Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language
Encyclopedia
The Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language, or KQML, is a language
and protocol for communication among software agents and knowledge-based systems. It was
developed in the early 1990s part of the DARPA knowledge Sharing Effort
, which was aimed at developing techniques for building large-scale knowledge bases which are
shareable and reusable. While originally conceived of as an interface to knowledge based systems, it was soon repurposed as an Agent communication language.
Work on KQML was led by Tim Finin
of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Jay Weber of EITech and involved contributions from many researchers.
The KQML message format and protocol can be used to interact with an intelligent system, either by an application program, or by another intelligent system. KQML's "performatives" are operations that agents perform on each other's knowledge and goal stores. Higher-level interactions such as contract nets and negotiation are built using these. KQML's "communication facilitators" coordinate the interactions of other agents
to support knowledge sharing.
Experimental prototype systems support concurrent engineering, intelligent design, intelligent planning, and scheduling.
KQML is superseded by FIPA-ACL.
and protocol for communication among software agents and knowledge-based systems. It was
developed in the early 1990s part of the DARPA knowledge Sharing Effort
Darpa knowledge Sharing Effort
The Knowledge Sharing Effort was initiated in 1990 by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, an agency of the United States Department of Defense. It involved the participation of dozens of researchers from both academia and industry...
, which was aimed at developing techniques for building large-scale knowledge bases which are
shareable and reusable. While originally conceived of as an interface to knowledge based systems, it was soon repurposed as an Agent communication language.
Work on KQML was led by Tim Finin
Tim Finin
Tim Finin is a Professor of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County...
of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Jay Weber of EITech and involved contributions from many researchers.
The KQML message format and protocol can be used to interact with an intelligent system, either by an application program, or by another intelligent system. KQML's "performatives" are operations that agents perform on each other's knowledge and goal stores. Higher-level interactions such as contract nets and negotiation are built using these. KQML's "communication facilitators" coordinate the interactions of other agents
Multi-agent system
A multi-agent system is a system composed of multiple interacting intelligent agents. Multi-agent systems can be used to solve problems that are difficult or impossible for an individual agent or a monolithic system to solve...
to support knowledge sharing.
Experimental prototype systems support concurrent engineering, intelligent design, intelligent planning, and scheduling.
KQML is superseded by FIPA-ACL.
External links
- UMBC Agent Web
- Tim Finin; Jay Weber; Gio Wiederhold; Michael Gensereth; Richard Fritzzon; Donald McKay; James McGuire; Richard Pelavin; Stuart Shapiro; Chris Beck: DRAFT Specification of the KQML Agent-Communication Language (PostScript), June 15, 1993.