Conference Tracks

This year’s technical program is organized into three tracks, outlined below. A submission topic might be relevant to more than one of these tracks, but each proposal should identify a primary track. We list some example topics for each track, but proposals need not be limited to these topics.

1. Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence (AI)

The frameworks, techniques, and tools for AI and data analytics and algorithms have become mainstream technology, used in systems across many domains. In some cases, this technology drives decision making that is critical to give businesses a competitive edge. Enterprise solutions can also benefit from this technology to improve the user experience and agility of corporate software systems. Topics in this track may include

• architecture design and analysis of data analytics solutions
• tools and frameworks for data analytics and machine learning
• big-data technologies and infrastructure for large-scale data management (e.g., distributed and NoSQL databases) and processing (e.g., Hadoop, Storm, Spark)
• how intelligent automation, such as robotic process automation and digital assistants, affects architects and systems
• case studies of building and evolving data analytics in industry or government

2. Microservice, Event-Driven, and Serverless Architectures; Containerization; Internet of Things (IoT)

This track is about architecture styles for distributed systems. We want to explore the design tradeoffs, benefits, and challenges involved in the use of any of these styles. We also encourage submissions about frameworks, patterns, tools, and techniques that architects and developers have successfully employed to create these systems. Topics may include case studies, frameworks, platforms, patterns, and techniques about

• microservice architectures
• event-driven architectures and reactive systems
• event sourcing and Command-Query Responsibility Segregation (CQRS)
• serverless architecture, function as a service (FaaS), and cloud-based databases
• API Gateway and API management
• software containers and container orchestration
• IoT, mobile apps, edge computing, and device data management

3. Other Design and Development Techniques, Patterns, and Solutions

This track is wide open for talks about the many other interesting topics related to software architecture, including

• how architects can be effective in fast-moving, agile environments, and architecture within self-organizing teams including agile teams and open-source projects
• architecting for DevOps and creating an efficient path to production (continuous integration, continuous delivery, and related topics), including testing, and software quality assurance
• quality attribute concerns, including performance, availability, usability, security, and interoperability
• developing software architects, including coaching, mentoring, certification, professional training, and college education
• managing and minimizing technical debt
• using architecture to understand risk and business value in legacy-system modernization and greenfield development
• architecture-driven evolution and legacy modernization
• software architecture design, evaluation, documentation, conformance, and reconstruction
• case studies sharing experiences on any of these topics

Session Types

Choose a session type that you are comfortable presenting or facilitating and that also helps you effectively share your wisdom, knowledge, and experience with your audience. You may submit separate proposals for a 30-minute talk and a 90-minute tutorial session on the same topic.

• Experience Report: 30-minute or 45-minute presentation that describes a firsthand experience, either successful or unsuccessful, and lessons learned. Generally a slide-based presentation that tells a story about something you did.
• Technical Talk: 30-minute or 45-minute lecture-based session, focused on teaching a specific topic based on your knowledge and expertise in that topic.
• Tutorial: 90-minute session with attendees spending part of the time in hands-on learning activities such as writing code, applying a design technique, or practicing an architecture leadership activity. We have a few slots available for these presentations.
• DEV@SATURN Talk (TED-Style Presentation): 15-minute talk that concisely shares a single important technique, lesson, or experience. Some stories are short and don’t need a lot of slides to explain. We have a few slots available for these presentations.

Speaker Compensation

Although SATURN does not offer travel assistance, speakers whose proposals are accepted will receive free or discounted admission to the conference, depending on the submission type.

• As compensation for presenting a 15-, 30-, or 45-minute session at SATURN, speakers will receive 60% off the full-conference registration fee and 15% off the price of one course fee. This compensation can apply to a maximum of two speakers in a multiple-speaker talk.
• As compensation for presenting a 90-minute session at SATURN, speakers will receive complimentary conference registration, 15% off the price of one course fee, and one free night at the conference hotel. This compensation applies to one speaker in a multiple-speaker talk.

SATURN is not able to fund speakers’ travel expenses beyond what is listed above.