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Phase 2: Federation Implementation

Overview

This phase adds federation capabilities, allowing multiple gem server instances to communicate, share updates, and validate across domains. It builds on the basic server from Phase 1 by integrating a federation protocol for decentralized gem distribution.

Objectives

  • Implement federation protocol (e.g., extend ATProto).
  • Enable server discovery and subscription to updates.
  • Support validation of scopes and gems across servers.
  • Ensure secure, signed communications.

Steps

1. Choose and Integrate Federation Protocol

  • Evaluate ATProto for suitability; if not, select alternative (e.g., ActivityPub).
  • Add protocol libraries to the project (e.g., atproto gem if available, or custom implementation).
  • Define custom record types: GemRecord, ScopeRecord, KeyRecord.
  • Set up protocol client/server components in the app.

2. Server Discovery Mechanism

  • Implement registry or DHT for discovering federated servers.
  • Add endpoint for publishing server info: POST /federation/announce.
  • Client logic to query registry and maintain list of known servers.

3. Subscription and Update Propagation

  • Add subscription endpoint: POST /federation/subscribe to follow another server.
  • Implement push updates: POST /federation/push to send gem/scope updates to subscribers.
  • Handle incoming updates: validate and store federated gems/scopes.
  • Support delta updates for efficiency.

4. Validation Endpoints

  • Implement validate scope: GET /federation/validate/scope/{scope-path} checks presence and signature.
  • Implement validate gem: GET /federation/validate/gem/{scope-path}/{gem} verifies gem authenticity.
  • Integrate with key validation for signatures.

5. Publishing New Scopes and Gems

  • When a new scope is created, publish via federation with signature.
  • For new gems, sign and broadcast to subscribers.
  • Ensure propagation respects permissions (e.g., only authorized servers receive updates).

6. Security and Encryption

  • All federation communications must be encrypted and signed.
  • Implement mutual authentication between servers.
  • Handle key equivalency checks for cross-server validation.

7. Testing Federation

  • Set up multiple local instances for testing.
  • Test discovery, subscription, and update flows.
  • Validate cross-server gem pulls and pushes.
  • Edge cases: conflicting scopes/gems, network failures.

8. Documentation Updates

  • Update API docs with federation endpoints.
  • Document protocol extensions and schemas.
  • Add federation setup guide.

Deliverables

  • Federated gem server capable of interacting with other instances.
  • Secure validation and update sharing.
  • Tests for federation scenarios.

Risks

  • Protocol complexity; mitigate by starting with a minimal viable implementation.
  • Interoperability issues; test extensively with mock servers.

Next Phase Dependencies

  • Federation provides the network for key distribution and full compatibility.