Dear colleagues, please find attached the Call for Papers for QEST 2014. QEST2014 International Conference on Quantitative Evaluation of SysTems Florence, September 8th-10th 2014 www.qest.org/qest2014 Co-located with FORMATS, SAFECOMP, EPEW, FMICS www.florence2014.org 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. IMPORTANT DATES Abstract submission: 7 March 2014 Paper and tool submission: 14 March 2014 Author feedback/rebuttal period: 23-26 April 2014 Author notification: 9 May 2014 Final version due: 6 June 2014 CALL FOR 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: 1. Theoretical: advance our understanding, apply to non-trivial problems and be mathematically rigorous. 2. 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. 3. Application: describes a novel application, and compares with previous results (if any). 4. 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. 5. Tool demonstration: describe a relevant tool, as well as its features, evaluation, or any other information that may demonstrate the merits of the tool. The conference will have special tracks on - rare events simulation, coordinated by Gerardo Rubino, INRIA (FR); - hybrid systems, coordinated by Alessandro Abate, University of Oxford (GB), and Sayan Mitra, University of Illinois (US). 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: https://www.easychair.org/conferences/?conf=qest2014 The revision process will include a rebuttal phase after the first notification to authors and before the PC discussion. 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 2014 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. GENERAL CHAIR Enrico Vicario, University of Florence, IT PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS Gethin Norman, University of Glasgow, GB William Sanders, University of Illinois, US TOOLS CHAIR David Parker, University of Birmingham, GB LOCAL ORGANIZATION CHAIR Laura Carnevali, University of Florence, IT PUBLICITY AND PUBLICATIONS CHAIR Marco Paolieri, University of Florence, IT PUBLICITY COMMITTEE Giuliano Casale, Imperial College London, GB Pedro D'Argenio, University of Cordoba, AR Peter Kemper, College of William and Mary, US Nils Tippenhauer, Advanced Digital Sciences Center, SG PROGRAM COMMITTEE Alessandro Abate, University of Oxford, GB Christel Baier, TU Dresden, DE Nathalie Bertrand, INRIA Rennes, FR Robin Bloomfield, City University London, GB Luca Bortolussi, University of Trieste, IT Jeremy Bradley, Imperial College London, GB Peter Buchholz, TU Dortmund, DE Javier Campos, University of Zaragoza, ES Gianfranco Ciardo, UC Riverside, US Susanna Donatelli, University of Turin, IT Leana Golubchik, University of Southern California, US Boudewijn Haverkort, University of Twente, NL Holger Hermanns, Saarland University, DE Jane Hillston, University of Edinburgh, GB Andras Horvath, University of Turin, IT Kaustubh Joshi, AT&T Labs Research, US Mohamed Kaaniche, LAAS-CNRS, FR Boris Koepf, IMDEA Software Institute, ES Jan Kriege, TU Dortmund, DE Annabelle McIver, Macquarie University, AU Sayan Mitra, University of Illinois, US Gethin Norman, University of Glasgow, GB Catuscia Palamidessi, INRIA Saclay and LIX, FR David Parker, University of Birmingham, GB Eric Rozier, University of Miami, US Gerardo Rubino, INRIA Rennes, FR William Sanders, University of Illinois, US Evgenia Smirni, College of William and Mary, US Jeremy Sproston, University of Turin, IT Miklos Telek, Technical University of Budapest, HU Mirco Tribastone, University of Southampton, GB Benny Van Houdt, University of Antwerp, BE Laurie Williams, North Carolina State University, US Verena Wolf, Saarland University, DE Lijun Zhang, Technical University of Denmark, DK STEERING COMMITTEE Nathalie Bertrand, INRIA Rennes, FR Luca Bortolussi, University of Trieste, IT Peter Buchholz, TU Dortmund, DE Pedro D'Argenio, University of Cordoba, AR Boudewijn Haverkort, University of Twente, NL Holger Hermanns, Saarland University, DE Jane Hillston, University of Edinburgh, GB Joost-Pieter Katoen, RWTH Aachen University, DE Peter Kemper, College of William and Mary, US William Knottenbelt, Imperial College London, GB Gethin Norman, University of Glasgow, GB Miklos Telek, Technical University of Budapest, HU