"Inter-Provider Service Quality on the Internet": IEEE Comm. Mag. CFP

["Vishal Sharma" <v.sharma@ieee.org>]

Folks,

The IEEE Communications Magazine has just approved the publication of
a Feature Topic issue on "Challenges in Enabling Inter-Provider
Service Quality on the Internet." The CFP is
attached below.

We invite those working in this area to consider sending in
their contributions. If you intend to submit a paper for this
special issue, please do drop one of the Guest Editors a
note, so that we can plan the issue.

We look forward to your participation!

Thanks,
-Vishal

****************************************************************
Vishal Sharma, Ph.D.
Metanoia, Inc.
Email: v.sharma@ieee.org.
http://www.metanoia-inc.com
****************************************************************

=========================================================================
CALL FOR PAPERS
IEEE Communications Magazine

Feature Topic on
"Challenges in Enabling Inter-Provider Service Quality on the Internet"
*************************************************************************

As carriers and service providers build multi-services networks based on
IP/MPLS-
enabled infrastructures that are able to meet evermore stringent service
level
agreements (SLAs) and quality-of-service (QoS) requirements, it becomes a
key
issue to extend the ability to deliver these services across carrier and
service
provider domain boundaries, while at the same time preserving the same SLAs
and
QoS assurances as those provided within a given provider's network.

The advent of new end-user applications, as well as new services based on
MPLS  technology, such as Layer 2 Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) and
Layer 3 Virtual  Private Networks (L3VPNs), also means the emergence of
added service quality
requirements from operators deploying and interoperating these networks and
the
end-users themselves. As a result, providers and vendors require efficient
means to
enable inter-provider service quality, which comprises of several key
elements
including quality of service, class of service, security, OAM, and
restoration and
repair.

This will is lead to the emergence of improved or novel tools and techniques
to address these aspects, with the goal of guaranteeing service quality
end-to-end,
improving security and billing/accounting, and reducing operating costs.
Standards
organizations such as the IETF and the ITU are taking on significant work in
this
area, and various aspects of this subject are also being investigated by
bodies such
as the OIF, the MSF, the MPLS/Frame Relay Alliance, the IEEE, and the Metro
Ethernet Forum, and are the themes for numerous upcoming conferences.

This feature topic issue of the IEEE Communications Magazine has a
multi-pronged
focus on the delivery of inter-provider service quality:

*	Highlight operator and end-user concerns and requirements.
*	Feature current and/or planned deployment experiences.
*	Survey modern research and engineering developments.
*	Spotlight contemporary standards activity.

Thus, focused tutorial and survey contributions as well as research papers
are
solicited on (but certainly not limited to) the following topics:

*	Carrier requirements for efficient inter-provider service quality: Current
        operational needs, bottlenecks, future demands
*	Deployment experience with inter-provider service quality on IP/MPLS-
         based networks: comparative analysis, case studies
*	QoS management in an inter-provider environment: interconnection
        architectures using MPLS, Diffserv, QoS performance, path
        characterization, routing policies
*	Service assurance in inter-provider infrastructures: End-to-end SLA
        management, service billing/reporting, admission control
*	Failure and restoration requirements/challenges in inter-provider contexts
*	Interoperability and inter-working of diverse equipment types and
        technologies (ATM, FR, Ethernet)
*	Current engineering and research developments: E.g. Passive and active
        performance measurement and monitoring, TE, modelling and simulation
*	Standards activities and initiatives: new services and network
architectures

On-line CFP with submission instructions can be found at:
http://www.metanoia-inc.com/IEEECommMag_InterProviderQoS_CFP.htm

Submission

Articles should be tutorial in nature and should be written in a style
comprehensible
to readers outside the specialty of the article. Articles may be edited for
clarity  and grammatical accuracy, and will be copyedited according to the
Magazine's style.
Mathematical equations should not be used (in justified cases up to three
simple
equations could be allowed, provided there is consent of the Guest Editor;
more than
three equations require permission from the Editor-in-Chief). Articles
should have no
more than 4,500 words, no more than 6 tables/figures, and no more than 15
references. Guidelines for prospective authors can be found on-line at
http://www.comsoc.org/pubs/commag/sub_guidelines.html.

** Please submit no later than 30 October 2004.**
Accepted papers will also be included in Communications
Interactive (CI), the online version of Communications Magazine.


Manuscript Due:                                          30 October 2004
Acceptance Notification:                                 15 January  2004
Final Manuscript Due:                                    28 February 2005
Publication Date:                                        June  2005

Guest Editors

Monique J. Morrow, Cisco Systems, (mmorrow@cisco.com)
Vishal Sharma, Metanoia, Inc. (v.sharma@ieee.org)
Thomas D.Nadeau, Cisco Systems (tnadeau@cisco.com)
Loa Andersson, Acreo (loa@pi.se)