Call for Workshop Proposals

Important Dates

• Workshop proposal submission deadline: November 13, 2020
• Workshop acceptance notification: November 23, 2020
• Workshop paper submission deadline: February 12, 2021
• Workshop paper acceptance notification: March 28, 2021
• Camera-ready paper submission deadline: April 11, 2021
• Workshop dates: June 28 and July 2, 2021

Aims and Scope

The 7th IEEE International Conference on Network Softwarization (NetSoft 2021) will be held on June 28-July 2, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. IEEE NetSoft has been created as a flagship conference aimed at addressing the softwarization of networks and systemic trends concerning the convergence of Cloud Computing, Software-Defined Networking (SDN), and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV).

IEEE NetSoft invites proposals for full-day or half-day workshops. The purpose of the workshops is to complement the conference program with in-depth or integration forums that are dedicated to emerging topics (such as, self-organizing smart networks/services, AI/ML applications for network/service optimization, novel network programming models, etc.) and/or topics specifically related to IEEE NetSoft 2021. Proposals from both industry and academia are welcome. Accepted and presented workshop papers will be published in the conference proceedings and will be submitted for inclusion in IEEE Xplore.

Submission Guidelines

Each NetSoft 2021 workshop proposal must be submitted in a single PDF file, and must include:

• Name and abbreviation of the workshop.
• Names, addresses, and a short (200 words) bio of the main organizers (including TPC (Co )chair(s) and OC General (Co-)chair(s)).
• A brief description (1 page) of the technical focus addressed by the workshop, reasons why the workshop is of interest at this time, and reasons why this area is important in the context of NetSoft 2021 and its main theme, “Accelerating Network Softwarization in the Cognitive Age”; additionally, state explicitly what makes this workshop unique.
• Technical Program Committee (TPC) and/or Organizing Committee (OC) roster.
• Likely contributors and targeted audience.
• Planned format of the workshop, including a strategy to facilitate lively and interactive discussions.
• A description of past events of the workshop, including statistics of submitted/accepted papers and attendee numbers. If the workshop does not have past editions, please provide estimated numbers for paper submissions and attendees and explain how you expect to reach those targets.
• Other logistics: half-day or full day workshop, and an indication whether there is a preference for Monday June 28 or Friday July 2.
• Publicity and advertising plan to attract paper submissions and attendees.

Please submit workshop proposals via email with the subject line “IEEE NETSOFT 2021 WORKSHOP PROPOSAL”, to the workshop program co-chairs:

• Alexander Clemm: alex@futurewei.com
• Yoshiaki Kiriha: yoshiaki.kiriha@jst.go.jp
• Sandra Scott-Hayward: s.scott-hayward@qub.ac.uk

Topic of NetSoft 2021

For reference, Netsoft 2021 will highlight the theme “Accelerating Network Softwarization in the Cognitive Age”, covering topics that include the following:

• Machine learning and deep learning for network resilience, security and orchestration
• Programmable SDN and NFV: languages and architectures
• Softwarized cloud, fog and edge infrastructures
• Cognitive and autonomic networking
• AI techniques to support network automation
• Big data analytics for managing softwarized networks
• Network slicing and slice management
• Mobility management in software networks
• Policy-based and intent-based Networking
• Centralized vs distributed control, management & orchestration
• Abstractions and virtualization of resources, services and functions
• Service Function Chaining
• Container/microservice-based network functions
• Efficient network/service monitoring in SDN/NFV
• QoS and QoE in softwarized infrastructures
• Resilience, reliability, and robustness of softwarized networks
• Network softwarization for 5G
• Network management at the edge for low-latency services
• Cooperative multi-domain, multi-tenant SDN/NFV environments
• Security, Safety, Trust and Privacy in virtualized environments
• SDN switch/router architecture and design
• Dynamic resource discovery and negotiation schemes
• Lifecycle management of network software
• DevOps methodologies for network softwarization
• Debugging and introspection of software-defined systems
• Softwarized platforms for Internet of Things (IoT)
• Energy efficient and green software-defined infrastructures (SDI)
• Transition strategies from existing networks to SDN/NFV
• New value chains and service models enabled by softwarization
• Socio-economic impact and regulations for softwarization

Workshop Co-Chairs

• Alexander Clemm, Futurewei, USA
• Yoshiaki Kiriha, JST, Japan
• Sandra Scott-Hayward, Queen’s University Belfast, UK