Dr. Di Niu
Assistant Professor
Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering
University of Alberta

Reducing Access Latency in Erasure Coded Cloud Storage with Local Block Migration

Time & Date: 5:30 pm – 6:30 pm, August 19th, 2015
Location: EME 1151, UBC, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC

Talk Abstract: Erasure coding has been applied in many cloud storage systems to enhance reliability at lower storage cost than replication. While a large amount of prior work aims to enhance recovery performance and reliability, the overall access delay in coded storage still needs to be optimized. As most production systems adopt a systematic code and places an uncoded block on only one server to be read normally, it is harder to balance server loads and more likely to incur latency tails than in 3-way replication, where a block can be retrieved from any of the 3 servers storing the block. In this talk, I will describe our recent work to reduce access latency in coded storage systems by moving blocks with anti-correlated demands onto same servers to statistically balance the load. We formulate the optimal block placement as a problem similar to Min-k-Partition and propose a local block migration scheme to reduce the overall access latency without globally shuffling the blocks. We derive a worst-case approximation ratio as a function of some demand statistics, such as the demand variation across different blocks. Based on request traces from Windows Azure Storage, we demonstrate that our scheme can significantly reduce access latency with only a few block moves, especially when the request demand is skewed.

Speaker Biography: Di Niu received the B.Engr. degree from the Department of Electronics and Communications Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University, China, in 2005 and the M.A.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, in 2009 and 2013. Since September, 2012, he has been with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Alberta, where he is currently an Assistant Professor. His research interests include cloud computing and storage, computer networking, data mining and statistical machine learning for social economic computing, distributed optimization, and network coding. 

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry at ieee.org) and to Chen Feng (chen.feng at ubc.ca)
Registration Page: (https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/35621)

Md Shahrear Iqbal
School of Computing
Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada

Towards a Secure Anti-Malware Framework for Smartphones

Time & Date: 5 pm – 6 pm, July 16th, 2015
Location: EME 1151, UBC, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC

Talk Abstract: Smartphones have become an integral part of our daily life. They offer much more functionalities than their traditional counterparts. As a result, many businesses now offer services through smartphones. Users also store sensitive personal information on their devices and perform financial transactions. Consequently, security attacks through sophisticated malware in different smart platforms have also increased significantly. Therefore, we must protect our devices against the rising threat of mobile malware.

In this talk, we present various risks of using smartphones in different contexts. Then, a secure and generic anti-malware framework is demonstrated. The framework consists of a number of components to report, monitor and control malware. The core idea of the framework resembles a smart city. The operating system will act as the government of the city and the applications will be the citizens. It has components to perform policing and provide security of the applications and shared resources. The goal is to design a framework that hinders malware propagation, withstands exploitation, and protects sensitive information.

Speaker Biography: Md Shahrear Iqbal is a Ph.D. candidate in the School of Computing, Queen’s University, Canada, where he is a member of the Queen’s Reliable Software Technology (QRST) research group. He also holds a faculty position in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) in Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Bangladesh. He is currently doing research on the security of smart devices. He is also interested in future internet and cyber-security of smart cities. He obtained his Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in CSE from BUET. More information about his research and publications can be found at http://www.cs.queensu.ca/~iqbal.

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry at ieee.org).
Registration Page: (https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/35244)

Ekram Hossain, IEEE Fellow
Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering,
University of Manitoba

Evolution toward 5G cellular:
Key challenges and enabling technologies

1. Time & Date: 6 pm, July 13th, 2015. Registration Page: http://tinyurl.com/o8fob93
Location: E103, Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Rd, Kelowna, BC V1Y4X8 (parking info).

2. Time & Date: 10 am, July 14th, 2015. Reg. Page: https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/35083
Location: EME 1151, UBC, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC

Talk Abstract: The evolving fifth generation (5G) cellular wireless systems will have a multi-tier architecture consisting of macrocells, different types of licensed small cells, relays, and device-to-device (D2D) networks to serve users with different quality-of-service (QoS) requirements in a spectrum and energy-efficient manner. Starting with the visions and requirements for 5G cellular networks, the key challenges in the design and deployment of these networks will be discussed and several enabling technologies for these networks will be reviewed. In particular, concepts of tier-aware resource allocation, distributed uplink cell association and power control, cognitive spectrum access by network tiers, mode selection and power control for D2D communication, radio frequency (RF) energy harvesting-based D2D communication, and interference management in multi-tier cellular networks in presence of energy harvesting will be discussed.

Speaker Biography: Ekram Hossain (IEEE Fellow) is currently a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada. He received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from University of Victoria, Canada, in 2001. His current research interests include design, analysis, and optimization of wireless/mobile communications networks, cognitive radio systems, and network economics. He has authored/edited several books in these areas (http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~hossaina). Dr. Hossain serves as the Editor-in-Chief for the IEEE Communications Surveys and Tutorials, and an Editor for IEEE Wireless Communications. Also, currently he serves on the IEEE Press Editorial Board. Previously, he served as the Area Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications in the area of “Resource Management and Multiple Access” from 2009-2011, an Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Mobile Computing} from 2007-2012, and an Editor for the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications – Cognitive Radio Series from 2011-2014. Dr. Hossain has won several research awards including the University of Manitoba Merit Award in 2010 and 2014 (for Research and Scholarly Activities), the 2011 IEEE Communications Society Fred Ellersick Prize Paper Award, and the IEEE Wireless Communications and Networking Conference 2012 (WCNC’12) Best Paper Award. He is a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Communications Society.

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry at ieee.org).

Dr. William J. Blanke
Nok Nok Labs, Palo Alto, CA USA

iOS Interprocess Communication Security and the Universal Authentication Framework Protocol (slides)

Time & Date: 5 pm – 6 pm, May 26th, 2015.
Location: E103, Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Rd, Kelowna, BC V1Y4X8 (parking info).

Talk Abstract: The Universal Authentication Framework (UAF) protocol is a newly ratified, public key cryptography-based standard from the FIDO Alliance that supplants the common shared-secret login password. To achieve this, a UAF client on a user’s device mints public key pairs on a per-relying party basis, and registers the public key with the relying party server. The UAF client then manages the private keys, which are used to sign server-generated authentication challenges. The prior-registered server-side public keys are then used to verify the signed challenge responses in order to authenticate the user session.

On the iOS platform, the UAF client can exist as a standalone app that services authentication requests from other apps (termed relying party apps in UAF parlance) via custom URL schemes for interprocess communication. This presentation first will identify the strengths of using custom URL schemes for communication between relying party apps and a standalone UAF client. Second, the presentation will analyze the threats to this approach and will illustrate their mitigation by the UAF standard.

Speaker Biography: I graduated with my BSE from Duke University (2015 NCAA champs! Go Blue Devils!), MS from the University of Virginia, and PhD from the University of Texas at Austin. I specialize in security software for Windows, iOS, and Android. Currently as the mobile lead architect at Nok Nok Labs, a Silicon Valley startup, I helped create the first FIDO enabled multifactor authentication client for Android and iOS. If you own a Samsung Galaxy S5, you might already be using our software! My security focus results from a decade as a technical director at PGP Corporation (a division at Symantec), where I developed the PGP product line for Windows, Windows CE, Windows Mobile, and iOS. Previously, I taught graduate and undergraduate courses as a lecturer of Computer Science at the University of the South Pacific, in Suva, Fiji Islands.

 Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry at ieee.org).
Registration Page: https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/34489

 Sabbir Ahmad, Ph.D., P.Eng.
Manager of Engineering, Transmission & Distribution
Amec Foster Wheeler, Vancouver

Smart Grid: Opportunities and Challenges

Time & Date: 5 pm – 6 pm, May 11th, 2015
Location: EME 1151, UBC, Okanagan Campus, 3333 University Way, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7

Talk Abstract: Smart grid represents the next generation electrical power grid that will integrate modern information, communications, and power technologies to improve the control, efficiency, reliability and safety of energy generation, transmission, distribution, and consumption. In this talk, the presenter will present some case studies of smart grid system implementations in North America.

Speaker Biography: Dr. Sabbir Ahmad received his Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Victoria, BC, Canada, 2008. Dr. Ahmad has more than 20 years of experience in engineering, planning, research and project management, mainly for transmission and distribution projects in Asia, Europe and North America. Currently, he is a manager of Engineering, Transmission & Distribution, with the global engineering & project management service provider Amec Foster Wheeler. He is also a registered Professional Engineers (P.Eng.) with APEGBC and PEO, a member of IEEE as well.

 Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry at ieee.org) and to
Md.  Jahangir Hossain, Ph.D., P.Eng. jahangir.hossain at ubc.ca
Registration Page: (https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/34626)

Prof. Mohamed-Slim Alouini

Computer, Electrical, and Mathematical Science and Engineering (CEMSE) Division King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) Thuwal, Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia.

 Addressing Spectrum Scarcity through Optical Wireless Communications

Time & Date: 10:30 am – 11:30 am, May 14, 2015
Location: EME 2141, UBC, Okanagan Campus, Kelowna, BC

Talk Abstract: Rapid increase in the use of wireless services over the last two decades has led the problem of the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum exhaustion. More specifically, due to this RF spectrum scarcity, additional RF bandwidth allocation, as utilized in the recent past, is not anymore a viable solution to fulfill the demand for more wireless applications and higher data rates. The talk goes first over the potential offered by optical wireless communications to relieve spectrum scarcity. It then summarizes some of the challenges that need to be surpassed before such kind of systems can be massively deployed. Finally the talk offers an overview of some of the recent results for the determination of the capacity of optical wireless channels.

Speaker Biography: Mohamed-Slim Alouini (S’94, M’98, SM’03, F’09) was born in Tunis, Tunisia. He received the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Pasadena, CA, USA, in 1998. He served as a faculty member in the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA, then in the Texas A&M University at Qatar, Education City, Doha, Qatar before joining King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Makkah Province, Saudi Arabia as a Professor of Electrical Engineering in 2009. His current research interests include the modeling, design, and performance analysis of wireless communication systems.

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Julian Cheng (email: Julian.Cheng at ubc.ca). Registration Page: (http://is.gd/cjHW94)

Calvin Reich
Capri Insurance, UAV Specialist

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones. Next Generation of Aviation Vehicles

Time & Date: 5 pm – 6 pm, April 29th, 2015
Location: E103, Okanagan College, 1000 KLO Rd, Kelowna, BC V1Y4X8 (parking info).

Talk Abstract: There has been a lot buzz recently about drones in the media. There is a whole new industry that is taking off. An industry that is outside the traditional and is different than anything we have seen in the past. With this new industry there is great potential and there are many that are starting to benefit from it. There are also plenty of challenges that have yet to be addressed and will continue as both technology and regulation try to find their role. We are seeing the blend of new technology pushing an aviation industry that is typically slow to change. Technology seems to push things to a whole new dimension. The Internet opened up a whole new world, and then it was cell phone and smart phone technology. This has all led to huge advancements in GPS systems and now is a driving factor in the UAV industry. As the industry is on the brink of exponential growth and regulators struggle with fitting this new technology into a pre-determined box it is an exciting time. It is somewhere between the Wild West and a robotic revolution. It is an exciting time and one that is a pleasure to be part of. We do not know exactly what it will look like in the future, as technology advances so will the UAV industry and the applications of the next generation of aviation vehicles. It is limited only by the imagination and rules governing the integration of this new sector of aviation.

Speaker Biography: Calvin has been with Capri Insurance for the past 14 years and has been involved in aviation since 1992. He holds a Commercial pilots license, float rating, multi Engine rating and has held an Instrument rating. He has been involved in the UAV industry for the past 3-4 years and was a speaker at the Unmanned Systems Canada Conference in 2014. Over the past number of years, Calvin has helped many new and seasoned operators with the rules and regulations that are involved for commercial operations of a UAV.

Refreshments will be provided. For further information please contact:
Youry Khmelevsky (email: youry at ieee.org).
Registration Page: (https://meetings.vtools.ieee.org/m/34488)