[aims-announce] JNSM: Call for Papers: Special Issue on High-Precision, Predictable and Low-Latency Networking

[Guillaume Doyen]

*** CALL FOR PAPERS ***

JOURNAL OF NETWORK AND SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT

Special Issue on High-Precision, Predictable and Low-Latency Networking

https://www.springer.com/journal/10922/updates/19942016 (call closes 31 May 2022)

New waves of networked applications continue to push the limits of what is 
possible with networks today. For example, Industrial Internet applications, 
Augmented Reality, Tactile Internet require ultra-low latency measured in 
single-digit milliseconds and do not tolerate jitter at all. Economic pressures 
mandate increasingly cloudification of real-time applications with precision 
service level needs. Many of those applications are mission-critical and cannot 
afford any loss in connectivity or even single packets. Collectively, these 
applications require networking services that support high-precision and 
predictable service levels with associated guarantees that border on 
determinism. This requires a rethinking of many of the principles underlying 
existing "Best Effort" internetworking technology.

Various approaches are emerging that try to tackle those challenges. Data 
centers with fixed topologies and a constant number of hops rapidly replace 
conventional routing and more general Internet topologies. Networks are 
becoming more programmable to allow to custom-tailor and optimize treatment of 
packets and flows. Related technologies range from Service Function Chaining to 
Network Slicing to SDN. While 5G is making URLLC at the network edge a reality, 
momentum for Beyond 5G (B5G) and 6G is building to push the boundaries of 
precision services beyond the edge and across the core. One overarching 
question concerns how these technologies can be harnessed and what additional 
approaches are needed to be able to actually deliver on high-precision 
networking with service levels that are predictable and that can be guaranteed. 
This will involve advances across all networking planes, including but not 
limited to approaches for the programming and processing of packets in the data 
plane, evolved control interfaces and ultra-low latency control loops to 
optimize service levels in the control-plane, methods for high-precision 
measurements and telemetry with nanosecond accuracy at scale, as well as 
advances in the related platforms and algorithms in the management plane.

This special issue focuses on challenges and solution approaches to deliver, 
manage, control, monitor, and measure high-precision network services that 
provide applications with predictable service levels that can be guaranteed. 
This includes (Ultra) Low-Latency networks, deterministic networks, 6G, etc. 
The special issue specifically encourages submission of papers that describe 
disruptive concepts, innovative solutions, testbeds, experiments, in addition 
to more evolutionary approaches.

Topics of Interest include but are not limited to the following:
• Platforms and solutions to manage and operate high-precision networks and 
services, e.g., Industrial Networks, Tactile Networks, Augmented Reality (AR), 
and cloud gaming
• Proof and validation of high-precision service level guarantees
• High-precision measurement techniques for ultra-low latency and jitter
• Service level assurance for micro services and service function chains
• Applications for and advances in Inband Network Telemetry and iOAM
• In-network service level tuning and optimization; predictable QoS
• Novel network programming models
• Applications of Artificial Intelligence for high-precision networking
• Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN), Deterministic Networking (DetNet), Network 
Protocol Evolution for IT/OT convergence
• SDN applications for high-precision, high-performance networking
• High-precision cloud networking services using Fog and Edge Computing
• Deployment and operational experiences with Industrial Internet, Tactile 
Internet, networked AR, cloud gaming
• 5G/B5G approaches
• Testbeds and platforms for High-Precision (OAI, MAGMA, OpenNetVM, etc.)
• Network optimization and hardware considerations for fast processing and 
delivery (DPDK, etc.)

*** Submission Schedule ***

We use an “open” submission schedule, which means that you can submit your 
paper at any time before we close the call (see below) and that we will start 
the review process right after receiving the submission. Many of the dates 
indicated below are therefore stated relative to the date the submission was 
initially received.
• Call closes: May 31, 2022 (EXTENDED)
• Revision notification: 2 months after submission
• Revised paper due: 1.5 months after the revision notification
• Final notification: 1.5 months after the revised paper notification
• Expected publication of the special issue: third quarter of 2022 (early 
accepted papers will be accessible online before the deadline)

*** Submission Format, Review Guidelines, Publishing Options ***

Submitted manuscripts must be written in English and must not exceed 30 pages 
in Springer LNCS format. Your paper must describe original research not 
published or currently under review by other journals or conferences. Parallel 
submissions will not be accepted.

All submitted papers, if relevant to the theme and objectives of the special 
issue, will go through an external peer-review process. Submissions should (i) 
conform strictly to the Instructions for Authors available on the JNSM website 
and (ii) be submitted through the Editorial Management system available at 
https://www.editorialmanager.com/jons (before March 22nd) or the Springer 
Nature Article Processing Platform available at 
https://editorial.springernature.com/ (from March 22nd to May 31st)

See also https://www.springer.com/journal/10922/updates/19942016

Once the article is accepted for publication, authors will have the option to 
choose how their article is published:
• Traditional publishing model – published articles are made available to 
institutions and individuals who subscribe to Journal of Network and Systems 
Management or who pay to read specific articles.
• Open Access – when an article is accepted for publication, the author/s or 
funder/s pay an Article Processing Charge (APC). The final version of the 
published article is then free to read for everyone.

Guest editors:
• Raouf Boutaba, University of Waterloo, Canada, email: rboutaba at uwaterloo.ca
• Alexander Clemm, Futurewei, USA; email: alex at futurewei.com
• Guillaume Doyen, IMT Atlantique, France; email: 
guillaume.doyen at imt-atlantique.fr
• Bertrand Mathieu, Orange Labs, France; email: bertrand2.mathieu at orange.com
• Mohamed Faten Zhani, ETS Montreal, Canada; email: mohamed-faten.zhani at etsmtl.ca