6G technologies, benefitting from softwarisation, Gb/s speed and sub-THz communications paradigms, open up opportunities for developing new and innovative network management strategies while navigating the evolution toward disaggregation, new software-based paradigms in architecting and operating future connectivity platforms, as well as embracing features of computing, automation and smartness, trust, privacy and security.
Supported by this technology evolution, as the vision of new, smart and innovative capabilities is becoming a reality, superb user experience is expected even in presence of mobility and resource volatility. However, the fundamentally new and unknown features of advanced, disaggregated, virtualized and multi-vendor 6G based infrastructures challenge the security and resilience design to the next level, by managing the unknown, complex and highly versatile infrastructures as they evolve.
Indeed, the future deployment of 6G networks is inextricably connected with an integration of diverse hardware elements and infrastructures, thus leading not only to a highly heterogeneous environment, but also to functions and features that cannot be anticipated at the time of design.
The vision of HORSE in this complex scenario is to deal with the technology solutions, and system evaluation not yet foreseen, towards an omnipresent, smart and secure network service provisioning in the future network-of-networks landscape.
To this end, HORSE proposes a novel human-centric, open-source, green, sustainable, coordinated provisioning and protection evolutionary platform, which can inclusively yet seamlessly combine advancements in several domains, as they get added to the system (e.g., predictive threats detection, proactive business-wise threats and breaches mitigation actions, programmable networking, semantic communications, Network Function Virtualisation (NFV), intent-based networking, AI-based techniques, cross-layer management of physical layer features, etc.).
In HORSE, ATOS will act as Technical Manager, supervising the overall technical and scientific progress of the project. ATOS will lead WP4 dealing with the development of an AI-assisted human-centric Secure and Trustable Orchestration module for the HORSE platform. Within the context of WP4 ATOS will lead Task 4.4 focused on the development of the orchestrator connectors including an eLincensing Management service aiming to unify the orchestration of all the network segments of the 6G architecture.
ATOS technical contribution in HORSE is fully aligned with the technological perspective of the TMT industry and for that reason it is believed that the results from HORSE will play a vital role to boost the innovation process within the organisation and enhance the portfolio of products and technologies offered to the customers. Within the context of this project multiple assets will be developed including an orchestrators connector to facilitate the management and orchestration across the computing continuum as well as a DLT-based cross-domain eLicensing Management service that will provide a set of mechanisms using smart contracts to trustworthy control the utilisation of licensed VNFs and CNFs in multi-stakeholder environments.
