Objectives

The DECODES project has five objectives:

O1 - Build a DNS Energy Measurement Framework

Develop a standardized framework to measure energy consumption across DNS components, including resolvers, authoritative servers, and IXPs. To move forward, this includes deploying monitoring tools, defining measurement methodologies, and ensuring privacy-compliant data collection.

O2 - Develop Energy Models and a Test Environment

Building on the “O1” foundation, create multi-level energy models (infrastructure, protocol, and user levels) to understand DNS energy usage. These models should then be validated in a controlled sandbox environment, while optimization strategies such as caching, routing, and protocol tuning are explored.

O3 - Benchmark Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) in DNS

Next, evaluate the energy and performance impact of post-quantum cryptographic algorithms (e.g., Dilithium, Falcon, SPHINCS+) in DNSSEC. Develop benchmarking tools to analyze trade-offs between security, performance, and energy consumption.

O4 - Validate Optimizations in Real-world Infrastructure

Test and validate energy-optimization strategies on real DNS infrastructures (registries, IXPs, ISPs). Throughout implementation, ensure energy savings can be achieved without compromising performance or security.

O5 - Contribute to Standards and Open Science

In parallel, engage with standardization bodies (IETF, ITU-T) to promote energy-aware DNS practices. Additionally, publish datasets, tools, and models as open-access resources to support reproducibility and community adoption.