Add architecture specs for the alknet-call crate: - call-protocol.md: CallAdapter, EventEnvelope wire format, bidirectional stream model with ID-based correlation, PendingRequestMap, protocol operations (call/subscribe/batch/schema), per-request identity resolution, connection/stream lifecycle, error codes - operation-registry.md: OperationSpec, async Handler type, OperationRegistry, AccessControl with trusted call bypass, OperationEnv with context propagation (parent_request_id, identity inheritance), service discovery, irpc integration layering, naming convention (no leading slash in names) - ADR-012: Call protocol uses bidirectional QUIC streams with EventEnvelope framing and ID-based correlation. Protocol is stream-agnostic and symmetric. Resolves OQ-07. Key design decisions: - Handler type is async (Fn returning Pin<Box<dyn Future>>) - OperationEnv::invoke propagates parent context (identity, metadata, parent_request_id) - Identity resolution is per-request, not per-connection - Operation names without leading slash (fs/readFile, not /fs/readFile) - Batch is a client-side pattern, not a protocol primitive (OQ-14) - Phase 1 uses service/op paths, node prefix added later (OQ-13) Also: promote ADR-010 and ADR-011 from Proposed to Accepted, add OQ-13 and OQ-14 to open-questions.md.
status, last_updated
| status | last_updated |
|---|---|
| draft | 2026-06-17 |
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 operations exposed via call protocol |
| 012 | Call Protocol Stream Model | Bidirectional streams, EventEnvelope, ID-based correlation |
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 | open | Namespace paths: /{service}/{op} vs /{node}/{service}/{op} |
| OQ-14 | Batch operation semantics | open | Whether batch is a protocol primitive or client-side pattern |
Key Design Principles
- One connection, full access: An
alknet/callconnection 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 dynamic: 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 (vault, auth) are internal. The call protocol is the external interface.
- Phase 1 is local dispatch only: The operation registry dispatches to local handlers. Remote dispatch (head/worker routing) and irpc service dispatch are contracted but not built yet.