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A META OPERATING SYSTEM FOR BROKERING HYPER-DISTRIBUTED APPLICATIONS ON CLOUD COMPUTING CONTINUUMS

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - NebulOus (A META OPERATING SYSTEM FOR BROKERING HYPER-DISTRIBUTED APPLICATIONS ON CLOUD COMPUTING CONTINUUMS)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-02-29

The recent adoption of multi-cloud offerings to cope with the needs of data- and processing-intensive applications, still entails several challenges. For instance, even in advanced efforts that attempt to implement multi-cloud, cross-cloud or hybrid cloud offerings, significant challenges exist with respect to minimising the (network or physical) distance between processing jobs and data sources, with respect to establishing security and trust, as well as with respect to keeping Quality of Service (QoS) guarantees. Furthermore, in today’s digital era, where data is the main commodity for creating value in data-driven businesses, multi- or cross-cloud solutions may be insufficient on their own for satisfying the requirements associated with data- and processing-intensive applications. We witness a constant increase of connected devices that produce data at an astonishing rate of 2.5 exabytes per day whilst, according to Cisco, the Internet of Things (IoT) will soon feature worldwide more than 50 billion connected devices. Therefore, the generation of unprecedented amounts of heterogeneous data and their propagation among diverse processing and storage architectures, amplifies the need for solutions that are able to costeffectively host and process these data. Current implementations of cloud-based applications delegate the bulk of their data processing and storage activities to cloud data centres, creating major network traffic and cost issues, especially if we consider that by 2022, more than 50% of enterprise-generated data will be created outside the data centre.

NebulOuS will transparently manage all the layers of the cloud continuum stack, in an equivalent manner to an OS managing the available computing capacity to facilitate an adaptive application hosting environment, driven by the processing proximity to data sources and optimised based on the data involved, the defined QoS requirements and the regulatory, security or privacy constraints. NebulOuS will introduce an appropriate meta-operating system that encompasses brokerage capabilities across the cloud computing continuum. Specifically, it will enable the emergence of ad-hoc fog brokerage ecosystems that exploit IoT/edge and fog nodes, in parallel to multi-cloud resources to cope with the requirements of hyper distributed applications. Such applications will be managed by NebulOuS considering the full life-cycle support of edge and cloud resources to enable hosting nodes across organisational units of the same or different business entities or reach private datacentres of telecom providers, constituting ad-hoc cloud computing continuums.
D1.1: Ethics requirements, Scientific Quality Assurance & Risk Management Plan was submitted at due time (M04).
D1.1: Data Management Plan] was submitted at due time (M06).
D2.1 Requirements and Conceptual Architecture of the NebulOuS Meta-OS (M6), reporting the results of T2.1 T2.2 T2.3 was submitted at due time.
D2.2. Initial Semantic Models and Resource Discovery Mechanism (M12), reporting the results of T2.4 T2.5 T2.6 was submitted at M14.
D4.1: Initial Orchestration Layer & Security-enabled Overlay Network Deployment was submitted at M17.
D5.1: Prototype of Monitoring & Fog/IoT Data Streams Management in Cloud Computing Continuum (M17) has been submitted.
D6.1: 1st Release of the NebulOuS Integrated Platform & Use Case Planning was submitted at due time (M18)
D7.1 Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation plans, was submitted at due time, in M6.
Successful launch of Open Call 1.
MS1 “Requirements and Conceptual Architecture of the NebulOuS Meta-OS" (M6) was achieved at due time.
MS2 “Initial Semantic Models and Evaluation Framework” (M12) has been achieved at M14.
MS3: 1st Release of the NebulOuS Integrated Platform & Use Case Planning has been achieved with slight delays.
European leadership in the global data economy: NebulOuS aims to empower small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by offering a revolutionary architecture and brokerage platform. This innovation facilitates SMEs in breaking away from dependence on large vendors by enabling them to seamlessly transition to European Cloud and Edge providers. NebulOuS opens avenues for European Cloud and Edge providers to expand their market presence, enhancing their capabilities and enhancing their service offerings. Through NebulOuS, these providers can extend their resources to a wider market beyond the European Union. This broader accessibility not only fosters regional development but also strengthens the EU's position in the global economic landscape.

Maximised social and economic benefits from the wider and more effective use of data: Our project's impact will hinge on fostering a vibrant open-source community. The platform itself will serve as an open-source software framework, geared towards catalyzing innovation by streamlining adoption processes and reducing costs. NebulOuS is poised to facilitate both companies and consumers, such as citizens, in leveraging Cloud Computing and Connectivity (CCC) to access data-intensive services affordably and conveniently. This accessibility is prepared to unlock a wave of innovation in the big data and Internet of Things (IoT) sectors, as previously resource-intensive services become economically feasible. Economic ramifications will be further augmented through our open call programs, inviting SMEs and researchers to implement NebulOuS in diverse use-cases. On the social front, enhanced data availability translates to heightened transparency and user empowerment, spanning realms like financial transactions, market product choices, and travel planning, often leading to the production of public and social goods. Citizens stand to gain from improved crisis management, fresher perishable goods, and reduced carbon footprints via efficient food logistics, alongside enjoying better-maintained urban environments facilitated by IoT data capture. NebulOuS's primary economic advantage lies in its capacity to extend across various industries and domains, sustained by a collaborative ecosystem of industries, SMEs, and experts. This collective effort not only generates valuable datasets but also fosters the development of digital services with cross-domain applicability, facilitating the dynamic transfer of AI algorithms.

Reinforced Europe’s ability to manage urgent societal challenges (e.g. data for crisis management, digital for clean energy): NebulOuS incorporates pilot programs with a strong social focus, particularly in crisis management, where the primary challenge lies in orchestrating responses and managing large-scale disasters effectively, increasing local data communication coverage during the early stages of disaster situations by 50%. By introducing our adaptable fog computing platform to disaster response organizations, we aim to broaden communication channels, ensuring that vital information is readily available and efficiently handled. This initiative facilitates improved communication with local communities and citizens, enhancing preparedness for disaster scenarios. In addition to crisis management efforts, NebulOuS seeks to contribute to the advancement of cleaner energy production by promoting AI-driven tools for predictive maintenance in wind turbines. This effort is projected to yield a notable impact, with an anticipated 8% enhancement in green wind power generation through a 10% reduction in wind turbine failures.