CS 854: Advanced Topics in Computer Systems

Experimental Performance Evaluation

Fall 2020

 

 

 

 

 

Home Video Logistics Schedule
Projects Resources Integrity

 

 

 

Project Logistics

• The goal is to write a short paper that in theory could be submitted to a real conference. For example, HotCloud, HotOS, HotNets, etc. This will often not be acheived but that should be your thinking when thinking about your project.
• You must work in groups. I would recommend groups of 3 or 4 (especially during the current pandemic).
• Late papers will not be accepted!
• This is just like a conference submission. 1 minute late and the system will not accept the submission.
• The submission deadline is an absolute and hard deadline because this simulates conference submission deadlines. You can submit more than once, the last submission will be used so be sure to submit well before the deadline.

Steps, Guidelines and Tips

1. Start thinking about your project group and topic early.
2. Find a group and a topic.
3. Get approval from the instructor for the group and topic.
4. Start working on your project early.
5. Create the project proposal (this may be a powerpoint presenation or a written document)
6. Start WRITING the early. This should start WELL BEFORE you finish doing all of your coding (if there is any) and experiments. Writing the paper for the project IS NOT THE LAST STEP. It should be an iterative process that you start first and continue working on until the deadline.
7. Think about what is the story you are trying to tell and how to best tell it
8. What are 1 or 2 key things you want the reader to take away / remember.

Paper Requirements

• Papers must be submitted in pdf format.
• Length: 6 pages maximum including all figures, tables and graphs but not references.
• This is an absolute maximum. Papers longer than this will not be considered (i.e., receive a grade of 0). Again, this is to emulate a conference submission.
• Papers must be formated using the templates at this site for preparing your paper
  Paper Requirements
  Be sure to see the information also available on that page for more hints about preparing a paper.
• From the information about USENIX submissions.
  In a good paper, the authors will have:
  • attacked a significant problem
  • devised an interesting and practical solution
  • clearly described what they have and have not implemented
  • demonstrated the benefits of their solution
  • articulated the advances beyond previous work
  • drawn appropriate conclusions

See the advice provided for writing a thesis and use the hints provided there when doing and writing up your project.
A Simple Approach to Thesis Writing

Before Submitting Your Paper

1. Proofread it carefully and correct all of the mistakes that you find.
2. Then do it again, and again, and again.
3. Then have a friend read the paper to look for mistakes.
4. Then repeat from the top until you are pretty certain that the writing is in clear and correct English and that there aren't any typos and smelling spelling mistakes :-)

Project/Paper Submission

NOTE: That I will likely use HotCRP to organize the submissions so more information on submissions will be available later.

I will eventually make the link available (likely in the Schedule page).

Reviews and Review Submission

• There will be M projects. You will each be required to review N projects (including your own project). Review forms will be available later on the class conference web site. Review submissions will also be done using an the online reviewing system (more instructions later).

 

 

 

Home Video Logistics Schedule
Projects Resources Integrity

 

 

 

Last modified: Thu Nov 5 11:05:29 EST 2020