I/UCRC: Collaborative Research: I/UCRC Center for Configuration Analytics and Automation

The center seeks to establish a new Industry/University Cooperative Research Center (I/UCRC) in order to conduct research to improve configuration analytics and automation capabilities in order to enable their integration for efficient, accurate and timely operations, management and defense of complex networked information technology (IT) systems and environments. By addressing the challenges of configuration analytics and automation, the center intends to improve enterprise IT system and service manageability, performance, assurability, security and sustainability. The effort plans to apply innovative analytics and automation to complex networked systems including: enterprise networking of clouds and data centers, software defined networking, hybrid and cyber-physical systems, smart critical infrastructures, mission-oriented networks (sensor-actuator networks), virtual overlays, social networks and mobile systems.

Future system complexity and the potential of misconfiguration is likely

to increase significantly as technology progresses toward 'smart' cyber infrastructure and ?open? configurable platforms making configuration analytics and automation essential for realizing continued productivity and competitiveness improvements from the cyber-economy. Working with its Industrial Advisory Board, the center plans to have a significant impact in this area and provide a source of talented graduates to industry. The center plans to have a strong educational component that includes training undergraduate and graduate students in this area, creating a new multidisciplinary certificate on Configuration Analytics at UNCC, and involving minority and under-represented students through courses, seminars, workshops and research projects.