Pilots Dataspace

An open-source dataspace connector that lets organizations share data with each other while keeping control over who can access what. Built on Eclipse Dataspace Components (EDC), it implements the Dataspace Protocol (DSP) with decentralized identity using DIDs and Verifiable Credentials.

What Is a Dataspace?

A dataspace is a way for multiple organizations to share data without a central broker or data lake. Each organization runs its own connector on their own infrastructure. Connectors communicate peer-to-peer using standard protocols:

  • No central data store — data stays with its owner until explicitly shared
  • Contracts before data — every transfer requires a negotiated agreement
  • Decentralized identity — each connector proves who it is using cryptographic credentials, not shared passwords
 Organization A                Organization B                Organization C
 ┌────────────┐               ┌────────────┐               ┌────────────┐
 │ Connector  │◄─────────────►│ Connector  │◄─────────────►│ Connector  │
 │ (own data) │  DSP protocol │ (own data) │  DSP protocol │ (own data) │
 └────────────┘               └────────────┘               └────────────┘
      Each organization runs their own connector on their own VM

What Does This Connector Do?

Each connector is a self-contained stack of services that handles everything needed to participate in the dataspace:

Capability How it works
Publish data Register datasets as assets with access policies
Discover data Browse other connectors’ catalogs to find available datasets
Negotiate access Automated contract negotiation with policy enforcement
Transfer data Pull (consumer fetches via token) or push (provider delivers to endpoint)
Prove identity DCP with did:web DIDs and signed Verifiable Credentials
Manage trust Dynamic trusted issuer registry — add or remove partners without restarts
Web dashboard UI for managing assets, policies, catalogs, transfers, and trusted issuers

Architecture at a Glance

Each organization deploys this stack on a cloud VM (or any server with a reachable IP):

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Control Plane         (ports 19193, 19194) │  Catalog, negotiation, transfer management
│  Data Plane            (ports 38181, 38185) │  Actual data transfer (pull & push)
│  Identity Hub          (ports 7090–7096)    │  DID management, VC wallet, STS
│  DID Server (nginx)    (port 9876)          │  Serves issuer DID document
│  Dashboard             (port 3000)          │  Web UI
│  Vault                 (port 8200)          │  Secret storage
│  PostgreSQL            (port 15432)         │  Persistent state
└─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

How Organizations Connect

  1. Each organization deploys their own connector on a cloud VM
  2. They generate cryptographic keys and a self-signed Membership Credential
  3. They share three values with partners: issuer DID, DSP endpoint, and participant DID
  4. Partners register each other as trusted issuers via the dashboard
  5. They can now discover, negotiate, and transfer data with full identity verification

No central authority is required. Trust is managed directly between participants.

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