NuNet Framework Stakeholder Mapping

February 19, 2024

In envisioning NuNet as an ecosystem of computing, we have been using the notions of NuNet framework and NuNet platform somewhat interchangeably (which started with Whitepaper 2.0). However there is a difference between the two notions. We use Framework to denote NuNet’s place in larger systems (including computing ecosystem at large, social system, etc) which includes not only technical components and may extend beyond borders the platform. We use Platform do denote concrete technical implementation that we are doing in order to fit into the decentralized computing industry. The pictures below illustrate how NuNet platform is a middle-layer between different stakeholders/ecosystem members.

As a technological platform, NuNet enables stakeholders to communicate via shared medium. As a computational ecosystem, it allows each stakeholder to express different behaviors that enables them to reach individual goals and purposes. For the ecosystem to get bootstrapped and flourish, the platform has to implement functionalities needed to accommodate diverse interaction between diverse stakeholders. In order to do that, we need to map the needs and possible behaviors of stakeholders. This is called stakeholder mapping and is a continuous process that is part of platform modelling and engineering effort.

The design work that led to the current state of stakeholder mapping is documented in NuNet Technical Discussion of Dec 21, 2023 (see presentation and video recording).

All entities / actors that interact in the NuNet ecosystem we categorize into stakeholders (mostly from the framework perspective) and components (mostly from platform perspective). To some extent these two categorizations overlap.

Stakeholders #

Stakeholder categories #

We categorize participants in the envisioned NuNet platform and framework into categories based on which we can think about different behaviors tht will appear in the framework and functionalities that are needed to support them. Although we do not try to implement all features that are needed for all categories or stakeholders from the day one, this mapping is important for outlining needs for the platform architecture that will support all these categories and concrete stakeholders within them in the future.

Periodically updated list and description of stakeholder categories is maintained in stakeholder_categories.md file. The file will be updated as the platform develops and we gain more knowledge.

Stakeholders #

Stakeholders are institutions or individuals who are using the platform and form the ecosystem. The current list of stakeholders is maintained in the stakeholder.md file. The list of stakeholders can change (and hopefully grow) and we will update it as we go.

Stakeholder map #

Stakeholder map is a good way to visualize this aspect of the ecosystem design. Note, that we do not cover the whole map in the development, but pick and implement part of it, following our use-case based platform development model. Moreover, this map will change over time, as we add more categories of stakeholders within them.

mindmap
  root(NuNet Framework
--Stakeholders(
    (Resource Providers)
        Hardware Provider
        Data Providers
        Algorithm Providers
    (Service Providers)
        ML on GPU Service
    (End Users)
    (Direct Users)
    (Facilitators)
        Solution Enablers
            NuNet Solutions
        Matchmaker Agents
    (Trust
Enablers)
        Reputation Providers
        Benchmarking Agents
        Job Validators
            Oracle
    (Partners)
    (Tokenomics
Enablers)
        Cardano
        Token holders
        DEXs
        Traders
  

Platform components #

Component classes #

All platform components fall into 3+1 classes. 3 classes contain components which make the platform itself and are related to our licensing policy which further relates to licenses on each repository of our codebase. An additional one is needed to account for the infrastructure that is required to run the platform. Sometimes the difference between components categorized into infrastructure class and one of the platform component classes is not very clear, because the separation is often based on immediate practical considerations rather than more conceptual thinking (e.g. elastic search is infrastructure as long as it runs on our server, but as long as we run elasticsearch on NuNet infrastructure accessed via dms, we may reclassify it into non-core platform component…). The current list of component classes is maintained in the component_classes.md file.

Components #

Components are software implementations of the architectural parts of the platform. Each component is implemented as a single repository in NuNet codebase. The current list of classes is maintained in the components.md file.

Components map #

mindmap
  root(NuNet Platform
--Components(
    (Core Components)
        Device Management Service DMS
        smart-contract
        Open APIs
    (Non-core Components)
        Management Dashboard
        Service Provider Dashboard
        Oracle
    (Use-case applications)
        ML on GPU
    (NuNet infrastructure)
        control-server
        wallet-server
        elasticsearch
        logbin
        Cardano node
        Vault      
  

Maintainer: Kabir (please tag all edit merge requests accordingly)