Decentralized resource allocation in application layer networks

Application-layer networks (ALN) are software architectures that allow the provisioning of services requiring a huge amount of resources by connecting large numbers of individual computers. The ALN simulation project CATNET evaluates a decentralized mechanism for resource allocation in ALN, which is based on the economic paradigm of the Catallaxy, against a centralized mechanism using an arbitrator object. In both versions, software agents buy and sell network services and resources to and from each other. The economic model is based on self-interested maximization of utility and self-interested cooperation between agents. This article describes the design of money and message flows for centralized and decentralized coordination in both versions and shows preliminary results.