A Multi-Agent Middleware for Resilience Enhancement in Heterogeneous Control Systems

Authors

Abstract

Modern computing networks that enable distributed computing are comprised of a wide range of heterogeneous devices with different levels of resources, which are interconnected by different networking technologies and communication protocols. This integration, together with the state of the art technologies, has brought into play new uncertainties, associated with physical world and the cyber space. In heterogeneous networked control systems environments, awareness and resilience are two important properties that these systems should bear and comply with. In this work the problem of resilience enhancement in heterogeneous networked control systems is addressed based on a distributed middleware, which is propped up on a hierarchical multi-agent framework, where each of the constituent agents is devoted to a specific task. The proposed architecture takes into account physical and cyber vulnerabilities and ensures state and context awareness, and a minimum level of acceptable operational performance, in response to physical and cyber disturbances. Experiments on a IPv6-based test-bed proved the relevance and benefits offered by the proposed architecture.

Keywords

Actuators, communication protocols, computer network security, constituent agents, cyber disturbances, cyber space, cyber vulnerabilities, distributed control, distributed middleware, ensures state, heterogeneous control systems, heterogeneous devices, heterogeneous networked control systems environments, IP networks, middleware, Middleware, minimum level, modern computing networks, multi-agent systems, multiagent framework, multiagent middleware, networked control systems, networking technologies, physical disturbances, physical world, protocols, Resilience, resilience enhancement, Security, Sensors, telecommunication control, Wireless sensor networks

Conference

2019 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Technology (ICIT) 2019

DOI