Enterprise multi-agent software system with services able to call multiple engines and scheduling capability

• US 7,437,703 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2003
• Issued: 10/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Wu, Yuh-Cherng
• Primary Examiner(s): Ingberg; Todd
• Application Number:
  US10/631,664
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,902 Days
• Field of Search: 717/100, 706/49, 706/45, 706/60, 706/54, 706/15, 706/14, 706/926
• US Class Current: 717/100
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/954 Navigation, e.g. using categorised browsing
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/022 Knowledge engineering; Knowledge acquisition
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management

Abstract

A system and techniques are disclosed to provide a multi-agent software environment. The system provides several service modules that may be used by software programs to accomplish specific tasks. In one illustrative example, a first program module includes instructions to call core service software modules. The exemplary system further includes a second program module including instructions to call one of multiple intelligent service software modules. In some examples, an intelligent service software module includes program instructions that when executed perform an intelligent service function that includes execution of an intelligent engine. In some examples, the intelligent engine is callable by at least two of the intelligent service software modules.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

core service software modules, wherein each core service software module comprises program instructions that when executed perform core service functions that interact with a data source, each core service software module being callable by a software program module, and when called, is provided with information identifying a core service function to be performed and identifying a data object upon which the identified core service function is to be performed, wherein one of the core service functions is to;

store a task to be completed in a scheduling time sheet,

configure a notification timer using the scheduling time sheet and a preset time, and

signal the software program module to execute the task at the preset time;

intelligent service software modules, wherein each intelligent service software module comprises program instructions that when executed perform an intelligent service function that comprises execution of an intelligent engine that is callable by at least two of the intelligent service software modules, each intelligent service software module being callable by the software program module, and when called, is provided with information identifying an intelligent service function to be performed and identifying parameters to be used during the performance of the intelligent service; and

software programs, wherein each software program comprises a set of program modules that comprises instructions that when executed call at least one of the core service and the intelligent service software modules.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the core service functions is to translate a data format for the data object.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the core service functions is to update the data object stored in an external system.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the core service functions is to route the data object from a first server to a second server using a pre-defined routing rule.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the core service functions is to generate an aggregated data set using a set of data objects and a data conversion algorithm.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the core service functions is to convert a set of data objects to a recognizable format using a data conversion algorithm.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to generate a search index to operate with a search engine.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to generate characteristic features of the data object by executing a clustering algorithm using the data object;

and

store the characteristic features in the directory.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to execute a search engine using a query search.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to:

transform the data object into a classification text using the core service modules;

execute a search engine to generate a parse text using the classification text;

execute a text-mining engine to classify the text using the parse text;

determine classification quality using a classification rank from the text-mining engine; and

execute an action based upon the classification quality.

11. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to:

execute a learning engine using a learning algorithm and the set of data;

compare a learning engine output using a previous behavior; and

raise an alert based upon the comparison.

12. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to:

execute a learning engine using a recommendation algorithm;

compare a learning engine output using a predefined performance criteria;

send the learning engine output based on the comparison to the software program module.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to:

execute a prediction model using a prediction request; and

send a prediction result from the prediction model to the software program module.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to:

generate a transformation data set for the content of the data object using core services;

generate an outlier-free transformation data set using an outlier algorithm and the transformation data set;

generate a normalized outlier-free transformation data set using a normalization technique and the outlier-free transformation data set;

generate a set of cross validation data sets from the normalized outlier-free transformation dataset using a random selection algorithm and the normalized outlier-free transformation data set;

execute a knowledge discovery engine using a pattern-recognition algorithm and one of the set of cross validation data sets;

compare a knowledge discovery engine output to a set of control data; and

generate a prediction model based on the comparison.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to:

execute an optimization engine using a decision request;

execute a sensitivity analysis model using an optimization output from the optimization engine; and

send a decision based on a sensitivity analysis from the sensitivity analysis model and the optimization output.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to:

access performance data from the software module;

generate new performance data using the performance data and historical data;

generate data distributions using the new performance data;

execute a planning engine using the data distributions;

compare planning engine output to a goal; and

generate a workflow to propose a goal adjustment based on the comparison.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to:

decompose a goal into a plurality of sub-plans;

bind each sub-plan to a set of software program modules using a hierarchy of software program modules;

generate data distributions using historical data;

execute a planning engine using the data distributions;

compare a planning engine output to a predefined goal; and

generate a plan based on the comparison.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein one of the intelligent service functions is to:

execute an optimization engine using a data binding and an optimization algorithm; and

generate a decision model using a decision boundary and an optimization engine output.

19. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

organization service software modules, wherein each organization service software module comprises program instructions that when executed perform organization service functions that manage at least one software program module, each organization service software module being callable by the software program module, and when called, is provided with information identifying the organization service function to be performed and information identifying the software program module upon which the identified organization service function is to be performed.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein one of the organization service functions is to manage at least one software program module.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein one of the organization service functions is to coordinate execution of a set of program modules.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein one of the organization service functions is to monitor execution of the software program module.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein one of the organization service functions is to:

send requests to a plurality of software program modules to execute a plurality of tasks; and

receive replies to the requests from the plurality of software program modules using a blackboard technique.

24. The system of claim 1 wherein the software programs are agent software programs.

25. An agent software program comprising:

a first program module comprising instructions that when executed perform a call to one of a plurality of core service software modules, wherein each core service software module comprises program instructions that when executed perform core service functions that interact with a data source, each core service software module being callable by a software program module, and when called, is provided with information identifying a core service function to be performed and identifying a data object upon which the identified core service function is to be performed, wherein one of the core service functions is to;

store a task to be completed in a scheduling time sheet,

configure a notification timer using the scheduling time sheet and a preset time, and

signal the software program module to execute the task at the preset time; and

a second program module comprising instructions that when executed perform a call to one of a plurality of intelligent service software modules, wherein each intelligent service software module comprises program instructions that when executed perform an intelligent service function that comprises execution of an intelligent engine that is callable by at least two of the intelligent service software modules, each intelligent service software module being callable by the software program module, and when called, is provided with information identifying an intelligent service function to be performed and identifying parameters to be used during the performance of the intelligent service.

26. The agent software program of claim 25, wherein the plurality of core service functions comprise data transformation, data connection, data routing, data integration, multi-channel integration, and a scheduling service.

27. The agent software program of claim 25, wherein the plurality of intelligent service functions comprise a compilation service, a clustering service, a search query service, a classification service, an adaptation service, a recommendation service, a prediction service, a pattern-recognition service, a decision service, a planning service, and an optimization service.

28. The agent software program of claim 25, further comprising instructions that when executed perform a call to one of a plurality of organizational service software modules, wherein each organization service software module comprises program instructions that when executed perform organization service functions that manage the execution of the agent software program in concert with other agent software programs.

29. The agent software program of claim 28, wherein the plurality of organizational service functions comprise a controlling service, a coordination service, a monitoring service, and a collaboration service.

30. The agent software program of claim 25 comprising at least one core service module and at least one intelligent service module arranged as a hierarchy of software modules, the hierarchy of software modules comprising at least one lower layer of software modules and at least one upper layer of software modules.

31. The agent software program of claim 30 wherein the at least one lower layer of software modules provides at least one software module interface to the at least one upper layer of software modules, the at least one software module interface allowing the at least one upper layer of software modules access to the at least one lower layer of software modules.