The annual LISA conference is the meeting place of choice for system and network administrators. System administrators of all specialties and levels of expertise meet at LISA to exchange ideas, sharpen old skills, learn new techniques, debate current issues, and meet colleagues and friends. People come from over 30 different countries to attend LISA. They include a wide range of system and network administrators working in the full spectrum of computing environments—large corporations, small businesses, academic institutions, government agencies, and so on—as well as many full- and part-time students.

The conference's diverse group of participants is matched by an equally broad spectrum of activities:

• Training for both beginners and experienced attendees covers many administrative topics, ranging from basic procedures to using cutting-edge technologies.
• Technical sessions present the latest developments and ideas related to system and network administration.
• Invited Talks and Panels discuss important and timely topics in depth, and typically include lively and/or controversial debates.
• Work-in-Progress reports (WiPs) provide brief looks ahead to next year's innovations. LISA also makes it easy for people to interact in more informal settings:
• Noted experts answer attendee questions at Guru Is In sessions.
• LISA participants discuss/celebrate/commiserate about a shared interest at Birds-of-a-Feather (BoF) sessions.
• Vendors answer questions and offer solutions at the Exhibition.

The Keynote address will be given by Paul Kilmartin, Director, Availability and Performance Engineering at eBay, Inc.