[GHPN-WG] CFP: 15th Mardigras Conference and associated workshops

[Daniel S. Katz]

Mardi Gras Conference 2008 - http://www.mardigrasconference.org/

The Center for Computation & Technology at LSU, in cooperation with ACM
SIGAPP, is hosting the 15th Mardi Gras Conference, 31 January - 2
February 2008, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Mardi Gras conferences
take place annually, concentrating each year on a different
computational theme of current relevance.

This Year's Theme: From lightweight mash-ups to lambda grids:
Understanding the spectrum of distributed computing requirements,
applications, tools, infrastructures, interoperability, and the
incremental adoption of key capabilities.

Description: The field of distributed computing has been recognized for
decades but only in the last few years has there been a vast expansion
of distributed computing approaches and tools that are gaining serious,
wide-spread use. This wide-spread use goes far beyond computational
science and engineering, to include business, government, art, and
popular culture. While the fundamental requirements of distributed
computing are generally understood, the ubiquitous availability of
networks and servers has enabled the development of many different tools
to suit the needs of different communities. Besides what have become
traditional grids, there is growing use of lambda grids, enterprise
service buses, service-oriented architectures, and Web 2.0. All of these
approaches enable the sharing of resources in "virtual organizations"
but with widely differing support for discoverability, reliability,
security, management, quality-of-service, etc. In all cases,
interoperability at the infrastructure level and at the application
domain level is a critical issue.
While network connectivity has become ubiquitous, and has enabled the
creation of virtual organizations, it is still an open issue how tightly
coupled these organizations can be. Bandwidth and latency determine how
interactive and collaborative distributed participants can work
together. Hence, advanced networks such as lambda networks (dedicated
optical networks) have the potential for enhancing interactiveness on a
large-scale, and actually being an enabling technology for application
domains that require tight coupling.

The goal of Mardi Gras 2008 is to improve our understanding of the
drivers for all of these technologies, how they relate to one another,
and how user communities can transition from simpler approaches, like
Web 2.0 mash-ups, to more full-service grids, when better discovery,
reliability, security, etc., are needed -- while achieving sufficient
interoperability -- and how tightly coupled virtual organizations can be.

To this end, we are seeking the best, most insightful papers on all of
these technologies, and the application domains that are driving their
requirements and development.

Topics include, but are not limited to:

Application case studies in all areas, e.g., geospatial, disaster
response/management, science, engineering, commerce, finance, art, etc.
Innovative and advanced scenarios, e.g., dynamic data-driven,
interactive, collaborative, tele-immersive, adaptive, etc.
Tools for developing and deploying applications, e.g., middleware,
toolkits, portals, problem solving environments, production
environments, virtual organizations, etc.
Application APIs and programming models
High speed and optical networks
Distributed algorithms
Workflow management
Resource management and scheduling
Education

Paper Submission:

We invite authors to submit original and unpublished work (also not
submitted elsewhere for review) reporting solid and innovative results
and positions on any of the conference topics. Papers should not exceed
8 single-spaced pages of text using 10-point size type on 8.5 x 11 inch
paper (see ACM author instructions, a LaTeX style sheet and Word format
is available, too.) All bibliographical references, tables, and figures
must be included in these 8 pages. Submissions that exceed the 8-page
limit will not be reviewed. Authors should submit a PDF file that will
print on a PostScript printer. Electronic submission is required. The
site for submissions will be announced on the main conference website at
least 4 weeks before the submission date. Submission implies the
willingness of at least one of the authors to register and present the
paper if it is accepted.
Proceedings:

All submissions will be peer-reviewed, and accepted papers will appear
in the conference proceedings. The proceedings will be distributed on CD
at the conference. The copyrights for the proceedings papers will be
held by ACM, and the proceedings will be hosted in the ACM Digital Library.

General Chair: Daniel S. Katz, LSU

Deputy General Chair: Shantenu Jha, LSU

Program Chair: Craig Lee, Aerospace Corporation

Program Vice-Chairs:
Emerging Technologies: Geoffrey Fox, Indiana University
Data-Intensive Applications: Liping Di, George Mason University
Network-Intensive Applications: Bill St. Arnaud, CANARIE
Middleware and Distributed Infrastructures: Franck Cappello, INRIA

Publicity Chair: Matei Ripeanu, University of British Columbia

Proceedings Chair: Omer Rana, Cardiff University

Program Committee: see web site

Local Arrangements Chair: Karen Jones, LSU


Due Dates:

Submission: Oct 10, 2007 (no extensions)
Notification: Nov 7, 2007
Final Papers: Nov 28, 2007


Conference Schedule

Workshops may start on Wednesday, 30 January, in advance of the main
conference. Conference sessions will be held on Thursday, 31 January and
Friday, 1 February, and for the morning of Saturday, 2 February. On
Saturday afternoon an optional excursion will take participants to join
in the celebrations for Mardi Gras in New Orleans, returning to Baton
Rouge on Sunday morning at approximately 2 a.m.


Associated Workshops

Distributed Programming Abstractions Workshop:
http://www.mardigrasconference.org/DPA_workshop.php

Workshop on Grid-Enabling Applications:
http://www.mardigrasconference.org/GEA_workshop.php

-- 
Daniel S. Katz                              http://www.cct.lsu.edu/~dsk/
       Louisiana State University
(225) 578-2750 (voice)       (225) 578-5362 (fax)        d.katz at ieee.org