QEST 2013

10th International Conference on Quantitative Evaluation of SysTems
University of Buenos Aires,
Buenos Aires, Argentina
August 26th - 30th, 2013

Co-located with
CONCUR 2013, the 24th International Conference on Concurrency Theory,
FORMATS 2013, the 11th Intl. Conf. on Formal Modeling and Analysis of Timed Systems,
TGC 2013, the 8th International Symposium on Trustworthy Global Computing.


Deadlines

Abstract submission: 11 March 2013
Paper and tool submission: 18 March 2013
Author notification: 12 May 2013
Camera ready version: 2 June 2013

Scope and Topics

QEST is the leading forum on evaluation and verification of computer systems and networks, through stochastic models and measurements. QEST has a broad range of interests - the common thread is that the evaluation be quantitative. The range of performance metrics of interest spans classical measures involving performance and reliability, as well as quantification of properties that are classically qualitative, such as safety, correctness, and security. QEST welcomes measurement-based studies as well as analytic studies. QEST welcomes diversity in the model formalisms and methodologies employed, as well as development of new formalisms and methodologies. QEST is keenly interested in case studies highlighting the role of quantitative evaluation in the design of systems, where the notion of system is broad. Systems of interest include computer hardware and software architectures, communication systems, embedded systems and biological systems. Moreover, tools for supporting the practical application of research results in all of the above areas are of special interest, and therefore tool papers are sought. In short, QEST aims to create a sound methodological basis for assessing and designing systems using quantitative means.



Evaluation of Papers

All submitted papers will be thoroughly judged by at least three reviewers on the basis of their originality, technical quality, scientific or practical contribution to the state of the art, methodology, clarity, and adequacy of references. QEST considers five types of papers with additional reviewing criteria (in no particular order):

Theoretical: advance our understanding, apply to non-trivial problems and be mathematically rigorous.
Methodological and technical: describe situations that require the development and proposal of new analysis processes and techniques. Process structure and the individual steps should be clearly described. If the methodology has already been evaluated with applications, a brief description of the lessons learned would be very helpful.
Application: describes a novel application, and compares with previous results (if any).
Tools: should motivate the development of the new tools and the formalisms they support. Tool papers need neither discuss their theoretical underpinnings nor their algorithms. Instead, they should focus on the software architecture and discuss its practical capabilities with particular reference to the size and type of model it can handle within reasonable time and space limits.
Tool demonstration: describe a relevant tool, as well as its features, evaluation, or any other information that may demonstrate the merits of the tool.


Submissions

We invite submissions of original papers related to the aforementioned topics. Submissions must be in English, Springer LNCS format, and must indicate the above paper type. Papers must be prepared in LaTeX, following Springer's LNCS guidelines. Submitted papers should not exceed 16 pages (4 pages for tool demonstrations). Additional material for the aid of the reviewers (e.g., proofs) can be sent in a clearly marked appendix. Papers must be unpublished and not be submitted for publication elsewhere. PC members, except program co-chairs, may submit papers.

Papers should be submitted electronically using EasyChair online submission system.

All accepted papers (including tool demonstrations) must be presented at the conference by one of the authors. A best-paper award will be presented at the conference.

The QEST 2013 proceedings will be published by Springer in the LNCS Series. The proceedings will be available at the conference. As in previous years, we are planning to publish extended versions of selected papers in a special issue of a journal.

Tutorials

There will be one day of tutorials at the start of the conference. Tutorial proposals (up to 4 pages Springer LNCS format) should be sent to the Tutorial Chair (Lijun Zhang) by 11 March 2013.

Invited Speakers

Lorenzo Alvisi, University of Texas Austin, USA.
Dimitra Giannakopoulou, NASA Ames Research Center, USA.
Edmundo de Souza e Silva, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.


Chairs and Committees

General Chair
Pedro R. D'Argenio (AR)

Program Co-chairs
Kaustubh Joshi (US)
Markus Siegle (DE)
Mariëlle Stoelinga (NL)

Tools Chair
Kai Lampka (SE)

Tutorials Chair
Lijun Zhang (DK)

Local Organization Chair
Hernán Melgratti (AR)

Publicity Chair
Damián Barsotti (AR)

Proceedings Chair
Nicolás Wolovick (AR)

Steering Committee
Holger Hermanns (DE)
Nathalie Bertrand (FR)
Peter Buchholz (DE)
Gethin Norman (GB)
Andrew Miner (US)
Susanna Donatelli (IT)
William Knottenbelt (GB)
Joost-Pieter Katoen (DE, Chair)
Peter Kemper (US)
Miklos Telek (HU)
Gerardo Rubino (FR)
Boudewijn Haverkort (NL)


Program Committee
Jonatha Anselmi (SP)
Christel Baier (DE)
Nathalie Bertrand (FR)
Andrea Bobbio (IT)
Peter Buchholz (DE)
Héctor Cancela (UY)
Giuliano Casale (GB)
Gianfranco Ciardo (US)
Yuxin Deng (CN)
Derek Eager (CA)
Jane Hillston (GB)
András Horváth (IT)
David Jansen (NL)
Krishna Kant (US)
Peter Kemper (US)
Boris Köpf (ES)
Marta Kwiatkowska (GB)
Kai Lampka (SE)
Annabelle McIver (AU)
Arif Merchant (US)
Aad van Moorsel (GB)
Gethin Norman (GB)
Anne Remke (NL)
William Sanders (US)
Roberto Segala (IT)
Miklos Telek (HU)
Bhuvan Urgaonkar (US)
Marco Vieira (PT)
Verena Wolf (DE)