Files
alknet/docs/architecture/crates/call/call-protocol.md
glm-5.2 cdf340bec7 docs(architecture): add ADR-024 — operation registry layering, resolve C6
Diagnoses a conflation in the pre-ADR-024 spec: the OperationRegistry
inherited immutability by analogy from ADR-010's HandlerRegistry (ALPN-level),
but the TLS-config argument that justifies HandlerRegistry immutability does
not apply to the operation registry, which lives behind a single ALPN
(alknet/call). This made from_call (which discovers ops over a live connection
at runtime) structurally incompatible with the blanket immutability claim.

ADR-024 layers the operation registry by trust boundary: curated (Local) ops
are static and immutable — the startup trust boundary is where their
composition authority is granted; session (Session) and imported (FromCall
etc.) ops are dynamic at their respective scopes (per-session, per-connection)
— their trust boundaries are per-scope, not per-startup. The principle:
immutability follows the trust boundary. Immutability is the security control
for composing ops (can escalate privilege); provenance + composition authority
are the controls for non-composing ops (can't escalate).

The OperationEnv trait becomes the integration point (Arc<dyn OperationEnv>),
following the IdentityProvider precedent (ADR-004): the CallAdapter composes
the root OperationContext.env per incoming call from the active layers
(curated base + connection overlay + session overlay). Children inherit the
parent's composite env by Arc::clone — overlay composition happens once at
the root and propagates through the composition tree.

Resolves review #002 C6 (OperationContext.env type identity crisis): the
field is split into scoped_env: ScopedOperationEnv (reachability data, from
the registration bundle) and env: Arc<dyn OperationEnv + Send + Sync>
(dispatch trait object). One field was being used as two different types
(reachability set with .allows() and dispatch trait with .invoke());

Localizes W4 (hot-swap ↔ registry mutability coupling) to the connection
scope: no global mutable registry to hot-swap; overlays replace naturally
with connect/disconnect and session start/end. Schema-drift on reconnect is
a per-connection overlay-rebuild concern, not a global hot-swap protocol.

Partially addresses W3 (CallClient registry security): the registry-shape
sub-question is resolved by the overlay model; the capability-exposure
sub-question (what capabilities a remote peer can trigger) remains for
ADR-017 — ADR-024 does not overclaim resolution there.

Amends OQ-04 to scope its immutability claim to the HandlerRegistry and
cross-reference ADR-024 for the operation registry. Generalizes OQ-19's
session-overlay mechanism to also cover connection-scoped remote imports —
both are per-scope dynamic overlays on the static curated base, using the
same trait-layering mechanism.
2026-06-22 13:44:58 +00:00

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29 KiB
Markdown

---
status: draft
last_updated: 2026-06-22-22
---
# Call Protocol
The wire protocol, stream model, framing, and adapter that alknet-call implements on ALPN `alknet/call`.
## What
The call protocol is a bidirectional, stream-agnostic RPC protocol that runs over QUIC bidirectional streams within a single `alknet/call` connection. It supports request/response calls, streaming subscriptions, batch operations, and service discovery — all using the same EventEnvelope wire format.
The `CallAdapter` implements `ProtocolHandler` for ALPN `alknet/call`. It receives a `Connection` from the endpoint, accepts bidirectional streams, and dispatches incoming `EventEnvelope` messages to the operation registry.
## Why
The call protocol is the primary programmatic interface to an alknet node. While SSH provides interactive shell access and HTTP provides REST APIs, the call protocol provides structured, discoverable RPC — the same interface that NAPI clients, MCP tools, and other automation consumers use.
The protocol must be:
- **Cross-language**: JSON wire format consumable from TypeScript, Python, any language
- **Bidirectional**: Both sides can initiate calls (server-to-client is as natural as client-to-server)
- **Stream-agnostic**: QUIC provides stream multiplexing; the protocol shouldn't impose additional constraints
- **Discoverable**: Clients can query what operations exist and their schemas
See ADR-005 for the decision to use irpc as the call protocol's foundation and ADR-012 for the stream model decision.
## Architecture
### CallAdapter
The `CallAdapter` implements `ProtocolHandler`:
```rust
pub struct CallAdapter {
/// Layer 0 — the curated operation registry. Immutable after startup.
registry: Arc<OperationRegistry>,
identity_provider: Arc<dyn IdentityProvider>,
/// Layer 1 — optional session-overlay source (agent crate supplies this;
/// None for non-agent deployments). See ADR-024, OQ-19.
session_source: Option<Arc<dyn SessionOverlaySource + Send + Sync>>,
}
// The connection's imported-ops overlay (Layer 2) is built per CallConnection
// as from_call discovery completes — it's not a field on CallAdapter but
// rather state held by the CallConnection / dispatch context for incoming
// calls on that connection. See ADR-024.
```
The `CallAdapter` holds the static curated registry and an optional
session-overlay source. Per-connection imported-ops overlays (Layer 2,
ADR-024) are held with the connection and composed into the root
`OperationContext.env` per incoming call. See ADR-024 for the layering
model and `compose_root_env` below.
The adapter:
1. Accepts bidirectional streams on the connection
2. Reads length-prefixed JSON `EventEnvelope` frames from each stream
3. Resolves the peer's identity using `AuthContext` and `IdentityProvider`
4. Dispatches `call.requested` events to the operation registry
5. Writes response `EventEnvelope` frames back to the appropriate stream
6. Manages the `PendingRequestMap` for outgoing calls
### Stream Model
See ADR-012 for the full rationale.
The call protocol uses bidirectional QUIC streams with EventEnvelope framing. Key properties:
- **Either side can open streams**: The client opens a stream to call a server operation. The server opens a stream to call a client operation. Both use `open_bi()` and `accept_bi()`.
- **Correlation by request ID**: The `id` field in `EventEnvelope` correlates requests with responses. A response arriving on stream N can fulfill a request sent on stream M. The `PendingRequestMap` is keyed by ID, not by stream.
- **Stream usage is the client's choice**: A client may open one stream per operation, one stream for all operations, or any mix. The server processes EventEnvelopes regardless of stream origin.
- **One connection, full access**: A single `alknet/call` connection provides access to all operations (call, subscribe, batch, schema). No need for multiple connections or multiple ALPNs.
### Wire Format: EventEnvelope
Every message on the wire is a length-prefixed JSON `EventEnvelope`:
```rust
pub struct EventEnvelope {
pub r#type: String, // Event type
pub id: String, // Correlation key (request ID, subscription ID)
pub payload: Value, // serde_json::Value — schema depends on event type
}
// Frame: 4-byte big-endian length prefix + UTF-8 JSON body
```
The `Value` type is `serde_json::Value`. The envelope is JSON because it must be consumable from JavaScript, Python, and any language. The envelope itself stays JSON for cross-language compatibility.
Binary payloads (postcard, protobuf) are base64-encoded as a JSON string within the `payload` field. The convention is: if an operation's output schema specifies a binary field, the handler encodes it as a base64 string and the client decodes it. The `EventEnvelope` structure is not aware of this convention — it carries a `serde_json::Value` and does not interpret the payload. This is a handler-level concern, not a protocol-level concern.
This is the same framing used by irpc. The Rust implementation in alknet-call is canonical — the `@alkdev/pubsub` TypeScript adapters serve as a reference and browser adaptation, not a parallel implementation (see ADR-013).
### Event Types
Five event types carry request/response and subscription semantics:
| Event | Direction | Purpose |
|-------|-----------|---------|
| `call.requested` | Caller → Handler | Initiate a call or subscription |
| `call.responded` | Handler → Caller | Deliver a result (one for calls, many for subscriptions) |
| `call.completed` | Handler → Caller | Signal end of subscription stream |
| `call.aborted` | Either side | Cancel the call/subscription |
| `call.error` | Handler → Caller | Signal an error |
**A call is a subscribe that resolves after one event.** Both `call()` and `subscribe()` send the same `call.requested` event. The difference is consumption pattern:
- **call()**: Sends `call.requested`, resolves on first `call.responded`
- **subscribe()**: Sends `call.requested`, yields each `call.responded` until `call.completed` or `call.aborted`
The `id` field carries the `requestId` for correlation.
`call.completed` is sent only for subscriptions. A plain `call()` (request/response)
is complete after its single `call.responded`; no `call.completed` follows. The
`PendingRequestMap` entry for a `Call` is deleted on the first `call.responded`.
### `call.requested` Payload
The `payload` of a `call.requested` event has this shape:
```json
{
"operationId": "/fs/readFile",
"input": { ... },
"auth_token": "alk_..." // optional — see Identity Resolution below
}
```
- `operationId` — the operation to invoke, **with a leading slash** on the wire (e.g., `/fs/readFile`, `/agent/chat`, `/services/list`). This is the display form of the operation name. The registry stores names without the leading slash (`fs/readFile` — see [operation-registry.md](operation-registry.md#operationspec)); the wire format adds it. The `CallAdapter` strips the leading slash before registry lookup.
- `input` — the operation input, matching the operation's `input_schema` (JSON Schema). Always a `serde_json::Value`.
- `auth_token` — optional. If present, the `CallAdapter` resolves it via `IdentityProvider::resolve_from_token()` and the resulting `Identity` takes precedence over the connection-level identity for this request. See [Identity Resolution](#authcontext-and-identity-resolution) below.
The `call.requested` payload does **not** carry an abort policy field. The abort policy (`abort-dependents` vs `continue-running`, ADR-016) is set on `OperationContext` and propagated through `OperationEnv::invoke()` — the composing handler decides the child's policy, not the wire caller. See [Abort Cascade and Nested Calls](#abort-cascade-and-nested-calls) below.
**Leading-slash convention**: `operationId` on the wire always has a leading slash (`/fs/readFile`). `OperationSpec.name` in the registry and in `services/list` responses never has a leading slash (`fs/readFile`). `OperationSpec.path()` produces the wire form (`/fs/readFile`). This is a single rule applied consistently — do not mix the two forms.
### `call.error` Payload
```json
{
"code": "FILE_NOT_FOUND",
"message": "file not found: /etc/nonexistent",
"retryable": false,
"details": { "path": "/etc/nonexistent", "errno": 2 }
}
```
Error codes use an extensible string enum. The protocol defines the following **protocol-level codes** (emitted by the dispatch machinery, not by handlers):
- `NOT_FOUND` — operation not in registry (or Internal op called from wire)
- `FORBIDDEN` — access denied (insufficient scopes or unauthenticated)
- `INVALID_INPUT` — input doesn't match the operation's JSON Schema
- `INTERNAL` — handler error, panic, connection failure
- `TIMEOUT` — request timed out (retryable: true)
Operations may also declare **operation-level domain codes** in their `error_schemas` (ADR-023) — e.g., `FILE_NOT_FOUND`, `RATE_LIMITED`, `INSUFFICIENT_CREDITS`. These are emitted by handlers and carry a `details` payload conforming to the declared `ErrorDefinition.schema`. Protocol-level errors omit `details` or carry protocol-specific context (e.g., the operation name for `NOT_FOUND`).
Fields:
- `code` — the error code (protocol-level or operation-level)
- `message` — human-readable error message. For logging and debugging, not for programmatic handling. Clients should switch on `code`, not parse `message`.
- `retryable` — whether the caller should retry. `true` for transient failures, `false` for permanent ones.
- `details` — optional. When the code matches a declared `ErrorDefinition`, `details` conforms to that definition's schema. This is the typed error payload — it makes errors structured instead of string-matched. See ADR-023.
New error codes may be added in future versions. Clients should treat unknown error codes as `INTERNAL` with `retryable: false`.
### Protocol Operations
The call protocol defines four top-level operations, expressed through event types and operation names:
| Operation | Event Pattern | Description |
|-----------|--------------|-------------|
| **call** | `call.requested``call.responded` or `call.error` | Request/response — one result |
| **subscribe** | `call.requested` → many `call.responded``call.completed` or `call.aborted` | Streaming — zero or more results |
| **batch** | multiple `call.requested` (different IDs) → multiple `call.responded` | Multiple operations in one round |
| **schema** | `call.requested` name `services/list` or `services/schema``call.responded` | Discover available operations |
Batch is not a separate event type — it's multiple `call.requested` events with different request IDs. The client sends them (on one or many streams) and correlates the responses by ID. See OQ-14.
### Bidirectional Calls
Both sides of the connection can initiate calls. The server can call operations on the client just as the client calls operations on the server.
```
Client Server
│ │
│── open_bi() → stream ─────────────────────────▶│
│── call.requested { id: "c1", ... } ────────────▶│ (client calls server)
│◀─ call.responded { id: "c1", ... } ───────────│
│ │
│◀─ open_bi() ← stream ──────────────────────────│
│◀─ call.requested { id: "s1", ... } ────────────│ (server calls client)
│── call.responded { id: "s1", ... } ───────────▶│
│ │
```
The server calls client operations using the same `PendingRequestMap` and the same `EventEnvelope` format. The operation registry on the client side dispatches `call.requested` events just like the server side.
This enables patterns where the server pushes notifications, requests configuration from the client, or orchestrates workflows that require the client to perform operations.
### Streaming Subscribe Example: LLM Chat
The subscribe operation pattern maps naturally to LLM streaming. An agent handler exposing `/agent/chat` as a subscription receives a `call.requested` event and streams `call.responded` events back as the LLM generates tokens. The output payloads use a normalized streaming UI format (e.g., Vercel AI SDK UI chunks — text-delta, tool-input-delta, etc.):
```
Client Server (agent handler)
│ │
│── open_bi() → stream ──────────────────────────────▶│
│── call.requested { id: "c1", │
│ operationId: "/agent/chat", │
│ input: { messages, model } } │
│ │ handler reads capabilities (API key)
│ │ handler makes HTTP request to LLM provider
│ │ handler normalizes provider SSE → UI chunks
│←─ call.responded { id: "c1", output: { type: "text-start", ... } } │
│←─ call.responded { id: "c1", output: { type: "text-delta", delta: "Hel" } }│
│←─ call.responded { id: "c1", output: { type: "text-delta", delta: "lo" } } │
│←─ call.responded { id: "c1", output: { type: "text-end", ... } } │
│←─ call.completed { id: "c1" } │
```
The API key used for the outbound LLM HTTP request comes from `OperationContext.capabilities`, not from the call protocol input and not from environment variables. See ADR-014 and [operation-registry.md → Capability Injection](operation-registry.md#capability-injection).
### PendingRequestMap
Manages in-flight calls and subscriptions. Correlates `call.responded` events back to the original `call.requested`:
```rust
pub struct PendingRequestMap {
pending: HashMap<String, PendingEntry>,
}
enum PendingEntry {
Call {
tx: oneshot::Sender<Result<Value, CallError>>,
timeout: Instant,
},
Subscribe {
tx: mpsc::Sender<Result<Value, CallError>>,
timeout: Option<Instant>,
},
}
```
When a `call.responded` event arrives:
- If `PendingEntry::Call` → resolve the oneshot, delete entry
- If `PendingEntry::Subscribe` → push to the mpsc channel, keep entry alive
When `call.completed` arrives on a subscription → close the mpsc channel, delete entry.
When `call.aborted` arrives → cancel/drop whichever side initiated it.
A `call.aborted` for an unknown `requestId` is silently discarded.
Timeouts prevent dangling entries. A background task sweeps expired entries periodically.
### CallAdapter Stream Handling
The `CallAdapter::handle()` method:
1. Spawns a task that continuously calls `connection.accept_bi()` to receive incoming streams
2. For each accepted stream, reads `EventEnvelope` frames using `FrameFramedReader`
3. Dispatches `call.requested` events to the operation registry
4. Writes response `EventEnvelope` frames using `FrameFramedWriter`
5. Manages `PendingRequestMap` for outgoing calls initiated by the server
For outgoing calls (server → client), the adapter:
1. Opens a bidirectional stream with `connection.open_bi()`
2. Sends `call.requested` on that stream
3. Adds the request ID to the `PendingRequestMap`
4. Reads responses from any stream, correlates by ID
### AuthContext and Identity Resolution
The `CallAdapter` receives an `AuthContext` from the endpoint. The call protocol resolves identity per-request, not per-connection:
**Resolution flow**:
1. The endpoint provides `AuthContext` with whatever identity it resolved at the TLS layer (e.g., client certificate fingerprint). This may be `None` — the `AuthContext.identity` field is `Option<Identity>`.
2. When a `call.requested` event arrives, the `CallAdapter` constructs an `OperationContext` with the connection-level `AuthContext.identity`.
3. If the `call.requested` payload includes an `auth_token` field, the `CallAdapter` resolves it using `IdentityProvider::resolve_from_token()`. If resolution succeeds, the resulting `Identity` replaces the connection-level identity in the `OperationContext`. If resolution fails, the request proceeds with the connection-level identity (which may be `None`).
4. The `OperationContext.identity` is passed to the `OperationRegistry` for ACL checking.
5. If `identity` is `None` and the operation's `AccessControl` has restrictions, the registry returns `FORBIDDEN` with message `"authentication required"`.
**Key point**: Identity is resolved per-request, not per-connection. This allows a single connection to upgrade authentication mid-session (e.g., after an `auth/login` operation returns a token), and allows different operations on the same connection to have different identity levels.
### Root OperationContext Construction
When a `call.requested` arrives from the wire, the `CallAdapter` constructs the root `OperationContext` — the entry point of the call tree. This is the counterpart to `OperationEnv::invoke()` (which constructs nested contexts with `internal: true`): the wire path sets `internal: false`, meaning ACL runs against the caller's `identity`, not a handler's composition authority (ADR-015, ADR-022).
```rust
// CallAdapter dispatch path — root context for an incoming wire request
fn build_root_context(
&self,
request_id: String,
operation_name: &str, // looked up in registry for the registration bundle
identity: Option<Identity>, // resolved per-request above (caller's identity)
) -> OperationContext {
let registration = self.registry.registration(operation_name);
OperationContext {
request_id,
parent_request_id: None, // wire request — top of the call tree
identity: identity.clone(), // caller's identity (inbound — gate credential)
// Composition authority from the registration bundle (ADR-022).
// None for leaves (FromOpenAPI/FromMCP/FromCall); Some for Local/Session.
// This is on the context for PROPAGATION to children via invoke(),
// not for the root's own ACL (which uses identity above).
handler_identity: registration.composition_authority.clone(),
capabilities: registration.capabilities.clone(), // from the registration bundle
metadata: HashMap::new(), // fresh per request
scoped_env: registration.scoped_env.clone()
.unwrap_or_else(ScopedOperationEnv::empty), // from the bundle, empty for leaves
// Per-call env composition (ADR-024): the root env is a composite
// of the curated base + this connection's imported-ops overlay +
// the active session overlay (if any). The CallAdapter builds this
// composite per incoming call — same shape as per-call identity
// resolution via IdentityProvider. Handlers call env.invoke();
// the composite routes to the right overlay.
env: self.compose_root_env(/* connection, session */),
abort_policy: AbortPolicy::default(), // abort-dependents (ADR-016 Decision 6)
internal: false, // external call — ACL against caller identity
}
}
```
The `internal: false` here is what makes a wire call a wire call — ACL checks against the caller's resolved `identity`. When a handler subsequently calls `context.env.invoke(...)`, the `OperationEnv::invoke()` path (see [operation-registry.md](operation-registry.md#operationenv)) constructs a nested `OperationContext` with `internal: true`, switching authority to `handler_identity`. The two construction paths — `CallAdapter` for wire-originated, `OperationEnv::invoke()` for composition-originated — are the only places `internal` is set. Handlers cannot set it themselves (the field is module-private for writes — see [operation-registry.md](operation-registry.md#operationcontext) and ADR-015).
The per-call `env` composition (ADR-024) is the operation-dispatch analogue of the per-call identity resolution the CallAdapter already does via `IdentityProvider`. Both are integration-point patterns: the trait object owns the routing, the CallAdapter supplies the right sources per call. A connection's imported-ops overlay is part of the root env only for calls arriving on that connection; a session overlay is part of the root env only when a session is active. See ADR-024.
### ResponseEnvelope
The universal return type from all operation invocations:
```rust
pub struct ResponseEnvelope {
pub request_id: String,
pub result: Result<Value, CallError>,
}
pub struct CallError {
pub code: String, // protocol-level (NOT_FOUND, FORBIDDEN, ...) or operation-level (ADR-023)
pub message: String, // human-readable, for logging — not for programmatic handling
pub retryable: bool,
pub details: Option<Value>, // typed error payload, conforms to ErrorDefinition.schema (ADR-023)
}
```
Local dispatch produces `ResponseEnvelope` with no serialization overhead. The `CallAdapter` converts `ResponseEnvelope` to `EventEnvelope` for the wire. When a handler returns a `CallError` whose `code` matches a declared `ErrorDefinition`, the `details` field carries the typed error payload. See ADR-023.
### Connection and Stream Lifecycle
**Connection drop**: When the QUIC connection closes, all pending requests in the `PendingRequestMap` are failed with `call.error` code `INTERNAL` and message `"connection closed"`. All subscription channels are closed. The `CallAdapter::handle()` method returns `Ok(())` (clean shutdown) or `Err(HandlerError::ConnectionClosed)` (unexpected).
**Stream reset**: When a QUIC stream is reset mid-operation, the `FrameFramedReader` returns an error. If the stream was carrying a subscription, the `PendingRequestMap` entry is removed and the mpsc channel is closed. If the stream was carrying a call, the oneshot is resolved with an error. No `call.aborted` is sent — the stream is gone.
**Timeouts**: Default timeout for calls is 30 seconds. Default timeout for subscriptions is optional (the client can specify a timeout in the `call.requested` payload, or leave it open-ended). The `PendingRequestMap` sweeper runs every 10 seconds and removes expired entries. Timeouts are configurable at the `CallAdapter` level, not per-operation.
**Error handling in `CallAdapter::handle()`**: If a handler panics, the stream is closed and the `PendingRequestMap` entry (if any) is cleaned up by the next sweeper pass. Other streams and the connection are unaffected.
### Abort Cascade and Nested Calls
When a handler composes other operations via `OperationEnv::invoke()`, it creates a call tree: a parent request (r1) spawns children (r1-a, r1-b), which may spawn their own children. The `parent_request_id` field on `OperationContext` records this tree — it is the agency chain (ADR-015).
When `call.aborted` arrives for a parent request, the protocol cascades the abort to all non-terminal descendants in the tree. The CallAdapter walks the tree (indexed by `parent_request_id` in `PendingRequestMap`) and sends `call.aborted` for each descendant. The default policy is **`abort-dependents`**: aborting a request aborts everything downstream, regardless of branch. This is the correct default because aborted parent work has no consumer waiting for results — continuing is wasted work at best and unwanted side effects at worst (e.g., a `bash/exec` that keeps running after the caller stopped caring).
An opt-in **`continue-running`** policy is available for cases where long-running work should survive a parent's abort (e.g., a subscription that should keep streaming). Under `continue-running`, descendants that have already started continue to completion; descendants that haven't started yet are aborted; no new descendants start.
The abort policy is set on `OperationContext` and propagated through `OperationEnv::invoke()` — the composing handler decides the child's policy, not the wire caller. The `call.requested` payload does not carry an abort policy field (the wire caller doesn't know the composition tree). The root context gets the default (`abort-dependents`); a handler can opt a child into `continue-running` at `invoke()` time. See ADR-016 Decision 6.
Handlers clean up resources when their call is cancelled (in Rust, the future is dropped and `Drop` guards release resources — HTTP streams, file handles, locks). This is a handler-level concern; the protocol's job is to cascade the abort. See ADR-016.
## Constraints
- The call protocol does not depend on any database. `PendingRequestMap` is in-memory. Durable session storage is a consumer concern.
- Operation specs use JSON Schema. The envelope is always JSON. Binary payloads may be base64-encoded in the `payload` field.
- Batch is not a protocol primitive — multiple `call.requested` events with correlated IDs provide equivalent semantics. See OQ-14.
- The call protocol is transport-agnostic at the envelope level. The `EventEnvelope` framing can run over QUIC streams, WebSocket frames, or Worker `postMessage`. The `CallAdapter` is the QUIC-specific implementation.
- `OperationEnv::invoke()` dispatches through the local registry. Remote dispatch (federation, head/worker routing) would be a separate mechanism at a different layer. See ADR-005 and OQ-13.
- **The call protocol carries no secret material.** Secret material (private keys, API keys, mnemonics, decrypted credentials, raw tokens) must not appear in `call.requested` payloads, `call.responded` payloads, or `OperationContext.metadata`. The wire format carries `serde_json::Value` and cannot enforce this at the type level — the constraint is architectural, enforced by the operation registry and by convention. Operations that need to share public key material use a dedicated operation that returns only the public component. See ADR-014.
- **Abort cascades to descendants.** `call.aborted` for a parent request cascades to all non-terminal descendants in the call tree. Default policy is `abort-dependents`; `continue-running` is an opt-in. See ADR-016.
## Design Decisions
| Decision | ADR | Summary |
|----------|-----|---------|
| irpc as call protocol foundation | [ADR-005](../../decisions/005-irpc-as-call-protocol-foundation.md) | irpc provides framing and service dispatch |
| Call protocol stream model | [ADR-012](../../decisions/012-call-protocol-stream-model.md) | Bidirectional streams, EventEnvelope, ID-based correlation |
| ALPN per connection | [ADR-006](../../decisions/006-alpn-convention-and-connection-model.md) | `alknet/call` is a distinct ALPN, one connection per ALPN |
| ProtocolHandler receives Connection | [ADR-007](../../decisions/007-bistream-type-definition.md) | CallAdapter gets Connection, can accept/open multiple streams |
| Vault integration point | [ADR-008](../../decisions/008-secret-service-integration.md) | Vault is a capability source, accessed at assembly time |
| Secret material flow | [ADR-014](../../decisions/014-secret-material-flow-and-capability-injection.md) | Call protocol carries no secret material; capabilities injected at assembly layer |
| Privilege model and authority context | [ADR-015](../../decisions/015-privilege-model-and-authority-context.md) | `internal` = authority switch not ACL skip; External/Internal visibility; handler identity + scoped env |
| Abort cascade for nested calls | [ADR-016](../../decisions/016-abort-cascade-for-nested-calls.md) | `call.aborted` cascades to descendants; default `abort-dependents`, `continue-running` opt-in |
| Call protocol client and adapter contract | [ADR-017](../../decisions/017-call-protocol-client-and-adapter-contract.md) | `CallClient` opens connections; `from_call` imports remote ops; connection direction independent of call direction |
| Handler registration, provenance, and composition authority | [ADR-022](../../decisions/022-handler-registration-provenance-and-composition-authority.md) | Registration bundle carries provenance, composition authority, scoped env, capabilities; dispatch path reads from bundle |
| Operation error schemas | [ADR-023](../../decisions/023-operation-error-schemas.md) | Operations declare domain errors; `call.error` carries typed `details` |
## Open Questions
See [open-questions.md](../../open-questions.md) for full details.
- **OQ-13** (resolved): Operation path format is `/{service}/{op}`. Remote dispatch is a separate mechanism, not a path prefix.
- **OQ-14** (resolved): Batch is a client-side pattern of correlated `call.requested` events, not a protocol primitive.
- **OQ-16** (resolved by ADR-014): No vault operations are exposed over the call protocol for now.
- **OQ-19** (resolved): Session-scoped operation registries — agent-written operations overlaid on global registry via `OperationEnv` trait layering. Protocol doesn't need changes; `OperationEnv` must remain a trait.
## References
- [operation-registry.md](operation-registry.md) — OperationSpec, Handler, AccessControl, service discovery
- ADR-005: irpc as call protocol foundation
- ADR-012: Call protocol stream model
- Reference implementation: `/workspace/@alkdev/alknet-main/crates/alknet-core/src/call/`