Short Name : NetTs
Full Name: Network Troubleshooting Workshop
URL: http://www.acm.org/sigcomm/sigcomm2004/netts.html
Portland, Oregon, USA
Workshop Date: Aug 30 2004
Submission registration: April 8, 2004
Submission deadline: April 15, 2004
Notification deadline: May 15, 2004
Camera ready deadline: June 15, 2004 



Network Troubleshooting: Research, Theory and Operations Practice Meet
Malfunctioning Reality

Call For Papers

Network monitoring and measurement has received a great deal of attention in
the research community recently.  While some research to-date has been
focused on finding problems, failures and anomalies in networks this
workshop endeavors to focus specifically on such topics.  The workshop seeks
papers exploring several themes:


    * DETECTION: Mechanisms and techniques for detecting failures, imminent
      failures and other anomalies in real time.  The focus of this workshop
      is research that can be used operationally to help the network in the
      short-term.  Techniques that require heavyweight off-line analysis to
      find problems provide the community with an understanding of and an
      insight into the dynamics and potential long-term solutions for
      network issues, but are not the main focus of this workshop.

    * CORRECTION: While detecting problems (or imminent problems) and
      alerting network operators is a good first step, techniques for
      automatically mitigating problems as they occur are also sought.

    * COORDINATION: Detecting and solving problems in a multi-provider
      environment inevitably involves communicating between distinct
      autonomous entities.  Mechanisms and facilities to streamline and
      automate such communication are sought.

    * EXPERIENCE: Insight from network operators into network problems they
      cannot easily detect (or, detect far too late) and tools that would
      make network management much easier.  Input from network operators on
      non-obvious or non-technical considerations which impact technical
      solutions are also sought.

This workshop invites two kinds of submissions:

   1. Original papers on any area of network measurement, monitoring or
   management specifically directed towards one or more of the above themes. 
   2. Poster presentation proposals.  While posters on any of the above
   themes will be accepted, posters on operational experience are highly
   sought.

Note: For this workshop, "networks" includes both physical networks and
virtual networks (CDNs, overlays, etc.).

Some of the specific problems of interest, include:

    * Protocol failures - link, routing, management
    * Detecting mis-configuration of network elements
    * Partial hardware failures - intermittent, unreported
    * Traffic engineering for overload control
    * Security - DDoS attacks, detecting compromised network elements,
      intrusion detection (especially for non-edge networks since a large
      body of work already tackles the problems at the network edge)

Submissions:

Submissions ranging from presentations of specific research to position
papers are welcome. Papers presenting interesting and novel ideas at an
early stage of development are preferred over completed journal-style
results. Selected papers will be forward-looking, with impact and
implications for both operational networks and ongoing or future research.

Original papers should be 3-6 standard SIGCOMM formatted pages (with the
expectation that position papers will be shorter and research papers
longer).

Poster proposals should be sent in the form of 1-page abstracts.

The submission process and specific guidelines will be posted at a later
date. Important Dates:

Submission registration: April 8, 2004
Submission deadline: April 15, 2004
Notification deadline: May 15, 2004
Camera ready deadline: June 15, 2004

Workshop Co-Chairs (trouble04-chairs@icir.org):

     Jon C.R. Bennett, Harvard University
     Mark Allman, ICIR

Program Committee:

     TBD