Skip to main content

A-Team Solving Distributed Resource-Constrained Multi-project Scheduling Problem

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 11056))

Abstract

In this paper a multi-agent system based on the A-Team concept is proposed to solve the distributed resource-constrained multi-project scheduling problem (DRCMPSP). The DRCMPSP belongs to the class of the strongly NP-hard optimisation problems. In the DRCMPSP multiple distributed projects are considered, hence, a coordination of the shared decisions is needed as well as the local task schedule for each project. Multi-agent systems are the natural way of solving such problems. The proposed A-Team multi-agent system has been built using the JABAT environment where two types of the optimisation agents are involved: local and global. Local agents are used to find solutions for the local projects, and global agents are responsible for coordination of the local projects and hence, for the global solution. The approach has been tested experimentally using 140 benchmark problem instances from MPSPLIB with the average project delay (APD) as optimisation criterion.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Buying options

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Adhau, S., Mittal, M.L., Mittal, A.: A multi-agent system for distributed multi-agent scheduling: an auction-based negotiation approach. Eng. Appl. Artif. Intell. 25(8), 1738–1751 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engappai.2011.12.003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Barbucha, D., Czarnowski, I., Jędrzejowicz, P., Ratajczak-Ropel, E., Wierzbowska, I.: E-JABAT - an implementation of the web-based A-team. In: Nguyen, N.T., Jain, L.C. (eds.) Intelligent Agents in the Evolution of Web and Applications. SCI, vol. 167, pp. 57–86. Springer, Heilderberg (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-88071-4_4

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Barbucha, D., Czarnowski, I., Jędrzejowicz, P., Ratajczak-Ropel, E., Wierzbowska, I.: Influence of the working strategy on A-team performance. In: Szczerbicki, E., Nguyen, N.T. (eds.) Smart Information and Knowledge Management. SCI, vol. 260, pp. 83–102. Springer, Heidelberg (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-04584-4_4

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  4. Bellifemine, F., Caire, G., Poggi, A., Rimassa, G.: JADE. A White Paper, Exp. 3(3), 6–20 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bellifemine, F., Caire, G., Greenwood, D.: Developing Multi-agent Systems with JADE. Wiley, Chichester (2007)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  6. Błażewicz, J., Lenstra, J., Rinnooy, A.: Scheduling subject to resource constraints: classification and complexity. Discrete Appl. Math. 5, 11–24 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1016/0166-218X(83)90012-4

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  7. Can, A., Ulusoy, G.: Multi-project scheduling with two-stage decomposition. Ann. Oper. Res. 217(1), 95–116 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-014-1555-0

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  8. Confessore, G., Giordani, S., Rismondo, S.: An auction based approach in decentralized project scheduling. In: Proceedings of PMS 2002 - International Workshop on Project Management and Scheduling, Valencia, pp. 110–113 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Confessore, G., Giordani, S., Rismondo, S.: A market-based multi-agent system model for decentralized multi-project scheduling. Ann. Oper. Res. 150(1), 115–135 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10479-006-0158-9

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Homberger, J.: A multi-agent system for the decentralized resource-constrained multi-project scheduling problem. Int. Trans. Oper. Res. 14(6), 565–589 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Homberger, J.: A (\(\mu \),\(\lambda \))-coordination mechanism for agent-based multi-project scheduling. OR Spect. 34(1), 107–132 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00291-009-0178-3

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Jȩdrzejowicz, P., Wierzbowska, I.: JADE-based A-team environment. In: Alexandrov, V.N., van Albada, G.D., Sloot, P.M.A., Dongarra, J. (eds.) ICCS 2006. LNCS, vol. 3993, pp. 719–726. Springer, Heidelberg (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/11758532_94

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  13. Jędrzejowicz, P., Ratajczak-Ropel, E.: New generation a-team for solving the resource constrained project scheduling. In: Proceedings of the Eleventh International Workshop on Project Management and Scheduling, Istanbul, pp. 156–159 (2008)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Jędrzejowicz, P., Ratajczak-Ropel, E.: Reinforcement learning strategies for A-team solving the resource-constrained project scheduling problem. Neurocomputing 146, 301–307 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neucom.2014.05.070

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Jędrzejowicz, P., Ratajczak-Ropel, E.: Dynamic cooperative interaction strategy for solving RCPSP by a team of agents. In: Nguyen, N.-T., Manolopoulos, Y., Iliadis, L., Trawiński, B. (eds.) ICCCI 2016. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 9875, pp. 454–463. Springer, Cham (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45243-2_42

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  16. Lova, A., Tormos, P.: Analysis of scheduling schemes and heuristic rules performance in resource-constrained multiproject scheduling. Ann. Oper. Res. 102, 263–286 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010966401888

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. Ratajczak-Ropel, E.: Agent-based approach to the single and multi-mode resource-constrained project scheduling. In: Kacprzyk, J. (ed.) Population-Based Approaches to the Resource-Constrained and Discrete-Continuous Scheduling. SSDC, vol. 108, pp. 1–100. Springer, Heidelberg (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-62893-6

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  18. Song, W., Kang, D., Zhang, J., Xi, H.: Decentralized multi-project scheduling via multi-unit combinatorial auction. In: Proceedings of the 2016 International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, pp. 836–844. International Foundation for Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems, Singapore (2016)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Talukdar S., Baerentzen L., Gove A., De Souza P.: Asynchronous teams: co-operation schemes for autonomous, computer-based agents. Technical report EDRC 18–59-96, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Zheng, Z., Guo, Z., Zhu, Y., Zhang, X.: A critical chains based distributed multi-project scheduling approach. Neurocomputing 143(16), 282–293 (2014)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Multi-Project Scheduling Library. http://www.mpsplib.com/

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ewa Ratajczak-Ropel .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2018 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Jedrzejowicz, P., Ratajczak-Ropel, E. (2018). A-Team Solving Distributed Resource-Constrained Multi-project Scheduling Problem. In: Nguyen, N., Pimenidis, E., Khan, Z., Trawiński, B. (eds) Computational Collective Intelligence. ICCCI 2018. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 11056. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98446-9_23

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98446-9_23

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98445-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98446-9

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics