Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.phala.com/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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dstack-cloud Overview

dstack-cloud lets you run Docker applications inside hardware-encrypted Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs) on GCP Confidential VMs and AWS Nitro Enclaves — without owning specialized bare-metal servers. Built on the open-source dstack framework, it brings TEE security to mainstream cloud platforms. Your code and data stay encrypted in memory, even from the cloud provider.

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What is dstack

dstack is an open-source confidential computing framework originally designed to run on TDX BareMetal servers. It provides:

• Hardware-level memory encryption and isolation via TEE (Trusted Execution Environment)
• A key management system (KMS) that delivers secrets exclusively to verified workloads
• Remote attestation to prove that code is running in genuine TEE hardware
• SDK libraries in Python, TypeScript, Rust, and Go for application integration (the dstack-sdk)

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What is dstack-cloud

dstack-cloud extends dstack to run on major cloud platforms. Instead of requiring bare-metal TDX hardware, it enables deployment on:

• GCP Confidential VMs (Intel TDX)
• AWS Nitro Enclaves (NSM)

This means you can use the full dstack security model — hardware isolation, attested key delivery, encrypted storage — without owning specialized hardware.

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How It Works

You define your application, and dstack-cloud deploy handles the rest: building a TEE environment, managing attestation, and delivering keys.

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On GCP:

1. dstack-cloud deploy creates a Confidential Virtual Machine running dstack OS with Intel TDX enabled.
2. A Guest Agent inside the CVM handles attestation, key retrieval from KMS, and automatic disk encryption.
3. Your application communicates with the Guest Agent via a Unix socket (/var/run/dstack.sock).

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On AWS Nitro:

1. AWS Nitro CLI converts your Dockerfile into an Enclave Image File (EIF) using Enclave OS (AWS-provided).
2. The EIF runs as a Nitro Enclave — there is no dstack OS and no Guest Agent.
3. dstack-util inside the Enclave handles attestation and key retrieval from KMS. Your application decides how to use the key.

The two platforms have different architectures. See Nitro Enclave Integration for a detailed comparison.

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Key Components

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Typical Use Cases

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AI Inference with Model Protection

Deploy AI models with model weights fully encrypted in memory. The cloud provider cannot access or copy your proprietary models.

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Sensitive Data Processing

Process healthcare, financial, or personal data in a hardware-isolated environment. Memory encryption ensures that even system administrators cannot read your data.

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DeFi and Web3 Applications

Run smart contract backend services or trading bots with private keys that never leave the TEE. The on-chain governance model provides verifiable, auditable key management.

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Supported Environments

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What You Need

• An AWS or GCP account with appropriate permissions
• dstack-cloud CLI installed
• A docker-compose.yaml defining your application
• (Optional) dstack-sdk integration for key retrieval from within your containers

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Next Steps

• Quick Start Tutorial — Deploy your first dstack CVM in 30 minutes
• Nitro Enclave — How AWS Nitro Enclaves work in dstack-cloud
• KMS and Key Delivery — Understand how keys are managed and delivered
• Security Model — Trust boundaries and security guarantees
• Attestation Integration — How remote attestation works across platforms