Overview: Refereed Papers Track

Authors are invited to submit original and innovative papers to the Refereed Papers Track of the 2009 USENIX Annual Technical Conference. We seek high-quality submissions that further the knowledge and understanding of modern computing systems, with an emphasis on implementations and experimental results. We encourage papers that break new ground or present insightful results based on practical experience with computer systems. The USENIX conference has a broad scope, and specific topics of interest include but are not limited to:

* Architectural interaction
* Cloud computing
* Deployment experience
* Distributed and parallel systems
* Embedded systems
* Energy/power management
* File and storage systems
* Mobile, wireless, and sensor systems
* Networking and network services
* Operating systems
* Reliability, availability, and scalability
* Security, privacy, and trust
* System and network management and troubleshooting
* Usage studies and workload characterization
* Virtualization
* Web technology

Best Paper Awards

Cash prizes will be awarded to the best papers at the conference. Please see the USENIX Compendium of Best Papers for examples of the best papers from previous years.

How to Submit

Authors are required to submit full papers by 11:59 p.m. PST, Tuesday, January 6, 2009. This is a hard deadline; no extensions will be given.

All submissions for USENIX '09 will be electronic, in PDF format, through the Web submission form, which will be available here soon.

USENIX '09 will accept two types of papers:

* Regular Full Papers: Submitted papers must be no longer than 14 single-spaced pages, including figures, tables, and references. Papers should be formatted in 2 columns, using 10 point type on 12 point leading, in a text block of 6.5" by 9". The first page of the paper should include the paper title and author name(s); reviewing is single-blind. Papers longer than 14 pages will not be reviewed. In a good paper, the authors will have:
o Addressed a significant problem
o Devised an interesting and practical solution
o Clearly described what they have and have not implemented
o Demonstrated the benefits of their solution
o Articulated the advances beyond previous work
o Drawn appropriate conclusions
* Short Papers: Authors with a contribution for which a full paper is not appropriate may submit short papers of at most 6 pages, applying the same formatting guidelines. Examples of short paper contributions include:
o Original or unconventional ideas at a preliminary stage of development
o The presentation of interesting results that do not require a full-length paper, such as negative results or experimental validation
o Advocacy of a controversial position or fresh approach
Accepted short papers will be published in the Proceedings and time will be provided for brief presentations of these papers. Authors of short papers will also have the opportunity to present posters in the Poster Session.

For more details on the submission process, and for templates to use with LaTeX, Word, etc., authors should consult the detailed submission requirements. Specific questions about submissions may be sent to usenix09chairs@usenix.org.

Simultaneous submission of the same work to multiple venues, submission of previously published work, or plagiarism constitutes dishonesty or fraud. USENIX, like other scientific and technical conferences and journals, prohibits these practices and may, on the recommendation of a program chair, take action against authors who have committed them. In some cases, program committees may share information about submitted papers with other conference chairs and journal editors to ensure the integrity of papers under consideration. If a violation of these principles is found, sanctions may include, but are not limited to, barring the authors from submitting to or participating in USENIX conferences for a set period, contacting the authors' institutions, and publicizing the details of the case.

Note that the above does not preclude the submission of a regular full paper that overlaps with a previous short paper or workshop paper. However, any submission that derives from an earlier workshop paper must provide a significant new contribution, for example, by providing a more complete evaluation.

Authors uncertain whether their submission meets USENIX's guidelines should contact the program co-chairs, usenix09chairs@usenix.org, or the USENIX office, submissionspolicy@usenix.org.

Papers accompanied by nondisclosure agreement forms will not be considered. Accepted submissions will be treated as confidential prior to publication on the USENIX '09 Web site; rejected submissions will be permanently treated as confidential.

Authors will be notified of paper acceptance or rejection by Friday, March 13, 2009. Accepted papers may be shepherded by a program committee member. Final papers must be no longer than 14 pages, formatted in 2 columns, using 10 point Times Roman type on 12 point leading, in a text block of 6.5" by 9".

Note regarding registration: One author per accepted paper will receive a registration discount of $200. USENIX will offer a complimentary registration upon request.

Important Dates

Refereed Papers Track Paper submissions due Tuesday, January 6, 2009, 11:59 p.m. PST (hard deadline)
Notification to authors Friday, March 13, 2009
Final papers due Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Poster Session Poster submissions due Tuesday, May 5, 2009