A Normative Multiagent Approach to Requirements Engineering

In this paper we present a new model, called NorMAS-RE, for the requirements analysis of a system. NorMAS-RE is a new model based on the multiagent systems paradigm with the aim to support the requirements analysis phase of systems design. This model offers a structured approach to requirements analysis, based on conceptual models defined following a visual modeling language, called dependence networks. The main elements of this visual language are the agents with their goals, capabilities and facts, similarly to the TROPOS methodology [10]. The normative component is present both in the ontology and in the conceptual metamodel, associating agents to roles they play inside the systems and a set of goals, capabilities and facts proper of these roles. This improvement allows to define different types of dependence networks, called dynamic dependence networks and conditional dependence networks, representing the different phases of the requirements analysis of the system. This paper presents a requirements analysis model based on normative concepts such as obligation and institution. The NorMAS-RE model is a model of semiformal specification featured by an ontology, a meta-model, a graphical notation and a set of constraints. Our model, moreover, allows the definition of the notion of coalition for the different kinds of network. We present our model using the scenario of virtual organizations based on a Grid network.