Simulation in Agent-Oriented Software Engineering: The SODA case study

The key role of simulation in the engineering of complex multiagent systems (MAS) is today generally acknowledged in the MAS community. However, the adoption of simulation in state-of-the-art Agent-Oriented Software Engineering (AOSE) methodologies is still incomplete at its best.In this paper we present a simulation-based approach to MAS engineering and discuss its integration within AOSE methodologies. Integration is first discussed in general by adopting standard method engineering techniques, then detailed by means of a case study—that is, integrating simulation in SODA.

► We study the issue of simulation in AOSE. ► We devise out an agent-based method for exploiting simulation in the early design stage of the engineering process. ► We revise AOSE methodologies for integration of a simulation-based approach. ► We integrate our simulation-based method in the SODA methodology as a case study.