AIMS & SCOPE

Building on the success of the sixteenth previous editions (1998-2015), a special track on coordination models, languages and applications will be held at SAC 2016. Over the last decade, we have witnessed the emergence of models, formalisms and mechanisms to describe concurrent and distributed computations and systems based on the concept of coordination. The purpose of a coordination model is to enable the integration of a number of possibly heterogeneous components (processes, objects, agents, services) in such a way that the resulting ensemble can execute as a whole, forming a distributed software system with desired characteristics and functionalities. This is done in terms of coordination abstractions, languages, algorithms, mechanisms, and middleware specifically focused on the management of component interaction.

The coordination paradigm crosscuts a number of contemporary software engineering approaches and fields, which we aim to cross-fertilize and bring contribution to, including in particular: multi-agent systems, self-adaptative and self-organising systems, business process management, service-oriented architectures, component-based systems, and all related middleware platforms.

The Special Track on Coordination Models, Languages and Applications takes a deliberately broad view of what constitutes coordination. Accordingly, major topics of interest this year will include:

• Novel models, languages, formalisms, programming and implementation techniques
• Coordination technologies, systems and infrastructures
• Applications
• Middleware platforms
• Formal aspects (semantics, reasoning, verification)
• Software architectures and software engineering techniques
• Coordination of multi-agent systems, including mobile agents, intelligent agents, and agent-based simulations
• Internet, Web, Internet of Things, and pervasive computing systems coordination
• Languages for service description and composition
• Models, frameworks and tools for Group Decision Making
• All aspects related to Cooperative Information Systems (e.g. workflow management, CSCW)
• Configuration and Architecture Description Languages
• Self-organising, self-adaptive and nature-inspired coordination approaches
• Relationship with other computational models such as object-oriented, declarative (functional, logic, constraint) programming or their extensions with coordination capabilities
• Coordination models and specification in Service-Oriented Architectures, Web Service technologies (orchestration, choreography, etc.), Pervasive Computing, Cloud Computing and Autonomic Computing
• Business Process modelling and verification
• Policy-based approaches to coordination and self-adaptation

We also welcome papers on practical systems or novel applications that are aimed at reaching coordination between components and services, especially if those systems and novel applications challenge existing ideas and models.

In previous editions, CM Special Track organisers have been inviting authors of selected papers for Special Issues in high impact journals, such as, ACM Transactions on Autonomous and Adaptive Systems (TAAS) and Science of Computer Programming (SCP).

PROCEEDINGS

Papers accepted for the Special Track on Coordination Models, Languages and Applications will be published by ACM both in the SAC 2016 proceedings and in the Digital Library.

PAPER SUBMISSION AND FORMAT

All papers should represent original and previously unpublished works that currently are not under review in any conference or journal.

The author(s) name(s) and address(es) must NOT appear in the body of the paper, and self-reference should be in the third person. This is to facilitate blind review. Only the title should be shown at the first page without the author's information.

Submitted papers must be in the ACM two-column page format (doc template, pdf template, latex template). The length of the papers is 6 pages (included in the registration) plus up to 2 extra pages (at extra charge), i.e. total 8 pages maximum.

Paper registration is required, allowing the inclusion of the paper/poster in the conference proceedings. An author or a proxy attending SAC MUST present the paper: This is a requirement for the paper/poster to be included in the ACM/IEEE digital library. No-show of scheduled papers and posters will result in excluding them from the ACM/IEEE digital library.

Submission is entirely automated via the STAR Submission System, which is available from the main SAC Web Site: http://www.acm.org/conferences/sac/sac2016/submission.html.

POSTER SESSIONS

Papers that received high reviews (that is acceptable by reviewer standards) but were not accepted due to space limitation can be invited for the poster session. Poster should be not longer than 3 pages (included in the registration) plus 1 extra page (at extra charge), i.e. total 4 pages maximum. The poster session procedures and details will be posted on SAC 2016 website as soon as they become available.

STUDENT RESEARCH ABSTRACTS COMPETITION

Graduate students are invited to submit Student Research Competition (SRC) abstracts (maximum of 2 pages in ACM camera-ready format) following the instructions published at SAC 2016 website. Submission of the same abstract to multiple tracks is not allowed. All research abstract submissions will be reviewed by researchers and practitioners with expertise in the track focus area to which they are submitted. Authors of selected abstracts (up to 20 students) will have the opportunity to give poster and oral presentations of their work and compete for three top-winning places. The winners will receive medals, cash awards, and SIGAPP recognition certificates during the conference banquet. Invited students receive SRC travel support (US$500) and are eligible to apply to the SIGAPP Student Travel Award Program (STAP) for additional travel support.