binni 2001 Demo
• Technical Detail
• Next Steps
• Transition Plans

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New Parts in 2001 Demo

• Generic services
• IHMC/Boeing - Domain management - KAoS Grid
  Helper for easy integration of any grid agent,
  use of resource and conversation management to up
  pace, integration with grid security services,
  hierarchical domains, DAML-based KAoS Policy
  Representation
• AIAI/QinetiQ - Task/process/event management -
  multiple panels, issue passing, reporting, more
  generic approach, XML process models, initial
  process librarian, catch-all for any issue and
  report (in simple way), can use partial knowledge
• New Agent Communications Mechanisms
• OBJS - eGents e-mail and wireless/untethered
  agents
• Dartmouth/IHMC/LM-ATL - GMAS mobile agents
• New functional parts
• Michigan - Plan Deconfliction Agent
• Dartmouth - Observer Agents
• OBJS MBNLI natural language data base queries
• QinetiQ Interface Agents and Semantic
  Interoperability (XSLT)
• All - Shared models and messages in XML format

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Briefing Outline

• Context and Scenario
• Whats New
• CoAX Binni 2001 Demo
• Technical Detail
• Next Steps
• Transition Plans

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CoAX Demo Emphasis
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CoAX 18-month Demo - Agent Domains
UNSGSR
UN Panel
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Part 1 1505 - Firestorm media issue at UN - JTFC
considers alternatives to Firestorm and tasks
JFACC to report.
JFAC HQ
JTFHQ
US HQ
UK HQ
Grid / Common / Shared Coalition data
The Coalition
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Part 2 1515 - Cbt Ops staff enter tasking events
into the Event Panel and use MBP Ops to find out
time left for decisions.
JFAC HQ
JTFHQ
US HQ
UK HQ
Combat Ops
Grid / Common / Shared Coalition data
The Coalition
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Part 3 1520 - Cbt Ops staff locate wildlife info
via Internet. Staff subscribe to the e-Gents
service. MBNLI used.
JFAC HQ
JTFHQ
US HQ
UK HQ
Combat Ops
Grid / Common / Shared Coalition data
The Coalition
Laki
e-gent
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Part 4 1525 - Combat Ops staff create feed from
Laki site to MBP Ops / SitView using Ariadne
wrapper / XSLT Translator.
JFAC HQ
JTFHQ
US HQ
UK HQ
Combat Ops
MS
Grid / Common / Shared Coalition data
The Coalition
'Pre-canned' elephant movement data
Laki
Ariadne
e-gent
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KAoS / The Grid
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Part 5 1526 - JTFC authorises Firestorm 'Go'.
Laki / observer info dynamically redisplayed on
MBP Ops / SitViewer.
JFAC HQ
JTFHQ
US HQ
UK HQ
Grid / Common / Shared Coalition data
The Coalition
Firestorm GO!
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Part 6 1535 - 2ndry target plan from MBP must
now be deconflicted with existing plans.
JFAC HQ
JTFHQ
US HQ
UK HQ
Combat Ops
Grid / Common / Shared Coalition data
The Coalition
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Part 7 1601 - Agadez fighters start HVAA, JSTARS
must 'regress' and observer agents on board
'SCRAM' elsewhere.
JFAC HQ
JTFHQ
US HQ
UK HQ
Combat Ops
Grid / Common / Shared Coalition data
The Coalition
Firestorm GO!
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Briefing Outline

• Context and Scenario
• Whats New
• CoAX Binni 2001 Demo
• Technical Detail
• Next Steps
• Transition Plans

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Technical Details

• UWF/IHMC Domain Management and Mobility
  Security Services
• Edinburgh/AIAI Process and Event Panels
• QinetiQ Shared Visualisations and Data
  Translation
• Michigan Plan Coordination

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Agent Domains
DM

• Group of agents registered with a common Domain
  Manager
• Can be distributed across multiple hosts
• Can be hierarchical/nested or overlapping(2002
  implementation)
• Provides for common administration and
  enforcement of domain-wide, VM-specific, and
  agent-specific policies.

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Coalition Domain Types
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Policy Concerns Go Beyond Typical Security Issues

• Access management Who can access what services?
• Registration management Who can join the domain
  under what circumstances?
• Resource management Who can have which kind and
  how much of a given computing resource?
• Mobility management What constraints should be
  placed on mobile code?
• Communication management What constraints govern
  conversations among agents?
• Obligation management Are agents meeting their
  commitments?

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New Development KAoS Agent Registration Helper

• Generic KAoSGuard is instantiated automatically
• Registration of Guard with Domain Manager handled
• Guard enforces policies or delegates to other
  enforcers
• Expanding set of policies that generic Guard can
  enforce
• Domain Registration is handled automatically
• KAoSAgentRegistrationHelper registers both with
  the Grid and with the Domain Manager
• Domain Manager verifies that agent is guarded
• Domain-aware agents will be able to
• register simultaneously with multiple domains
• register and unregister at will
• Collaboration with GITI resulted in many
  improvements in the latest CoABS Grid Release

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Next Steps KAoS Policy Representation (KPR)

• DAML (DARPA Agent Markup Language) extends ML
  semantics
• XML allows users to add arbitrary structures
• RDF extends XML, meaning expressed in
  subject-verb-object triples
• DAML extends RDF to express taxonomies and
  inference rules
• Is being defined by DARPA and the W3C
  (www.daml.org)
• KPR Description
• DAML-based ontologies
• Distinguishes between authorizations and
  obligations
• Provides basis for
• Policy conflict resolution
• Policy disclosure management
• Reasoning about actions
• Policy specification

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NOMADS Mobility and Security

• NOMADS adds mobility services to the CoABS Grid
• Allows new agents to be launched to systems as
  needed
• Allows agents to move across systems
• Mobility may be forced (external event driven) or
  autonomous
• Forced mobility scenario Scramming agents from
  J-STARS to Ground Platform (18-month demo)
• NOMADS provides secure execution of agents
• Custom Aroma Java Virtual Machine provides
  extensive resource control capabilities
• Enforces resource policies specified through KAoS
• Protects against Denial-of-service attacks (shown
  in 9-month demo)
• Dynamically adjusts resources based on mission
  priorities (30-month demo)
• Working with Sun Labs to transition resource
  control into commercial Java

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Technical Details

• UWF/IHMC Domain Management and Mobility
  Security Services
• Edinburgh/AIAI Process and Event Panels
• QinetiQ Shared Visualisations and Data
  Translation
• Michigan Plan Coordination

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Aim is a Workflow Catch All

• Can take ANY requirement to
• Handle an issue
• Perform an activity
• Respect a constraint
• Deals with these via
• Internal capabilities
• External capabilities
• Manual activity
• Reroute or delegate to other panels or agents
• Plan and execute a composite of these
  capabilities
• Receives reports and interprets them to
• Understand current status of issues, activities
  and constraints
• Understand current world state, especially status
  of process products
• Help user control the situation
• Copes with partial knowledge

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I-X Approach

• The I-X approach involves the use of shared
  models for task directed communication between
  human and computer agents who are jointly
  exploring (via some process(es)) a range of
  alternative options for the synthesis of an
  artifact such as a design or a plan (termed a
  product).
• I-X system or agent has two cycles
• Handle Issues
• Respect Domain Constraints
• I-X system or agent carries out a (perhaps
  dynamically determined) process which leads to
  the production of (one or more alternative
  options for) a synthesised artifact.
• I-X system or agent views the synthesised
  artifact as being represented by a set of
  constraints on the space of all possible
  artifacts in the domain.

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I-TEST, I-LEED I-DEEL
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Technical Details

• UWF/IHMC Domain Management and Mobility
  Security Services
• Edinburgh/AIAI Process and Event Panels
• QinetiQ Shared Visualisations and Data
  Translation
• Michigan Plan Coordination

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QinetiQ Technical Input

• Storyboard scenario data
• Systems integration lead
• Master Battle Planner
• Flexible Visualisation
• Use of Embodied Interface Agents / NLP
• Translation and forwarding agents
• Semantic Web Technology investigation

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Master Battle Planner
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Flexible Visualisation

• Allow customisable visualisation of any coalition
  data
• Map-based visualisation using OpenMap (BBN
  Technologies)
• Multiple projections terrain data etc
• Layers allow clean separation of information and
  rapid addition of new requirements
• Agent-enabled for distributed visualisation of
  dynamic data
• Data translation allows almost any XML input...

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Flexible Visualisation
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Translation Agents

• Agent using XSL Transformations allows complete
  reformatting of XML message
• Input via Grid (active or passive), file, HTTP...
• Automatic translation and forwarding once set up
  (to any number of agents).
• Rapid integration and change possible due to
  declarative mapping
• Result general-purpose glue for agent
  integration

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Translation Agents
Stylesheet
lt?xml version"1.0"?gt ltxslstylesheet
xmlnsxsl "http//www.w3.org/ 1999/XSL/Transform"
version"1.0"gt ltxsloutput method"xml"
indent"yes"/gt ltxsltemplate
match"obmsg"gt ltMBPDATAgt ltxslapply-templates
select "obsobsvr"/gt lt/MBPDATAgt lt/xsltemplategt
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Translation Agents
ltagent_output date'Tue Jul 17 135224 GMT0100
2001'gt ltOBJECTgt ltROWgt lthnamegtBig_Billlt/hnamegt
ltlocationgt34.51.80E/17.01.70Nlt/locationgt ltaltit
udegt270lt/altitudegt ltvelocitygt5lt/velocitygt ltair
tempgt91lt/airtempgt lthumiditygt31lt/humiditygt ltbod
ytempgt99lt/bodytempgt ltbloodpressuregt110/50lt/blood
pressuregt ltpulsegt72lt/pulsegt ltbasalskinresponse
gt430lt/basalskinresponsegt lttimegt2012/09/24_1700
00lt/timegt lt/ROWgtlt/OBJECTgt lt/agent_outputgt
lt?xml version"1.0" encoding"UTF-8"?gt ltMBPDATAgt
ltMBPOBJECTgt ltGROUNDgt
ltIDgtElephant_Big_Billlt/IDgt
ltNOTESgtElephant data from Egentslt/NOTESgt
ltLOCATION EW"E" NS"N" LON"34.8722"
LAT"17.0361"/gt ltALLEGIANCE
VALUE"3"/gt ltSTATUS VALUE"2"/gt
ltDESCRIPTIONgtElephant Herd
Leaderlt/DESCRIPTIONgt ltMOBILITY
VALUE"2"/gt lt/GROUNDgt
lt/MBPOBJECTgt lt/MBPDATAgt
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Semantic Web

• Investigations into Resource Description
  Framework (RDF), DARPA Agent Markup
  Language/Ontology Inference Layer (DAMLOIL) and
  the W3C Semantic Web initiative
• The way the web was meant to be
• Powerful and flexible storage and search of data
  - beyond databases
• Potential for automated discovery and invocation
  of agents and services
• Publication in SWWS

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RDF Browser
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Semantic Web - Examples

• Backing knowledge base for SitViewer
• Auto translation (unique names URIs)
• ACL (more flexible than XML)
• Assembly of partial data, with timestamp, origin
  and other metadata
• Markup of human-readable documents

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Technical Details

• UWF/IHMC Domain Management and Mobility
  Security Services
• Edinburgh/AIAI Process and Event Panels
• QinetiQ Shared Visualisations and Data
  Translation
• Michigan Plan Coordination

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Some SolutionConcepts

• Agents plans can be represented hierarchically,
  where abstract levels summarize the (alternative)
  activities they encompass

Operation_FirstAid
FLY USS_H_Clinton Ingress1
FLY Egress2 USS_H_Clinton
Provide_Supply
Supply_via_Trucks
Supply_via_Depot2
FLY Ingress1 Trucks
FLY Ingress1 Depot2
Supply_Trucks
Supply_Depot2
FLY Trucks Egress2
FLY Depot2 Egress2
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Some SolutionConcepts (cont)

• Abstract plan spaces can be searched more
  efficiently (top-down) to discover potential
  conflicts and to evaluate potential resolutions
• Choosing the level for resolving conflicts
  balances coordination effort with the quality of
  concurrent activity and plan robustness

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Top-Down Coordination
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Top-Down Coordination
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Top-Down Coordination
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Top-Down Coordination
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Top-Down Coordination
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Top-Down Coordination
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Top-Down Coordination
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Top-Down Coordination
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Top-Down Coordination
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MCA Multi-Level Coordination Agent

• MCA implemented as a Grid-aware service
• Demonstrated applicability in various tasks
• MCA integrated into Coalition Agents eXperiment
  TIE
• Receives intended plan information from Master
  Battle Planner, along with plans from other
  allied agents
• Notifies user(s) through process panel of any
  conflicts and alternative ways of deconflicting
• Respects hard time commitments of MBP and of
  activities already in progress
• Allows user to select an option (or none)

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Deconfliction Options
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Future Plans

• Increasing the ability to work quickly and
  effectively in non-episodic cases (e.g.,
  incremental coalition formation)
• Distributing MCA services across multiple agents
  to improve reliability and scalability
• Design and analyze extensions for efficiently
  discovering and exploiting synergistic
  interactions
• Experiment on increasingly difficult (Coalition)
  scenarios
• Transition CoAX, STRATCOM?, NASA-JPL

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Briefing Outline

• Context and Scenario
• Whats New
• CoAX Binni 2001 Demo
• Technical Detail
• Next Steps
• Transition Plans

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CoAX Binni 2002 (Fall 2002) Demo Plan

• Dynamic come as you are coalition formation
• Dynamic creation of virtual coalition
  organization
• Agents and domains added to coalition structure
  on-the-fly
• Dynamic coalition tasks and processes
• Tailored visualizations / interface agents
• Tools to improve human / software agent
  interaction
• High-level tools usable without specialized
  training
• Packaged generic Grid services
• Domain management and DAML-based policy analysis
• Task, process, and event management
• Involvement of more countries and organizations
• USA BBN Mixed initiative agents dynamic
  information flow
• Australia DSTO Logistics planning and
  information analysis
• Canada DREV - discussions begun

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Briefing Outline

• Context and Scenario
• Whats New
• CoAX Binni 2001 Demo
• Technical Detail
• Next Steps
• Transition Plans

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CoAX Transition Program
2000
2001
2002
2003
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CoAX Transition Plan

• CoAX "PI Team" clarified Jeff Bradshaw
  (UWF/IHMC), Austin Tate (AIAI, Edinburgh),
  Patrick Beautement and Mike Kirton (QinetiQ,
  Malvern).
• Structure for outreach or transitioning of the
  CoAX work
• CoAX Binni
• CoAX Air
• CoAX Navy
• Agreements
• Name CoAX used only if approved by the PI Team
• Any number of current CoAX and other participants
• Lead need not be a member of PI Team
• Report back to CoAX participants will be given
• CoAX Outreach Program" structure allows for
  future flexibility and possibilities
• CoAX International
• CoAX Rescue Civilian Disaster Relief
• KSCO Knowledge Systems for Coalition Operations

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Further Details

• http//www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/project/coax/
• Materials for this briefing are at
  http//www.aiai.ed.ac.uk/project/coax/ttcp/

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Unused Slides
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Agent Domain Management in CoAX

• Broadens typical distributed security concerns to
  include
• Access management Who can access what services?
• Registration management Who can join the domain
  under what circumstances?
• Resource management Who can have which kind and
  how much of a given computing resource?
• Mobility management What constraints should be
  placed on mobile code?
• Communication management What constraints govern
  interaction between conversing agents?
• Obligation management Are agents meeting their
  commitments?

Initial capability shown in 9-month demo Initial
Capability slated for 18-month demo Initial
capability slated for 30-month demo
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Task, Process, and Event Management in CoAX

• Initially maintains an overview of the current
  status of the coalition C2 processes in
  accessible shared military terms.
• Can take on and address issues in the C2
  process.
• Later adds the ability to monitor, plan and
  control the coalition C2 processes and deal with
  events arising from execution.
• Links to and assists with domain management,
  authority, exception management and other Grid
  management services.
• To be packaged as generic task and process
  management facilities that can be made available
  to other Grid applications.

Initial capability shown in 9-month demo Initial
Capability slated for 18-month demo Initial
capability slated for 30-month demo
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Technical Contributions

• GITI - CoABS Grid Infrastructure
• Boeing and UWF/IHMC- KAoS Domain Management
• AIAI - Process Panels Task, Process and Event
  Management
• QinetiQ - Master Battle Planner, Interface
  Agents, Situation Viewer and Demonstration
  Systems Integration
• LM ATL - EMAA/CAST AODB - Restricted Data Base
  Access
• AFRL/BBN/GITI - CAMPS Air Logistics Support Tool
• USC/ISI Ariadne - Open Information Access
• UWF/IHMC - NOMADS Mobile Agents
• Dartmouth - Observer Agents
• Michigan Plan Deconfliction Agent
• OBJS eGents (e-mail connected Field Agents) and
  MBNLI (natural language interface wrappers)
• BBN - TBD
• DSTO - TBD
• DREV -TBD

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Agadez HVAA - JSTARS - DGO agents SCRAM
BEFORE SCRAM
Observers 'db' System
Stream of updates, many about Agadez, few about
Gao
D'AO
Stream of updates, many about GAO, few about
Agadez
Local
SitView
Obs Db
D'GO
Grid helper
Feeds Agadez info to Gao
Obs Db
NOMADS
Stream of updates, many about Agadez, few about
Gao
Picking up troop movement data
'Real-time' feed
Gao Obs
Grid / Common / Shared Coalition data
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JFAC HQ
JTFHQ
US HQ
UK HQ
Combat Ops
MS
CAMPS
ALDB
FAST / MBP Plans
Process Panel
MBP Ops
Weather Viz
AODB
Event Panel
Deconflict
Browser
SitView
Browser
Intel US
Intel UK
Pre-canned data to drive SitView out, authorised
changes in.
Plan changes in, deconflictions out
Plan changes out, deconflictions in
'Real-time' feed
Grid / Common / Shared Coalition data
Grid helper
XSLT Interface
D'GO
KPAT
The Coalition
Obs Db
JSTARS
Gao Obs
MBNLI
MBNLI
Firestorm GO!
Laki
D'AO
D'GO
Weather
Ariadne
e-gent
Observers 'db'
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