2nd International Workshop on Middleware for Pervasive and Ad-Hoc Computing A Workshop of  Middleware 2004 Toronto, Ontario, Canada October 18th - 22nd, 2004

Workshop Programme

Problem Space

Building on the success of the 2003 workshop, this workshop seeks to develop, through establishing the state of the art, a roadmap for research on essential software infrastructures for ad-hoc and pervasive computing. Marc Weiser's dream is one of a world of pervasive devices, leveraging contextual information, to provide an increasingly interactive and responsive environment to users, to aid them in their everyday activities.

However, despite considerable progress, the promise of pervasive computing outlined by Mark Weiser still remains elusive, with most developments focusing on point-examples of technology. There is a need for processing, storage and network infrastructure to support as well as development tools, in order to build large scale pervasive systems. We believe that central to these infrastructures are underpinning middleware technologies. In particular, that pervasive computing middleware will allow you to take advantage of the resources in your environment to tailor your services and applications for seamless access to services and unrestricted mobility. Ad-hoc networking middleware will permit the formation of ad-hoc communities for new applications. However, existing middleware technologies do not fully exploit the potential of such pervasive and ad-hoc environments. For instance, current ad hoc middleware technologies focus on the use of ad hoc networks as connection-ware to connect a single user to a single device for accessing its services or resources.

In this workshop we focus on these core areas of middleware for ad-hoc and pervasive systems. We seek to compliment the discussion and presentations at Middleware 2004, by providing a forum focused on the specific problems of large scale, real world, pervasive computing environments through the identification of appropriate core architectures, languages, and systems. Moreover, we seek to develop a community of researchers who will specifically target the development of practical and sustainable pervasive environments and provide the key elements needed by future developers of large-scale pervasive environments.

The workshop will seek papers on the areas, but not limited to, listed below:

• Theoretical foundations and middleware support for context based adaptation for mobile pervasive systems;
• New notations for specifying context-sensitive systems;
• Ad-hoc communities: applications, infrastructure and middlware support;
• Roles and responsibilities in ad-hoc communities;
• Group management and communication support for ad-hoc communities;
• Ad-hoc network communications, quality of service, management and middleware support;
• Sensor networks: applications, infrastructure and middleware support;
• Service-connection middleware and architectures;
• Support for zero configuration;
• Middleware for self-assembly, self-configuration, self-distribution;
• Data management infrastructure for adhoc and pervasive systems
• Trust, security, and privacy for pervasive systems;
• Technology trade-offs (agent infrastructures, mobile code systems, event based middleware);
• Resource discovery and management;
• Implications of heterogeneity (addressing needs for protocol interaction across technologies).

Submission

The workshop format will be focused around submission of position papers of no more than 8 pages.  Please submit your papers in PS or PDF format by email to Paddy Nixon. LNCS style is prefered.

Papers are solicited that present a view of the state of the art in a particular sub-problem area and which then present a position on the how/what/why for the next stages and challenges for middleware technologies. 75% of the workshop will be devoted to presentation and discussion of these papers. The remaining 25% of time will be devoted to developing the outline of a roadmap and engaging all participants in the further writing and publication.

Papers will be reviewed by at least 2 members of the programme committee. The review process will be based upon identifying the veracity of the state-of-the-art statement and the relevance and potential of the position statement to contribute to the elaboration of the roadmap.

Appropriate publication of the workshop submissions and the roadmap is being investigated.

Important Dates

Workshop Paper submissions: 			July 10th, 2004
Workshop Papers Not. of acceptance: 	   August 10th, 2004
Workshop Papers Camera-ready: 		    September 1st, 2004

Programme Committee

Christian Becker, University of Stuttgart, DE
Dan Chalmers, Imperial College, UK
Siobhan Clarke, Trinity College Dublin, IE
Simon Dobson, Trinity College Dublin, IE
Adrian Friday, Lancaster, UK.
Valerie Issarny, INRIA, FR
Spyros Lalis, University of Thessaly, GR
Nitya Narasimhan, Motorola Laboratories, USA  [Co-Chair]
Paddy Nixon, The University of Strathclyde, UK [Co-Chair]
Morris Sloman, Imperial College, UK
Sotirios Terzis, The University of Strathclyde, UK
Tim Walsh, Trinity College Dublin, IE