[WFM-RG] Special Issue on Dynamic Computational Workflows: Discovery, Optimization, and Scheduling

[Ewa Deelman]

SCIENTIFIC PROGRAMMING JOURNAL 

Call for Papers 

Special Issue on Dynamic Computational Workflows: Discovery,
Optimization, and Scheduling 

Guest editors: 

David W. Walker, Cardiff University, UK 

Ewa Deelman, USC Information Sciences Institute, USA 

Scientific Programming invites the submission of papers for a special
issue entitled Dynamic Computational Workflows: Discovery, Optimization,
and Scheduling. 

 

Workflows are widely viewed as offering a useful representation of
computational applications that are to be run in a distributed
environment. A workflow can be conveniently displayed as a directed
graph in which nodes represent services and edges represent the flow of
data and/or control between them. Here the term "services" is used in a
generic sense to refer to any sub-unit of computation - often these are
implemented as large grain-size Web services or other application
components. A dynamic workflow can be described as a workflow that may
be changed after it has been designed, either at runtime or prior to
invocation. Various opportunities exist for workflow optimisation, and
this process is related to both service discovery and workflow
scheduling. A common example of workflow optimization arises when
multiple equivalent services are available to fulfil a service request.
In such cases semantic support to recognise equivalent services is
required. In general, a workflow may be composed of abstract services
that get bound to concrete service implementations either when the
workflow is initially designed, or at any subsequent time prior to
service invocation. Three different types of binding abstract to
concrete services can be distinguished. In early binding the service
binding is done statically at design time and does not subsequently
change. In late binding the service binding is done at runtime
immediately before a service is to be invoked. In intermediate binding
the service binding is done after the workflow is designed but before it
is submitted for execution. Although a workflow may be optimised at any
of these three stages, delaying the binding of a service as late as
possible allows more recent information to inform the optimisation
process. It also makes it more likely that unavailable services will not
be selected. Late binding performs optimisation on a service-by-service
basis. However, intermediate binding allows the workflow as a whole to
be optimised, taking into account factors such as the bandwidth between
connected nodes in the workflow graph, and opportunities for algorithmic
optimizations. 

The special issue will focus on all aspects of dynamic workflows,
including, but not necessarily be limited to, the following topics: 

       * Predictive scheduling 

       * Performance-based middleware 

       * Semantic support for service selection 

       * Web service discovery and optimisation 

       * Workflow optimisation 

       * Workflow restructuring 

 

It is anticipated that most of the papers comprising the special issue
will present original and unpublished research results. However, review
and work-in-progress papers will also be considered. Review papers
should include cogent analyses of the relevant issues relating to
dynamic workflows, as well as discussion of the technologies and
application requirements driving this development. Work-in-progress
papers should place the work presented in the context of a coherent
program of research, and in relation to more general service-oriented
workflow issues. 




 

Schedule and Deadlines 

The schedule for the publication of the special issue is as follows: 

 

 

16 April 2007 

Deadline for submission of papers 

31 May 2007 

Notification of authors 

27 July 2007 

Final submission of accepted papers 

 

It is hoped that the special issue will appear before the end of 2007. 

Submission of Manuscripts 

Papers should be prepared in accordance with the instructions given at
the Scientific Programming web site at
http://www.iospress.nl/html/10589244_ita.html, and submitted directly by
email to one of the Guest Editors: 

David W. Walker (david at cs.cf.ac.uk) 

Ewa Deelman (deelman at isi.edu) 

For any further information about this special issue please contact
either of the Guest Editors. 

 

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