Work Packages (WPs)

The ELASTIC project is structured into seven comprehensive Work Packages (WPs), each focusing on different aspects of the project to ensure the effective development, validation, and deployment of the proposed technologies. Below is an expanded explanation of each WP, including their objectives, expected outcomes, and key tasks.

• Lead Beneficiary: AAL
• Duration: M1-M36

WP1 focuses on researching and developing advanced technologies for executable isolation, particularly WebAssembly (Wasm) and eBPF, to enhance security and portability. The main objectives are:

• Analyze the landscape of Wasm and eBPF technologies for cloud-edge networking and deployment.
• Investigate Wasm as a secure, lightweight alternative to containers and VMs in orchestration.
• Assess eBPF’s security in low-latency real-time applications with XDP.
• Explore the extensibility of Wasm and eBPF with component-based architecture and support for modern programming languages.

Key Tasks:

• Task 1.1: Wasm and eBPF Landscape.
• Task 1.2: Security of Wasm Isolation.
• Task 1.3: Security of eBPF In-kernel Plugins and Low-latency with eBPF/XDP.
• Task 1.4: eBPF and Wasm/WASI Language Support and Extensibility via Component Architecture

Expected Outcomes:

WP1 aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the current state and future directions of Wasm and eBPF technologies, along with enhanced security assessments and implementations for these technologies. The work will culminate in reports and frameworks that support secure and efficient executable isolation.

• Lead Beneficiary: IME
• Duration: M1-M36

WP2 is dedicated to creating lightweight and robust orchestration mechanisms for serverless Function-as-a-Service (FaaS) using Wasm and eBPF. The main objectives are:

• Enhance lightweight and reliable orchestration mechanisms, with a focus on improving supervision and scheduling for serverless FaaS.
• Assess the performance, portability, and usability of Wasm-based containers in a serverless FaaS environment.
• Optimize low-latency orchestration and monitoring in serverless FaaS using eBPF and XDP technologies.
• Strengthen security in serverless FaaS orchestration by implementing advanced access control and capability measures.

Key Tasks:

• Task 2.1: Lightweight and Robust Orchestrating Supervision and Scheduling Mechanisms.
• Task 2.2: Serverless Execution of Lightweight Polyglot Architecture-agnostic Isolated Workloads.
• Task 2.3: Low-latency Serverless FaaS Orchestration Mesh and Monitoring with eBPF and XDP.
• Task 2.4: Access Control, Capabilities and Permissions for Lightweight Orchestration

Expected Outcomes:

The outcomes of WP2 will include a set of efficient and secure orchestration mechanisms tailored for serverless environments, offering enhanced performance and security. This will be supported by the implementation of monitoring tools and access control frameworks that ensure the integrity and reliability of serverless operations.

• Lead Beneficiary: THD
• Duration: M1-M36

WP3 aims to implement privacy-preserving technologies using Confidential Computing to create secure execution environments. The main objectives are:

• Define a lightweight, secure hardware abstraction layer for secure enclaves, minimizing the TCB.
• Integrate a portable, architecture-agnostic Wasm runtime within secure enclaves to support various higher-level applications.
• Develop cryptographically secure and hardware-supported remote attestation methods for Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs).
• Design and deploy an orchestration agent within secure enclaves to manage workloads for Confidential Computing with hardware-assisted TEEs.

Key Tasks:

• Task 3.1: TEE Hardware and Abstraction Layer, Enclave Deployment and Monitoring.
• Task 3.2: Wasm Runtime Inside TEE.
• Task 3.3: Remote Attestations.

Expected Outcomes:

WP3 will result in secure, lightweight, and portable execution environments that can handle sensitive workloads. This includes robust orchestration capabilities and frameworks for TEEs, ensuring that data and computations are protected across various platforms and environments.

• Lead Beneficiary: THD
• Duration: M1-M36

WP4 focuses on enhancing edge computing by developing support for Wasm, eBPF, and TEE technologies on edge and IoT nodes. The main objectives are:

• Evaluate and enhance support for Wasm, eBPF, and TEE technologies in edge and constrained IoT environments.
• Investigate hardware and software solutions for applying ML at the edge, using lightweight Wasm workloads and secure TEE-enabled GPUs or FPGA solutions.
• Explore federated ML orchestration methods that meet distributed edge and privacy-preserving security needs.
• Develop authorization and authentication schemes for edge environments to support emerging orchestration technologies.

Key Tasks:

• Task 4.1: Support for Wasm, eBPF and TEEs on IoT Edge Nodes.
• Task 4.2: TinyML in Wasm, HW for ML Enablement on the Edge, TEE-enabled GPUs and FPGA-based Components.
• Task 4.3: Federated ML Orchestration of Wasm Workloads.
• Task 4.4: Security of Embedded Devices Using Wasm, eBPF and TEEs

Expected Outcomes:

The expected outcomes of WP4 include advanced edge computing capabilities, enabling secure and efficient workload execution on constrained devices. This will be achieved through the development of federated ML orchestration frameworks and robust security mechanisms tailored for edge environments.

• Lead Beneficiary: UVC
• Duration: M1-M36

WP5 is dedicated to demonstrating and validating the ELASTIC solutions in real-world scenarios. The main objectives are:

• Define ELASTIC use cases and requirements for validating secure serverless FaaS and Confidential Computing with Wasm, including an IoT data fabric for 6G and a privacy-preserving cloud platform.
• Deploy a cloud testbed with private and public resources for healthcare demonstrators.
• Add security services to demonstrators to enhance their security and usability.
• Assess the scalability, usability, performance, and hardware impact of secure serverless FaaS and Wasm-enabled TEE-enhanced AI.

Key Tasks:

• Task 5.1: Specification of the demonstrators for testing and validation.
• Task 5.2: Setup Orchestration Infrastructure and Confidential Computing Testbed.
• Task 5.3: Demonstrator 1: An IoT data fabric as a native 6G infrastructure capability.
• Task 5.4: Demonstrator 2: IT/OT – Privacy-preserving confidential computing platform to migrate in-premise sensitive IT services to the cloud

Expected Outcomes:

WP5 will validate the ELASTIC solutions through practical demonstrations, providing comprehensive analysis and evaluation reports. These will highlight the scalability, usability, and performance of the developed technologies in real-world settings.

• Lead Beneficiary: ZEN
• Duration: M1-M36

WP6 aims to ensure the widespread dissemination and adoption of the ELASTIC project results. The main objectives are:

• Develop a communication plan and create materials for ELASTIC.
• Build and grow the ELASTIC ecosystem, ensuring its sustainability beyond the project.
• Share ELASTIC’s scientific and technological results through conferences, workshops, journals, and standards bodies.
• Facilitate commercial exploitation of ELASTIC results, secure intellectual property, and devise a business model and exploitation strategy.

Key Tasks:

• Task 6.1: Communication & Dissemination Plan, Assets, Materials and Activities.
• Task 6.2: ELASTIC Ecosystem Bootstrap and Expansion.
• Task 6.3: Engaging the Scientific Community and Standardisation.
• Task 6.4: Innovation Management, IPR Handling and Future Exploitation

Expected Outcomes:

The outcomes of WP6 will include broad dissemination of the project’s results, effective engagement with industry stakeholders, and strategies for the commercialization of the ELASTIC innovations. This will ensure that the project’s impacts are sustainable and widely recognized.

• Lead Beneficiary: TUC
• Duration: M1-M36

WP7 focuses on the overall management and coordination of the ELASTIC project. The main objectives are:

• Co-coordinate all technical, scientific and administrative project activities
• Produce a quality assessment and monitoring plan for the project
• Compliance with the project contract, description of work, quality plan, and related legal and IPR issues
• Plan and facilitate communication and interactions within the consortium
• Produce reports on project progress and ensure the effective use of resources for realising the project objectives

Key Tasks:

• Task 7.1: Financial Management and Activities Monitoring.
• Task 7.2: Scientific and Technical Management.
• Task 7.3: Quality Assurance, and Risk Management.
• Task 7.4: Data Management Plan and Ethics

Expected Outcomes:

WP7 will ensure the smooth and efficient execution of the project, with timely reporting and communication. The outcomes will include high-quality management practices, effective use of resources, and successful achievement of project milestones.

Each Work Package in the ELASTIC project is designed to address specific challenges and objectives, contributing to the overall success of the project by developing innovative solutions, validating them in real-world scenarios, and ensuring their widespread dissemination and adoption.