Introduction to promise theory
Promise theory is a graph theoretical framework for understanding
complex relationships in networks, where many constraints have to be
met, which we have developed here at Oslo University College, by
drawing on ideas from several different lines of research here, including
policy based management,graph
theory, logic and configuration management. It
uses a constructivist approach that builds conventional management
structures from graphs of interacting, autonomous agents. Promises can
be asserted either from an agent to itself or from one agent to
another and each promise implies a constraint on the behaviour of the
promising agent. The atomicity of the promises makes them a tool for
finding contradictions and inconsistencies.
Promises theory is an extreme point of view in which every policy
object is regarded as an autonomous agent, that works with other
objects entirely through voluntary cooperation.
We attempt to define policy in the absence of an assumed central
authority or governing entity. We do so in terms of promises
between individual actors or agents about their behaviour.
Promises will play a role analogous to that which operators play
in discussing maintenance. We want a primitive, atomic concept of what
policy means that is both representative of the real issues in
policy management and which is conducive to analysis.
What do we mean by policy? We mean the ability to assert arbitrary
constraints of the behaviour of actors or effectors in a network. In an autonomous
network, a node can only make assertions about its own policy;
there is no global policy in a network of autonomous agents.
Part of a node's policy is deciding how it will interact with other
nodes. We call such a policy decision a promise.
It is represented as an arrow in a graph.
Initially, we
shall assume that a promise is always kept; later we shall also discuss
the situation in which promises are only kept with probability p.
Each promise that is made has to be made real by attaching it to some
process for verification or action. The promise therefore becomes a
unifying abstraction for goal acquisition that can express requirements
in a set theoretical language.
We were recently inivited to present promise theory to the NMRG.
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