Workshop on Verification of Distributed Systems (VDS) 2025

Context and Goals

Modern computer systems rely crucially on concurrency and distribution to meet increasing high performance requirements. The rise of new technologies such as multi-core processors and cloud-computing have pushed concurrent and distributed programming to the mainstream. However, the development of concurrent and distributed systems that are both performant and consistent is a huge challenge, both from the conceptual and practical viewpoints. Researchers and practitioners in the fields of databases, cloud computing, parallel programming, concurrency, programming languages, and verification have independently tackled this challenge focusing on unique problems arising in their respective domains. We believe that there is significant potential for synergy by bringing together researchers from these diverse areas to build upon insights and techniques from each other. The main goal of this workshop is to provide an opportunity for such a synergy and to foster collaboration between the participants. Participation in the workshop is by invitation only. The workshop follows a tradition of workshops on related topics; see, e.g., FRIDA 2016 held in Marrakech, Morocco, CCDP 2015 held in Agadir, Morocco, VDS'18 held in Essaouira, Morocco, VDS'19 held in Marrakesh, Morocco, and VDS'24 held in Rabat.

Topics of interest

A central theme of the workshop will be the issue of correctness in the development of performant concurrent and distributed systems. In this workshop, we would like to explore the different correctness notions that are used in this context and to understand the relationship between them. We would like to investigate methods for specifying, verifying, and testing systems against these notions. Here are some suggested topics that are of interest to this workshop:

• Correctness criteria: What forms of consistency notions are appropriate for the different class of concurrent and distributed applications? What abstractions do these correctness criteria offer to the applications? What kinds of correctness properties do applications typically require?
• Systems: To what degree can these properties be guaranteed by the platform (programming language, libraries, and runtime system)? What are the performance tradeoffs when one moves the responsibility for correctness between the platform and application?
• Modularity: Can we build concurrent/distributed systems for which correctness can be established in a modular manner?
• Verification: How do we build automatic verification and testing tools that determine if applications ensure the desired specification?
Synthesis: Can program synthesis aid in achieving correct-by-construction applications?

Organizers

• Sidi Mohamed Beillahi, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
• Andreas Podelski, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

Dates and Venue

The workshop will take place in Rabat, Morocco from May 19-20, 2025. For more details, see Netys webpage.

Registration

TBA

List of Participants

TBD

Photo Description

Photo by Abdulrahman Al-Zahrani of the Hassan Tower which is a remarkable architectural masterpiece in Rabat from the 12th century. Built under the reign of Sultan Yacoub al-Mansour, this unfinished minaret was intended to be the tallest in the world, symbolizing the grandeur and ambition of the time. Although incomplete, the beauty of its intricately carved stones and the perfection of its structure remain awe-inspiring. Surrounded by ancient columns and bathed in golden light, this historic landmark offers a unique panoramic view, where the past and present merge, providing visitors with an unforgettable experience full of charm and mystery. This minaret has two sisters, the Koutoubia of Marrakech and La Giralda of Sevilla.