An architecture for reusable development in distributed system

The agent-oriented (AO) methodology is an effective means for constructing distributed systems. Despite a great deal of research, a number of challenges still exist before making agent-based computing a widely accepted paradigm in software engineering practice. In order to solve the problem of ldquodifficult to implement agent-based systemrdquo, the paper presents a hierarchical development architecture (HDA) approach to facilitate building up new agent system. As the supporting tool, the method engineering process and design patterns play the key role in bridging the gap between design models and system implementation. To exemplify its feasibility and effectiveness, the construction of C4I system is presented as a case study.