Files

glm-5.2 6285779c30 docs(architecture): add ADR-015 privilege model and authority context, resolve OQ-18

ADR-015 locks the call protocol's security model:
- internal flag switches authority context to handler identity, not skip ACL
- Operations have External/Internal visibility (Internal returns NOT_FOUND from wire, excluded from services/list)
- OperationContext carries both identity (caller/principal) and handler_identity (handler/agent)
- Scoped composition env bounds reachability (handler can only invoke declared operations)
- Three controls together: visibility (wire boundary) + handler identity (authority) + scoped env (reachability) = least privilege

Spec updates:
- OperationSpec gains Visibility field (External/Internal)
- OperationContext gains handler_identity field
- AccessControl section: ACL runs against caller identity for external, handler identity for internal
- LocalOperationEnv propagates handler_identity
- services/list only returns External operations
- Adapter-registered operations are Internal by default
- OQ-18 resolved, ADR-015 referenced across all call crate specs

2026-06-18 08:55:34 +00:00

call-protocol.md

docs(architecture): add ADR-015 privilege model and authority context, resolve OQ-18

2026-06-18 08:55:34 +00:00

operation-registry.md

docs(architecture): add ADR-015 privilege model and authority context, resolve OQ-18

2026-06-18 08:55:34 +00:00

README.md

docs(architecture): add ADR-015 privilege model and authority context, resolve OQ-18

2026-06-18 08:55:34 +00:00

README.md

status, last_updated

status	last_updated
draft	2026-06-20

alknet-call

Structured RPC over QUIC: operations, request/response, streaming subscriptions, and service discovery. Implements ProtocolHandler on ALPN alknet/call.

Documents

Document	Status	Description
call-protocol.md	draft	CallAdapter, EventEnvelope framing, stream model, PendingRequestMap, bidirectional calls
operation-registry.md	draft	OperationSpec, Handler, OperationRegistry, AccessControl, service discovery, irpc integration

Applicable ADRs

ADR	Title	Relevance
001	ALPN-Based Protocol Dispatch	CallAdapter registers on ALPN `alknet/call`
002	ProtocolHandler Trait	CallAdapter implements ProtocolHandler
003	Crate Decomposition	alknet-call depends on alknet-core and irpc
004	Auth as Shared Core	AuthContext passed to call handlers
005	irpc as Call Protocol Foundation	irpc provides framing and service dispatch
006	ALPN String Convention	`alknet/call` ALPN, one ALPN per connection
007	BiStream Type Definition	CallAdapter receives Connection, not BiStream
008	Vault Integration Point	Vault accessed at assembly layer, not on the wire
010	ALPN Router and Endpoint	Static handler registration
012	Call Protocol Stream Model	Bidirectional streams, EventEnvelope, ID-based correlation
014	Secret Material Flow and Capability Injection	Call protocol carries no secret material; capabilities injected at assembly layer
015	Privilege Model and Authority Context	`internal` = authority switch not ACL skip; External/Internal visibility; handler identity + scoped env

Relevant Open Questions

OQ	Title	Status	Relevance
OQ-07	Call protocol scope within a connection	resolved (ADR-012)	Stream model, multiplexing, scope
OQ-13	Operation path format and routing scope	resolved	`/{service}/{op}` is the correct design; remote dispatch is a separate layer
OQ-14	Batch operation semantics	resolved	Correlated `call.requested` events is the correct protocol design
OQ-15	Call protocol client and adapter contract	open	ADR-014 constrains adapters: credential sources, not static tokens. ADR-015: adapter ops are Internal by default
OQ-16	Safe vault operations for call protocol exposure	resolved (ADR-014)	None exposed for now
OQ-17	Abort cascade semantics	open	`call.aborted` cascades to descendants; default `abort-dependents`, `continue-running` opt-in. One-way door on event schema
OQ-19	Session-scoped operation registries	open	Agent-written operations overlaid on global registry via `OperationEnv` trait layering. Protocol doesn't need changes; one-way door is not closing the trait-based composition point

Key Design Principles

One connection, full access: An alknet/call connection gives access to the entire operation registry — calls, subscriptions, batch, schema.
Protocol is symmetric: Both sides can initiate calls. The server calling a client uses the same EventEnvelope format and correlation.
Stream-agnostic correlation: PendingRequestMap correlates by request ID, not by stream. The protocol works with any stream arrangement.
Operation registry is static: Operations are registered at startup by the CLI binary. The registry supports JSON Schema discovery.
irpc is one dispatch backend: Local operations dispatch directly. irpc service calls (in-process, type-safe) are internal. The call protocol is the external interface.
Local dispatch only: The operation registry dispatches to local handlers. Remote dispatch (federation, head/worker routing) would be a separate mechanism at a different layer, not a modification to alknet-call's path format.
No secret material on the wire: The call protocol carries no private keys, API keys, mnemonics, or decrypted credentials. Handlers receive outbound credentials through OperationContext.capabilities, injected at the assembly layer. See ADR-014.
Abort cascades to descendants: call.aborted for a parent request cascades to all non-terminal descendants. Default abort-dependents; continue-running opt-in. See OQ-17.
Internal calls switch authority context, not skip ACL: The internal flag marks composition-originated calls. ACL runs against the handler's identity, not the caller's and not as a blanket skip. Operations have External/Internal visibility. Scoped composition env bounds reachability. See ADR-015.