The last part of the workshop was an opportunity for participants to brainstorm about the future of operating systems research in small groups. The topic for discussion was the question ``What are the 5 most important problems that must be solved by OS researchers in the next decade?'' The groups were encouraged to treat this question broadly, factoring in both technical and non-technical issues. Each group was to report its conclusions in a 10-minute summary, giving a prioritized list of problems and corresponding rationale.
In honor of the workshop's desert location, the groups were named after species of cacti: Opuntia, Pereskia, Rebutia, Rhipsalis, and Saguaro. Each group was between 9 and 12 people in size, and had a designated leader. The leaders were: Karin Petersen (Opuntia), Srini Seshan (Pereskia), Margo Seltzer (Rebutia), Mike Feeley (Rhipsalis), and Mike Jones (Saguaro). All the groups chose to work outdoors, some by the pool (with some of their members in the pool!), others on the patio outside, and so on. Rounding up everyone for the final session indoors was not easy, but the group leaders did accomplish their mission.