Leveraging the Learning Curve: Reusing Existing Architectural Patterns to Design and Implement MAS

Recent advancements in AI have led to the development of specialized systems related to multi-agent systems (MAS). However, the inherently collaborative nature of agents is often overlooked, and many of these specialized systems are used as components by other AI systems. From a software engineering perspective, this context can benefit from aligning the architectural characteristics of distributed systems with the inherently distributed nature of MAS. We propose that introducing a minimal set of agent-related concepts into the Distributed Systems (DS) domain can improve the engineering of modern MAS by leveraging techniques from DS engineering with established agent theory. In this study, we recapitulated the common origins of MAS and DS by drawing architectural parallels to establish a unified engineering approach. We then defined a minimal set of agent concepts to perform two practical studies on leveraging MAS development. First, we incorporated these concepts into a DS architectural pattern to design a distributed MAS. We then used these concepts in a graduate course to teach MAS engineering to students with no prior knowledge of agent theory. The learning outcomes from both courses included successful MAS implementation using DS tools and techniques. Although more than two-thirds of these students had no practical experience in developing distributed systems, the average final grade in both courses was above 80%, thus validating our approach. Finally, we discuss how this study supports the development of advanced systems using modern AI techniques consistently with established agent-related research while leveraging established DS techniques and concepts.