Elsevier Journal of Systems and Software  Special Issue Component-Based Software Engineering of Trustworthy Embedded Systems Call for Papers Deadline: 15 December 2005

Editor-in-Chief: David Card  Guest Editors: Ivica Crnkovic, Mälardalen University, Västerås (Sweden),              George T. Heineman, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester (USA),              Heinz Schmidt, Monash University, Melbourne (Australia),              Judith Stafford, Tufts University, Boston (USA),    Kurt Wallnau, Software Engineering Institute, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh (USA)

BACKGROUND

With the continuing minituarization, integration and globalization of information and communication technologies (ICT), embedded computing systems (electronics and software) are becoming pervasive. Embedded computing systems are the fastest growing sector in ICT today. Business, science, engineering, health and government services and processes are critically relying on distributed embedded real-time systems with ICT components adding direct business value in a wide variety of application domains, such as collaborative and agile processes (for example in emergency services, aerospace projects or financial markets); equipment control (for plants, hospitals, synchrotrons or telescopes, say); automation (such as in utilities and advanced manufacturing); sensor networks (for adhoc networks, diagnostics, environmental management or defence, for example); asset tracking (for instance in transport and defence); and last but not least, national security (e.g., in defence and government).

Over the past decade or so, component-based (CB) software engineering has become a key enabler for this transformation. Its CB models, methods, middlewares, languages and tools mirror physical component architectures and/or virtualize them and assist in controlling their inherent processes, in a world of software artifacts, products and product lines. They blur the boundaries between hardware and software by permitting hierarchies and networks of hybrid component abstractions, defined for example in industry design standards such as UML2, OSA, IEC61131 and IEC61499, and in widely used software technologies such as Microsoft's .NET or Sun Microsystem's Java^TM to mention just a few. The flexibility of software solutions, their capability of abstracting from the heterogeneity of the underlying hardware devices and operating systems services, and, last but not least, their lower production and management cost is also gradually shifting the boundary between hardware and software. Increasingly, distributed embedded computing systems become software-intensive and shift the balance of cost more and more from hardware to software in planning, development and maintenance.

TOPICS

Across all social and economic sectors, modern society depends critically on CB software engineering of such embedded and pervasive real-time systems. While CB technologies provide many advantages they still meet many challenges that are characteristic for distributed embedded systems (for example resource utilisations, real-time requirements, high-availability, reliability, robustness, safety, privacy, security etc.). The software engineering community therefore aims increasingly at trustworthy and dependable CB systems. This JSS special issue on Component-Based Software Engineering of Trustworthy Embedded Systems aims to address this critical issue. We invite articles on open problems, leading-edge research and state-of-the-art solutions. The Elsevier Journal of Systems and Software seeks to bridge theory and practice. Both theoretical and practical articles are encouraged for this special issue. However, theoretical articles must include some empirical evaluation, practical demonstration, or substantive discussion of the practical application of the proposed idea.

Topics of interest include:

• Modelling and prediction of extra-functional properties (safety, reliability, time, privacy, trust etc.) of component-based embedded and pervasive software systems
• Component-based resource allocation and utilization models (scheduling, storage, cost etc.) for embedded and pervasive real-time software
• Fault-tolerance and recovery awareness in distributed component-based software-intensive systems
• Rich component-based design of distributed real-time infrastructures with predictable properties and verifiable configurations
• Design automation and automated management of component-based distributed real-time systems
• Model-checking and dynamic monitoring of component-based distributed and embedded systems
• Dynamic reconfiguration, adapation and self-organisation of component-based embedded and pervasive systems

SUBMISSION

All papers will be subject to a thorough peer review process.

Only original work not concurrently submitted elsewhere will be considered for publication. Original extensions to previous work are also encouraged unless prohibited by copyright. For details see the Guide for Authors accessible from the Elsevier Journal of Systems and Software  home page.

Papers must be written in English and submitted in PDF format using our online submission system. Authors must format their papers according to the Manuscript Presentation instruction under the Guide for Authors accessible from the Elsevier Journal of Systems and Software  home page. Authors are encouraged to use the latex format accessible from this page. (This will simplify final manuscript processing and may improve the turnaround time to the final publication.)

Authors should aim at papers of 10-15 pages in the final camera-ready format. Authors of accepted papers will be advised of their page budget.

Please contact Heinz.Schmidt@infotech.monash.edu.au if you need further instructions regarding the electronic submission.

Guest Editors, Elsevier Science, Inc.