diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index fb6f31b..6c415eb 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 						<artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>2.6</version>
+						<version>${plugin.assembly.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<id>make-source-package</id>
@@ -165,11 +165,19 @@
 						</includes>
 						<targetPath>META-INF</targetPath>
 					</resource>
+					<resource>
+						<directory>${project.basedir}/src/main/resources/META-INF</directory>
+						<targetPath>META-INF</targetPath>
+					</resource><resource>
+						<directory>${project.basedir}/src/main/resources/WEB-INF</directory>
+						<targetPath>WEB-INF</targetPath>
+					</resource>
 				</resources>
 				<plugins>
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 						<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+						<version>${plugin.build.helper.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<!-- sets the skip.when.is.release.used property to true if SNAPSHOT is NOT used,
@@ -192,7 +200,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 						<artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>3.0.0-M1</version>
+						<version>${plugin.deploy.version}</version>
 						<configuration>
 							<skip>${skip.when.is.release.used}</skip>
 						</configuration>
@@ -243,6 +251,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 						<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+						<version>${plugin.build.helper.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<!-- sets the skip.when.is.release.used property to true if SNAPSHOT is NOT used,
@@ -265,7 +274,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 						<artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>3.0.0-M1</version>
+						<version>${plugin.deploy.version}</version>
 						<configuration>
 							<skip>${skip.when.is.release.used}</skip>
 						</configuration>
@@ -340,6 +349,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 						<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+						<version>${plugin.build.helper.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<!-- sets the skip.when.is.snapshot.used property to true if SNAPSHOT was used,
@@ -376,7 +386,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 						<artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>3.0.0-M1</version>
+						<version>${plugin.deploy.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<id>fail-if-snapshot-used</id>
@@ -390,7 +400,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>io.github.olivierlemasle.maven</groupId>
 						<artifactId>plaintext-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>1.0.0</version>
+						<version>${plugin.plaintext.version}</version>
 						<configuration>
 							<outputDirectory>${env.MAVEN_CONFIG_FOLDER}</outputDirectory>
 							<files>
@@ -477,6 +487,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 						<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+						<version>${plugin.build.helper.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<!-- sets the skip.when.is.snapshot.used property to true if SNAPSHOT was used,
@@ -513,7 +524,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>io.github.olivierlemasle.maven</groupId>
 						<artifactId>plaintext-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>1.0.0</version>
+						<version>${plugin.plaintext.version}</version>
 						<configuration>
 							<outputDirectory>${env.MAVEN_CONFIG_FOLDER}</outputDirectory>
 							<files>
@@ -539,7 +550,7 @@
 					<plugin>
 						<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 						<artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-						<version>3.0.0-M1</version>
+						<version>${plugin.deploy.version}</version>
 						<executions>
 							<execution>
 								<id>fail-if-snapshot-used</id>
@@ -570,7 +581,7 @@
 						<plugin>
 							<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 							<artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-							<version>3.0.0-M1</version>
+							<version>${plugin.deploy.version}</version>
 							<configuration>
 								<skip>true</skip>
 							</configuration>
@@ -589,7 +600,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 					<artifactId>buildnumber-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-					<version>1.4</version>
+					<version>${plugin.buildnumber.version}</version>
 					<executions>
 						<execution>
 							<id>useLastCommittedRevision</id>
@@ -610,7 +621,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 					<artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
-					<version>3.1.2</version>
+					<version>${plugin.jar.version}</version>
 					<configuration>
 						<archive>
 							<manifest>
@@ -630,7 +641,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 					<artifactId>maven-war-plugin</artifactId>
-					<version>3.2.3</version>
+					<version>${plugin.war.version}</version>
 					<configuration>
 						<archive>
 							<manifest>
@@ -649,6 +660,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 					<artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
+					<version>${plugin.enforcer.version}</version>
 					<executions>
 						<execution>
 							<id>enforce</id>
@@ -676,6 +688,107 @@
 						</execution>
 					</executions>
 				</plugin>
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+					<artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
+					<version>${plugin.assembly.version}</version>
+					<dependencies>
+						<dependency>
+							<groupId>org.gcube.tools</groupId>
+							<artifactId>shared-assemblies</artifactId>
+							<version>1.1.0</version>
+						</dependency>
+					</dependencies>
+					<executions>
+						<!-- uberjar creation -->
+						<execution>
+							<id>make-uberjar</id>
+							<configuration>
+								<descriptorRefs>
+									<descriptorRef>gcube-uberjar</descriptorRef>
+								</descriptorRefs>
+								<!--
+                                override the plugin-scope configuration that some components have in their pom:
+                                    <descriptors>
+                                            <descriptor>${distroDirectory}/descriptor.xml</descriptor>
+                                    </descriptors>
+
+                                If not done, the servicearchive will be built also during this execution.
+                                -->
+								<descriptors combine.self="override"></descriptors>
+
+								<!--
+                                 make sure the "-src" is appended to the filename. It is the default
+                                 behaviour but it has been set explicitly because some components
+                                 (e.g. ghn-distribution) set it to false in their pom
+                                -->
+								<appendAssemblyId>true</appendAssemblyId>
+							</configuration>
+							<goals>
+								<goal>single</goal>
+							</goals>
+						</execution>
+
+						<!-- default servicearchive creation-->
+						<execution>
+							<id>make-servicearchive</id>
+							<configuration>
+								<descriptorRefs>
+									<descriptorRef>gcube-default-servicearchive</descriptorRef>
+								</descriptorRefs>
+
+								<!--
+                                override the plugin-scope configuration that some components have in their pom:
+                                    <descriptors>
+                                            <descriptor>${distroDirectory}/descriptor.xml</descriptor>
+                                    </descriptors>
+
+                                If not done, the servicearchive will be built also during this execution.
+                                -->
+								<descriptors combine.self="override"></descriptors>
+
+								<!--
+                                 make sure the "-src" is appended to the filename. It is the default
+                                 behaviour but it has been set explicitly because some components
+                                 (e.g. ghn-distribution) set it to false in their pom
+                                -->
+								<appendAssemblyId>true</appendAssemblyId>
+							</configuration>
+							<goals>
+								<goal>single</goal>
+							</goals>
+						</execution>
+						<!-- source package creation -->
+						<execution>
+							<id>make-source-package</id>
+							<configuration>
+								<descriptorRefs>
+									<descriptorRef>gcube-source-package</descriptorRef>
+								</descriptorRefs>
+
+								<!--
+                                override the plugin-scope configuration that some components have in their pom:
+                                    <descriptors>
+                                            <descriptor>${distroDirectory}/descriptor.xml</descriptor>
+                                    </descriptors>
+
+                                If not done, the servicearchive will be built also during this execution.
+                                -->
+								<descriptors combine.self="override"></descriptors>
+
+								<!--
+                                 make sure the "-src" is appended to the filename. It is the default
+                                 behaviour but it has been set explicitly because some components
+                                 (e.g. ghn-distribution) set it to false in their pom
+                                -->
+								<appendAssemblyId>true</appendAssemblyId>
+							</configuration>
+							<goals>
+								<goal>single</goal>
+							</goals>
+						</execution>
+					</executions>
+				</plugin>
 
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
@@ -698,6 +811,7 @@
 									<pluginExecutionFilter>
 										<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 										<artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
+										<versionRange>${plugin.enforcer.version}</versionRange>
 										<goals>
 											<goal>enforce</goal>
 										</goals>
@@ -756,7 +870,7 @@
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 					<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-					<version>3.8.1</version>
+					<version>${plugin.compiler.version}</version>
 					<configuration>
 						<target>${maven.compiler.target}</target>
 						<source>${maven.compiler.source}</source>
@@ -772,14 +886,14 @@
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 				<artifactId>buildnumber-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>1.4</version>
+                <version>${plugin.buildnumber.version}</version>
             </plugin>
 
 			<!-- enforce integration build requirements -->
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>3.0.0-M3</version>
+				<version>${plugin.enforcer.version}</version>
 				<executions>
 					<execution>
 						<id>enforce-files-exist</id>
@@ -804,13 +918,52 @@
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 				<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>3.0.0</version>
+                <version>${plugin.build.helper.version}</version>
             </plugin>
 
+			<plugin>
+				<artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
+				<version>${plugin.resources.version}</version>
+				<executions>
+					<execution>
+						<id>copy-web-inf</id>
+						<phase>validate</phase>
+						<goals>
+							<goal>copy-resources</goal>
+						</goals>
+						<configuration>
+							<outputDirectory>${project.build.outputDirectory}/WEB-INF</outputDirectory>
+							<resources>
+								<resource>
+									<directory>gcube/extra-resources/WEB-INF</directory>
+									<filtering>true</filtering>
+								</resource>
+							</resources>
+						</configuration>
+					</execution>
+					<execution>
+						<id>copy-meta-inf</id>
+						<phase>validate</phase>
+						<goals>
+							<goal>copy-resources</goal>
+						</goals>
+						<configuration>
+							<outputDirectory>${project.build.outputDirectory}/META-INF</outputDirectory>
+							<resources>
+								<resource>
+									<directory>gcube/extra-resources/META-INF</directory>
+									<filtering>true</filtering>
+								</resource>
+							</resources>
+						</configuration>
+					</execution>
+				</executions>
+			</plugin>
+
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-source-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>2.1.2</version>
+				<version>${plugin.source.version}</version>
 				<executions>
 					<execution>
 						<id>generate-sources</id>
@@ -825,7 +978,7 @@
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>2.8</version>
+				<version>${plugin.javadoc.version}</version>
 				<executions>
 					<execution>
 						<id>generate-doc</id>
@@ -872,6 +1025,20 @@
 	</build>
 
 	<properties>
+		<!-- version of commonly used plugins -->
+		<plugin.enforcer.version>3.0.0-M3</plugin.enforcer.version>
+		<plugin.buildnumber.version>1.4</plugin.buildnumber.version>
+		<plugin.build.helper.version>3.0.0</plugin.build.helper.version>
+		<plugin.deploy.version>3.0.0-M1</plugin.deploy.version>
+		<plugin.plaintext.version>1.0.0</plugin.plaintext.version>
+		<plugin.jar.version>3.1.2</plugin.jar.version>
+		<plugin.war.version>3.2.3</plugin.war.version>
+		<plugin.assembly.version>2.6</plugin.assembly.version>
+		<plugin.compiler.version>3.8.1</plugin.compiler.version>
+		<plugin.source.version>2.1.2</plugin.source.version>
+		<plugin.javadoc.version>2.8</plugin.javadoc.version>
+		<plugin.resources.version>3.1.0</plugin.resources.version>
+
 		<!-- default value for the distro directory -->
 		<distroDirectory>distro</distroDirectory>