Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering
Fraunhofer Institute for Software and Systems Engineering

ScaleDTM

Development of technical building blocks for the realization of scalable, decentralized data trust models

In the "ScaleDTM" project, we are developing the technical building blocks for realizing decentralized data trustee models. The goal of this two-year individual project is to create a competitive, scalable, and easily extensible data fiduciary architecture to promote collaborative data processing and value creation. Here, we consider not only the exchange of data, but also the fiduciary execution of code as a service provided by the data trustee.

The challenge   

The ScaleDTM project looks at two key challenges of decentralized data trustee models: identifying a data trustee and negotiating its trusteeship. By not having a centralized, fixed-defined data trustee, the challenge is to identify or have a trustee participate in the fiduciary ecosystem. The second challenge is how to record data sharing and code execution agreements in a binding and automated way. This requires the development of technical control mechanisms that ensure the correct exchange of data and the agreed execution of code.

 

Our performance 

Within the scope of the project, we address the two challenges outlined above by means of suitable concepts and technological building blocks. For this purpose, we extend the conceptual aspects of Gaia-X and IDS as well as the technical implementation of the Eclipse Dataspace Components (EDC) at the necessary points and thus create an open-source capable solution. For the identification of data trustees, we supplement the EDC with a trusted parties database (so-called "white list"), which holds suitable data trustees. We realize the automation of the negotiation by extending the existing "Contract Negotiation" of the EDC.

 

Results

The results of our project hold several implications for practice. Overall, with the realization of a decentralized data trustee model, we aim to provide organizations with easy access to data trustee technologies. Specifically, we provide concepts and open-source components based on the Eclipse Dataspace Components (EDC) that enable the adaptation of decentralized data fiduciary models into various application scenarios.

 

Funding

  • German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)
  • Funding code: 16DTM206
  • Duration: 10/2023-09/2025