glm-5.2
398e3d512d
The 'WebTransport proxy' concept was conflating two distinct things; this pass separates them: 1. In-process ALPN-stream-proxy (ADR-040, in alknet-http): the h3 handler hands a WebTransport stream to another ALPN handler (SshAdapter, GitAdapter, etc.) as a Connection, so a browser with a WASM parser can reach any ALPN service via WebTransport. Path-based routing (the CONNECT path declares the target: /alknet/ssh -> SshAdapter). HttpAdapter gains Arc<HandlerRegistry> for the lookup. The browser's WASM parser implements BiStream (ADR-007) over the WebTransport stream. SSH-over-WebTransport is HTTPS-shaped at the network layer (anti-censorship: the 'VPN-like without being a VPN' use case on a clean foundation). russh-sftp demonstrates WASM targeting is feasible; SSH is the next target. 2. Standalone relay service (OQ-38, future alknet-relay crate): a full relay - fork of iroh-relay - with WebTransport proxy fallback for NAT traversal. This is infrastructure, not a mode of the h3 handler. OQ-38 reframed to be the standalone-relay scope question (distinct from the in-process proxy now resolved by ADR-040). webtransport.md updated: three stream destinations (call protocol, ALPN-handler proxy, other sub-protocols) with path-based routing; new 'ALPN-stream-proxy' section covering the WASM client side, auth model (bearer token gates the session; protocol's own auth gates the protocol session), and the HandlerRegistry reference. README/overview ADR tables and OQ summaries updated for ADR-040.
109 lines
8.0 KiB
Markdown
109 lines
8.0 KiB
Markdown
---
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status: draft
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last_updated: 2026-06-29
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---
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# alknet-http
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HTTP interface for alknet: serves HTTP/1.1, HTTP/2, and HTTP/3 (WebTransport)
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on standard ALPNs, and hosts the HTTP-backed call-protocol adapters
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(`from_openapi`, `to_openapi`, `from_mcp`, `to_mcp`).
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## Documents
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| Document | Status | Description |
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|----------|--------|-------------|
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| [overview.md](overview.md) | draft | Crate purpose, two roles (server + client host), dependencies, adapter location map |
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| [http-server.md](http-server.md) | draft | `HttpAdapter` (`ProtocolHandler` for `h2`/`http/1.1`), axum over QUIC, Bearer auth, stealth, `/healthz` |
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| [http-adapters.md](http-adapters.md) | draft | `from_openapi` (reqwest client) and `to_openapi` (OpenAPI projection); no-env-vars invariant point |
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| [http-mcp.md](http-mcp.md) | draft | `from_mcp` / `to_mcp` (feature-gated), streamable-HTTP-only, stdio exclusion |
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| [webtransport.md](webtransport.md) | draft | `h3`/WebTransport handler — the browser streaming path |
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## Applicable ADRs
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| ADR | Title | Relevance |
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|-----|-------|-----------|
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| [001](../../decisions/001-alpn-protocol-dispatch.md) | ALPN-Based Protocol Dispatch | `HttpAdapter` registers on standard HTTP ALPNs |
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| [002](../../decisions/002-protocol-handler-trait.md) | ProtocolHandler Trait | `HttpAdapter` implements `ProtocolHandler` |
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| [003](../../decisions/003-crate-decomposition.md) | Crate Decomposition | `alknet-http` depends on `alknet-core` + `alknet-call` (protocol-foundation exception, Amendment 1) |
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| [004](../../decisions/004-auth-as-shared-core.md) | Auth as Shared Core | Bearer → `resolve_from_token` |
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| [007](../../decisions/007-bistream-type-definition.md) | BiStream Type Definition | `HttpAdapter` receives `Connection`, accepts a stream for hyper |
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| [010](../../decisions/010-alpn-router-and-endpoint.md) | ALPN Router and Endpoint | Stealth mode = HTTP handler on standard ALPNs |
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| [014](../../decisions/014-secret-material-flow-and-capability-injection.md) | Secret Material Flow | `from_openapi`/`from_mcp` are the credential injection point |
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| [015](../../decisions/015-privilege-model-and-authority-context.md) | Privilege Model | Adapter-registered ops are `Internal` by default |
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| [017](../../decisions/017-call-protocol-client-and-adapter-contract.md) | Call Protocol Client and Adapter Contract | `OperationAdapter` trait; `to_*` are projections; published-spec contract |
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| [022](../../decisions/022-handler-registration-provenance-and-composition-authority.md) | Handler Registration, Provenance, Composition Authority | `from_openapi`/`from_mcp` produce leaf bundles |
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| [023](../../decisions/023-operation-error-schemas.md) | Operation Error Schemas | `from_openapi`/`to_openapi` error fidelity; `HTTP_<status>` error codes |
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| [027](../../decisions/027-tls-identity-redesign-acme-rawkey-decoupling.md) | TLS Identity Redesign | Browsers require X.509; WebTransport requires X.509 |
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| [034](../../decisions/034-outgoing-only-x509-and-three-peer-roles.md) | Outgoing-Only X.509 and Three Peer Roles | Browsers are not alknet peers; WebTransport relay-as-proxy recorded |
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| [036](../../decisions/036-http-to-call-operation-mapping.md) | HTTP-to-Call Operation Mapping | Direct path mapping; `to_openapi` is projection, not router |
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| [037](../../decisions/037-mcp-stdio-transport-exclusion.md) | MCP Stdio Transport Exclusion | Streamable HTTP only; stdio not built |
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| [038](../../decisions/038-http3-and-webtransport-as-first-class.md) | HTTP/3 and WebTransport as First-Class HTTP Transports | `h3` in scope, not deferred |
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| [039](../../decisions/039-http-server-and-client-host-colocated.md) | HTTP Server and Client Host Colocated in alknet-http | One crate for server + client host (shared HTTP deps, shared mapping) |
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| [040](../../decisions/040-webtransport-alpn-stream-proxy.md) | WebTransport ALPN-Stream-Proxy | Browser → WebTransport stream → any ALPN handler (SSH, git, SFTP) via WASM parser |
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## Relevant Open Questions
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| OQ | Title | Status | Relevance |
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|----|-------|--------|-----------|
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| OQ-11 | Handler-level auth resolution observability | resolved | HTTP handler stores resolved identity on `Connection` via `set_identity` |
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| OQ-12 | TLS identity provisioning | resolved | Browsers require X.509 (gates the entire `h3` feature) |
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| OQ-13 | Operation path format | resolved | `/{service}/{op}` is the HTTP path (ADR-036) |
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| OQ-17 | Call protocol client and adapter contract | resolved | `OperationAdapter` trait; `to_*` projections |
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| OQ-24 | Operation error schemas | resolved | `from_openapi`/`to_openapi` error fidelity |
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| OQ-26 | OperationAdapter error type | resolved | `AdapterError` variants reused by HTTP adapters |
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| OQ-37 | X.509 outgoing-only / three peer roles | resolved | Browsers are not peers; hub with mixed fingerprints |
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| OQ-38 | WebTransport standalone relay service scope | open (scope, not deferral) | The standalone relay (future `alknet-relay`, fork of iroh-relay) — distinct from the in-process ALPN-stream-proxy (ADR-040) |
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| OQ-39 | `to_openapi` published-spec versioning | open | Versioning strategy for generated OpenAPI specs |
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| OQ-40 | reqwest client config and connection pooling | open | Two-way-door: pooling/retry config shape |
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## Key Design Principles
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1. **HTTP is both a server surface and a client transport for adapters.**
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Inbound HTTP (`h2`/`http/1.1`/`h3`) is served by `axum` over a QUIC
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stream; outbound HTTP (`from_openapi`/`from_mcp` forwarding) uses
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`reqwest`. Both directions share the same HTTP dependencies, which is
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why they live in one crate rather than being split. See
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[overview.md](overview.md).
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2. **The HTTP surface is a projection of the call protocol.** An HTTP
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request at `POST /fs/readFile` becomes a `call.requested` for
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`/fs/readFile`. The HTTP path IS the operation path; `to_openapi`
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describes this surface, it does not define a second one. See
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[ADR-036](../../decisions/036-http-to-call-operation-mapping.md).
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3. **Standard ALPNs, not alknet ALPNs.** `h2`, `http/1.1`, `h3` are
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IANA-registered ALPN strings. Any HTTP client (browser, curl, axios)
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connects without knowing about alknet — the TLS handshake negotiates
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`h2` or `http/1.1` normally. This is the stealth mapping (ADR-010).
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4. **`from_openapi`/`from_mcp` are the no-env-vars injection point.** The
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forwarding handlers read `context.capabilities`, not `std::env::var`.
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This is the architectural mechanism that makes aisdk's env-var reads
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unreachable. See ADR-014,
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[client-and-adapters.md](../call/client-and-adapters.md).
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5. **MCP streamable HTTP only; stdio is not built.** stdio = spawn
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arbitrary executable = RCE. Streamable HTTP is network-isolated,
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auth-gatable, and runs under alknet's auth model. See
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[ADR-037](../../decisions/037-mcp-stdio-transport-exclusion.md).
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6. **HTTP/3 + WebTransport is a first-class transport, not a deferral.**
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The browser streaming path uses QUIC streams directly. See
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[ADR-038](../../decisions/038-http3-and-webtransport-as-first-class.md).
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7. **The `h3` handler is an ALPN-stream-proxy for browsers.** A browser
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with a WASM parser can reach any ALPN handler (SSH, git, SFTP) via
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WebTransport — no install, no native client, no VPN. SSH-over-
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WebTransport is HTTPS-shaped at the network layer (anti-censorship).
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See [ADR-040](../../decisions/040-webtransport-alpn-stream-proxy.md).
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8. **`h3` requires X.509.** Browsers don't support RFC 7250 raw keys
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(ADR-027). A node serving WebTransport must have an X.509 identity.
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This is a browser limitation, not an alknet decision.
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## References
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- `docs/research/alknet-http/phase-0-findings.md` — Phase 0 research
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(directionally close; DH-2's deferral framing is corrected by ADR-038)
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- `docs/research/alknet-call-completion/gap-analysis.md` — adapter
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location map, no-env-vars invariant
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- `/workspace/@alkdev/operations/src/from_openapi.ts`,
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`/workspace/@alkdev/operations/src/from_mcp.ts` — TypeScript prior art
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- `/workspace/rust-sdk/` — MCP Rust SDK (rmcp v1.8.0); streamable HTTP
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transport examples
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- `/workspace/wtransport/` — pure-Rust WebTransport reference
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implementation (the `h3` feature's candidate dependency) |