Files
alkvault/docs/architecture/open-questions.md
T
glm-5.2 110146870a Rebrand alknet-vault -> alkvault
Rename the crate from alknet-vault to alkvault across source and docs:
- Cargo.toml: package name and lib name (alknet_vault -> alkvault)
- src/ doc comments and doc-test use statements
- tests/ use statements and one string literal

Convert references to non-vault alknet ADRs (003, 005, 008, 010, 014,
064) that were broken local links into @alkdev/alknet: cross-repo
references, matching the alktype sibling pattern. Local ADR/OQ
references are now proper links. Rewrote monorepo path references
(crates/alknet-vault/src/...) to the flat layout (src/...). Fixed
sdd_process.md package name (@alkdev/storage -> @alkdev/alkvault).

ADR/OQ renumbering is deferred to a subsequent pass per the alknet-
origin numbering convention. Generic prose 'vault' and type names
(VaultServiceHandle, VaultServiceError, etc.) are unchanged.

Build, 108 tests, and clippy all pass clean.
2026-08-02 09:25:43 +00:00

3.6 KiB

status, last_updated
status last_updated
draft 2026-08-02

Open Questions

Each open question lives in its own file under questions/, named NNN-slug.md (mirroring the ADR convention). This file is the index: theme-grouped tables for scannability, plus a cross-theme Deferred / Blocked section that surfaces the safe-exit deferrals with their blocking conditions inline — so "what's currently parked and why" is answerable at a glance.

Status values:

  • open — Needs to be resolved now. Has a clear path to resolution.
  • resolved — Decided. The resolution is stated cleanly, without caveats about how it could be changed later.
  • deferred(scope) — Cannot be resolved yet. The information is genuinely missing — a crate spec, POC result, or use case that doesn't exist yet. Has a concrete blocking condition. Not a failure — scope management.
  • deferred(unclear) — Cannot be resolved yet. The pieces exist (decided in other ADRs, existing types, existing patterns) but the composition — how they fit together — isn't clear yet. Resolution requires investigation (work through examples, maybe POC), not waiting. Has a concrete investigation target and an impacts field. Not a failure — honest uncertainty in a poorly-defined problem space.
  • partially resolved — Some aspects decided, others deferred or open.
  • dissolved — The question was reframed out of existence (e.g., superseded by an ADR that retires the premise). Kept for reference.

Impacts field: Every unresolved OQ (open, deferred(scope), deferred(unclear), partially resolved) should have an Impacts field stating what it blocks downstream. Be specific: "blocks the first hub deployment because the hub dials workers" not "blocks the hub crate." This is the triage signal that makes the deferral's urgency visible.

Door type classifications describe reversal cost (how expensive it is to undo), not urgency:

  • One-way door: Reversal requires rewriting significant code or permanently closes a capability. Getting it wrong is expensive — requires ADR before implementation.
  • Two-way door: Reversal is cheap or additive. Getting it wrong is recoverable — decide, implement, revert if needed.

Door type is separate from whether a decision is made. A two-way door is a decision you make now and can revert later, not a decision to defer.

Note on numbering: ADR and OQ numbers are preserved from the originating alknet repo. A subsequent pass will renumber them to a per-project sequence (001, 002, …) and update cross-references in the spec docs. Until then, the numbers reflect their alknet origin.

By Theme

alkvault

All vault open questions are resolved — the vault is a stable crate with implementation complete and verified.

OQ Title Status Door Pri
OQ-20 Salt/KDF and Encryption Key Derivation Method resolved one/two high
OQ-21 Remote Vault Administration resolved one med
OQ-22 Key Rotation Mechanism resolved one/two med

Deferred / Blocked

The safe-exit visibility surface. These questions are parked because the information needed to resolve them does not exist yet — each has a concrete blocking condition. They are not failures; they are scope management. This section exists so "what's currently blocking the architect" is answerable at a glance, not by filtering the tables above.

None — all vault open questions are resolved.