The complexity of modern computer networks and systems, combined with the extremely dynamic environments in which they operate, is beginning to outpace our ability to manage them. Taking yet another page from the biomimetics playbook, the autonomic computing paradigm mimics the human autonomic nervous system to free system developers and administrators from performing and overseeing low-level tasks. Surveying the current path toward this paradigm, Autonomic Computing: Concepts, Infrastructure, and Applications offers a comprehensive overview of state-of-the-art research and implementations in this emerging area. This book begins by introducing the concepts and requirements of autonomic computing and exploring the architectures required to implement such a system. The focus then shifts to the approaches and infrastructures, including control-based and recipe-based concepts, followed by enabling systems, technologies, and services proposed for achieving a set of "self-*" properties, including self-configuration, self-healing, self-optimization, and self-protection. In the final section, examples of real-world implementations reflect the potential of emerging autonomic systems, such as dynamic server allocation and runtime reconfiguration and repair. Collecting cutting-edge work and perspectives from leading experts, Autonomic Computing: Concepts, Infrastructure, and Applications reveals the progress made and outlines the future challenges still facing this exciting and dynamic field.

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the First International Conference on Soft-Ware 2002, held in Belfast, North Ireland in April 2002.The 24 revised full papers presented together with seven abstracts of invited presentations and the summary of a panel were carefully reviewed and selected for inclusion in the book. All presentations are devoted to the effective handling of soft issues in the design, development, and operation of computing systems, from an academic research point of view as well as from the point of view of industrial practice. The papers aim at integrating an interdisciplinary range of disciplines including artificial intelligence, information systems, software engineering, and systems engineering.