This is the first in a series of symposia to address the technological challenges of engineering large, complex real-time mission-critical systems (RTMCSs). Real-time systems are those which are time-constrained. Mission-critical systems are those which have important strategic roles within an enterprise; success or failure of the enterprise is linked strongly to success or failure of the mission-critical system. To establish the focus of the RTMCS community, the workshop theme will be Grand Challenge Problems. Approximately on grand challenge technology problems.

The symposium agenda will include presentations that define grand challenge problems by describing the problem requirements and identifying current technological challenges presented by the problems. Additionally, a representative of the IEEE Technical Committee on Real-Time Systems will present Grand Challenge Problems identified in a recent practitioner survey. Potential presenters are invited to submit a 1-5 page description of a grand challenge problem and its technological challenges. All submissions must relate clearly to a specific real-world application.

Submissions should be made in electronic form to one of the Workshop Chairs by October 1, 1999. Authors will be notified of review decisions by Oct. 15, 1999, and camera-ready papers will be due by Nov. 5, 1999.

Topics of interest for grand challenge real-time mission-critical application systems include:

• Space Systems, Air Traffic Control, Avionics, and Air Defense
• Telecommunications and Mobile Computing
• Automotive and Transportation
• Plant and Process Control
• Medical
• Signal Processing
• Command and Control
• Surveillance
• Weapons Control
• Fire Support Coordination

Topics of interest pertaining to grand challenge technology problems include:

• Networking, Fault Tolerance, and Security
• System Composition
• Support for Dynamic and Stochastic Real-time Systems
• Distributed Resource Management
• System Engineering, System Certification

Workshop Chairs

Michael W. Masters, Code B35, The Naval Surface Warfare Center
MastersMW@nswc.navy.mil

Lonnie R. Welch, Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, Ohio University
welch@oucsace.cs.ohiou.edu

RTSS Conference Contacts:
Sherry Escalante [sherry@cs.tamu.edu]
Administrative Assistant to RTSS Program Chair, Dr. Wei Zhao, [zhao@cs.tamu.edu]
Dept. of Computer Science
Texas A&M University
Phone: 409-845-3535
Fax: 409-845-1420