Annual International Workshop on Advances in Methods of Information and Communication Technology (AMICT)

Programs, abstract and presentaion slaids as well as full papers of AMICT (not all three items for several workshops).

Preface for "Proccedings of FDPW'97-98. Distributed Systems and Telecommunications", University press of Petrozavodsk State University, 1998.

It is our pleasure to present the Annual Finnish Data Processing Week at the University of Petrozavodsk (FDPW).

The weeks are organized annually, in Spring, by the Departments of computer science of the Universities of Helsinki, Finland and Petrozavodsk, Karelia, Russia in frame of the Cooperation Agreement between these Universities.

In May 1993, Dr. Timo Alanko visited the Department of Computer Science of the University of Petrozavodsk and gave to the computer science students an elective lecture course on "Performance analysis". The visit was organized on an initiative of Vice-Rector of University of Petrozavodsk Dr. Andrei A. Pechnikov.

During the visit Dr. Timo Alanko had discussions with Dr. Andrei A. Pechnikov, the Head of the Department Dr. Gennady S. Sigovtsev and Dr. Iouri A. Bogoiavlenski on possible forms and directions of cooperation. As a result of these discussion the idea of FDPW was born, and during the last five years it has demonstrated its vitality and usefulness.

Initially the week was mainly intended as a "guest lecturers' week" with the goal to give some advanced elective courses to the CS students of the University of Petrozavodsk. In May of 1994 already three lecturers and one system analyst came to Petrozavodsk. Dr. Timo Alanko lectured on "Performance analysis of computing systems", Dr. Harri Laine on "DBMS current situation and trends" and researcher Helena Ahonen on "Knowledge-Bases". In addition, system analyst Vesa Halkka gave a short series of lectures on "The computer network of the University of Helsinki" to the staff of the University of Petrozavodsk Computer Center.

In May 1995, Dr. Timo Alanko lectured in Petrozavodsk an elective course on "Performance Analysis of Data Communications Networks", and researcher Markku Kojo lectured a course on "Client Server Programming in Unix Environment".

On grounds of achieved results it was decided to undertake a revision in the concept of FDPW. In the considerations the following four factors played a major role.

First, the fast-growing Federal Petrozavodsk RUNNet Node had been established at the University of Petrozavodsk, and new needs for performance analysis and capacity planning research had become apparent.

Second, telecommunication and distributed data processing systems spread out as a vital base for administrative, business, and educational applications both in Karelia and in the whole North-West region of Russia. Hence, research and development work in these areas gained enormously in importance.

Third, during their participation in FDPW elective courses, some advanced CS students from the University of Petrozavodsk had shown both interest and ability for research in the areas mentioned above. Later on the students have increased their competence in distributed systems and networking by studying at the CS Department of the University of Helsinki, typically for one semester. The students, as a rule, have continued their studies at the University of Petrozavodsk as master of science and postgraduate students.

Fourth, a pilot Joint Research Project "A Regional Internet Node Analysis" was started in 1995 year under the guidance of Dr. Alanko and of Dr. Bogoiavlenski, and with participation of the student group mentioned above.

In 1997, as a result of these developments, FDPW was transformed into a scientific seminar, devoted to presentations and discussions on work in progress and results achieved in research and development within the distributed systems and data communications areas.

The title of the seminar was in 1997 "Telecommunications Research and Developments", and in 1998 "Developments in Distributed Systems and Data Communications".

The organization of the seminars, as well as the other forms of cooperation, would not have been possible without the positive attitude and financial support of various parties: the Heads of the Departments, Prof. Martti Tienari and Dr. Gennady S. Sigovtsev, and the international relations offices of the Universities, personified by Eeva Melkas, and Valery Mihalko and Svetlana Chekmasova.

Prof. Victor N. Vasiliev, Rector of the University of Petrozavodsk, has shown a keen interest in FDPW activities; as a matter of fact, the whole economic background of FDPW, including the publishing of the Proceedings, has relied on the decisions of Prof. Victor N. Vasiliev. Vice-Rectors Anatoli V. Voronin, Natalia S. Ruzanova and Valery A. Gurtov sincerely supported the seminars and took a vital part in their organization and work.

Master of Science student Dmitri Korzoun (the University of Petrozavodsk) spent a lot of time with macro package LaTeX to prepare the camera ready form of the proceedings of the FDPW.

Last, but not least, we want to thank the Head of Petrozavodsk University Press Andrei A. Filimonov and his staff for the fast and high quality printing of the proceedings of the FDPW.

We express our gratitude to all of them, and we hope that FDPW Seminar will become a long tradition.

Dr. Timo Alanko, Department of Computer Science of the University of Helsinki,
Dr. Iouri Bogoiavlenski, Department of Computer Science of the University of Petrozavodsk