glm-5.1
e3d1a504da
iroh's Endpoint natively supports ALPN negotiation and set_alpns(). Our HandlerRegistry dispatches exactly like iroh's own ProtocolMap/Router pattern, but shared across both quinn and iroh connection sources. We use iroh::Endpoint directly (not iroh::Router) because our HandlerRegistry and AuthContext are shared across sources.
status, last_updated
| status | last_updated |
|---|---|
| draft | 2026-06-16 |
alknet-core
Core library for ALPN-based protocol dispatch. Every handler crate depends on alknet-core.
Documents
| Document | Status | Description |
|---|---|---|
| core-types.md | draft | ProtocolHandler trait, HandlerError, Connection, BiStream, StreamError |
| endpoint.md | draft | ALPN router, HandlerRegistry, accept loop, graceful shutdown |
| auth.md | draft | AuthContext, Identity, IdentityProvider, AuthToken, resolution flow |
| config.md | draft | StaticConfig, DynamicConfig, ArcSwap, ConfigReloadHandle |
Applicable ADRs
| ADR | Title | Relevance |
|---|---|---|
| 001 | ALPN-Based Protocol Dispatch | Core architectural model |
| 002 | ProtocolHandler Trait | The trait every handler implements |
| 003 | Crate Decomposition | alknet-core's position in the crate graph |
| 004 | Auth as Shared Core | IdentityProvider in core |
| 006 | ALPN String Convention | ALPN format, one-ALPN-per-connection |
| 007 | BiStream Type Definition | Connection, BiStream trait, SendStream, RecvStream |
| 009 | One-Way Door Framework | Decision classification |
| 010 | ALPN Router and Endpoint | Endpoint, HandlerRegistry, accept loop |
| 011 | AuthContext Structure | AuthContext fields and resolution flow |
Relevant Open Questions
| OQ | Title | Status | Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
| OQ-04 | Dynamic handler registration | resolved (start static) | HandlerRegistry is immutable at startup |
| OQ-05 | Multi-connectivity endpoint | resolved (quinn + iroh) | AlknetEndpoint supports both, both feature-gated |
| OQ-11 | AuthContext resolution completeness | open | How handlers signal auth completion |
Key Design Principles
- One trait, one dispatch point:
ProtocolHandleris the only abstraction handlers implement. No StreamInterface/MessageInterface split. - ALPN does the routing: The endpoint dispatches by ALPN string. No byte-peeking, no ListenerConfig enum.
- Handlers own their wire format: Each handler manages its own protocol parsing. alknet-core provides the Connection, not the framing.
- Auth is hybrid: The endpoint provides what it can (TLS-level auth). Handlers complete what they need. AuthContext may be partial.
- WASM door preserved: BiStream is a trait, Connection is an opaque type. Core types don't assume tokio or quinn in public APIs.