Modeling and analysis of exception handling based on multi-agent in computer supported collaborative design

Combining the technologies of workflow and multi-agent, a framework of exception handling based on multi-agent in CSCD (computer supported collaborative design) was presented. In the communication layer, a timeout strategy, which used adaptively the connection-oriented and connectionless message service according to the current state of agent itself and network, was proposed to support reliable communication and reduce the influence of communication failures on the exception handling in CSCD. And according to coordination theory, communication primitive of agent communication language was extended and the state transition of exception handling based on multi-agent was described by using OOPN (object oriented Petri nets) to verify the validity of the primitives. In the application layer, combining the technologies of workflow and client/server, the inner framework of the server and client of CSCD based on multi-agent was defined by using OOPN according to the procedure of agent information processing to verify the dynamic behavior of this multi-agent system, the access control ability of the established model for handling multi-instance and multi-thread, and the mechanism of the online and off-line exception handling.