Overview:

NSDI focuses on the design principles, implementation, and practical evaluation of networked and distributed systems. Our goal is to bring together researchers from across the networking and systems community to foster a broad approach to addressing overlapping research challenges.

NSDI provides a high-quality, single-track forum for presenting results and discussing ideas that further the knowledge and understanding of the networked systems community as a whole, continue a significant research dialog, or push the architectural boundaries of network services.

Topics:

We solicit papers describing original and previously unpublished research. Specific topics of interest include but are not limited to:

Highly available and reliable networked systems
Security and privacy of networked systems
Distributed storage, caching, and query processing
Energy-efficient computing in networked systems
Cloud systems
Mobile and embedded applications and systems
Wireless networked systems
Network measurements, workload, and topology characterization systems
Self-organizing, autonomous, and federated networked systems
Managing, debugging, and diagnosing problems in networked/distributed systems
Virtualization and resource management for networked systems and clusters
Systems aspects of networking hardware
Software-Defined Networks
Experience with deployed/operational networked systems
Communication aspects of "big data" systems
Economics of networked systems
An innovative solution for a significant problem involving networked systems

NEW! Operational Systems Track

In addition to papers that describe original research, NSDI '15 is also soliciting papers that describe the design, implementation, analysis, and experience with large-scale, operational systems and networks. While such papers may not describe new results or ideas, they are welcome if they disprove or strengthen existing assumptions, deepen the understanding of existing problems, and validate known techniques at scales or environments in which they were never used or tested before.

Authors should indicate on the title page of the paper and in the submission form that they are submitting to this track.

What to Submit:

Submissions must be no longer than 12 pages, including footnotes, appendices, figures, and tables. Submissions may include as many additional pages as needed for references. Submissions must be in two-column format, using 10-point type on 12-point (single-spaced) leading, with a maximum text block of 6.5" wide x 9" deep, with .25" inter-column space, formatted for 8.5" x 11" paper. Papers not meeting these criteria will be rejected without review, and no deadline extensions will be granted for reformatting. Pages should be numbered, and figures and tables should be legible when printed without requiring magnification.

NSDI is single-blind, meaning that authors should include their names on their paper submissions and do not need to obscure references to their existing work. Authors must submit their paper's title and abstract by September 18, 2014, and the corresponding full paper is due by September 25, 2014 (hard deadlines). All papers must be submitted via the Web form, which will be available soon.

Submissions will be judged on originality, significance, interest, clarity, relevance, and correctness. Papers so short as to be considered "extended abstracts" will not receive full consideration.

NSDI '15 Policies:

Simultaneous submission of the same work to multiple venues, submission of previously published work, or plagiarism constitutes dishonesty or fraud. USENIX, like other scientific and technical conferences and journals, prohibits these practices and may take action against authors who have committed them. See the USENIX Conference Submissions Policy for details.

Previous publication at a workshop is acceptable as long as the NSDI submission includes substantial new material. For example, submitting a paper that provides a full evaluation of an idea that was previously sketched in a five-page position paper is acceptable. Authors of such papers should cite the prior workshop paper and clearly state the submission's contribution relative to the prior workshop publication.

Authors uncertain whether their submission meets USENIX’s guidelines should contact the Program Co-Chairs,nsdi15chairs@usenix.org.

Papers accompanied by nondisclosure agreement forms will not be considered. All submissions will be treated as confidential prior to publication on the USENIX NSDI '15 Web site; rejected submissions will be permanently treated as confidential.

Processes for Accepted Papers:

Authors will be notified of paper acceptance or rejection by December 15, 2014. If your paper is accepted and you need an invitation letter to apply for a visa to attend the conference, please contact conference@usenix.org as soon as possible. (Visa applications can take at least 30 working days to process.) Please identify yourself as a presenter and include your mailing address in your email.

Accepted papers may be shepherded through an editorial review process by a member of the Program Committee. Based on initial feedback from the Program Committee, authors of shepherded papers will submit an editorial revision of their paper to their Program Committee shepherd. The shepherd will review the paper and give the author additional comments. All authors, shepherded or not, will upload their final file to the submissions system by March 19, 2015, for the conference Proceedings.

All papers will be available online to registered attendees before the conference. If your accepted paper should not be published prior to the event, please notify production@usenix.org. The papers will be available online to everyone beginning on the first day of the conference, May 4, 2015.

Best Paper Awards:
Awards will be given for the best paper(s) at the conference.