Title Page

Unified Local Orchestration Architecture (ULOA)

Cross‑Platform Identity, Lifecycle, and Zero‑Trust Specification

Version: Draft 1.0
Status: Working Draft
Editors:

Andrew Kingdom (Lead Architect)

Abstract:
This document defines a unified, cross‑platform architecture for secure, deterministic orchestration of local services. It specifies the behavior of the System Discovery Service, User Orchestration Agent, and Application Service Instances, including identity semantics, lifecycle state machines, capability enforcement, message formats, and platform‑specific integration requirements. The architecture ensures interoperability across Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and embedded POSIX systems while maintaining strict zero‑trust boundaries.

Front‑Matter

Legal Disclaimer

This specification describes the behavior of the System Discovery Service, User Orchestration Agent, and Application Service Instances. It is intended for engineers, architects, platform integrators, and reviewers evaluating interoperability, security, and lifecycle behavior. It does not constitute legal advice, regulatory guidance, or a warranty of compliance with any jurisdiction’s statutory or contractual requirements. Implementers remain responsible for ensuring that deployments comply with applicable laws, privacy obligations, platform policies, and security standards. Any resemblance to existing specifications is for compatibility and clarity only.

Executive Summary

The architecture defines a unified, cross‑platform model for orchestrating local services under strict identity, lifecycle, and zero‑trust constraints. It introduces three cooperating components: the System Discovery Service, the User Orchestration Agent, and Application Service Instances. Together, these components provide a deterministic, secure, and interoperable foundation for on‑device service orchestration across Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and embedded POSIX systems.

Identity is explicit and mandatory at every boundary. Four identity primitives—Device Identity, User Identity Token, Session Token, and Generation ID—ensure that no component infers trust from transport, process context, or platform behavior. This identity model enforces strict separation between device, user, session, and instance boundaries.

Lifecycle behavior is deterministic and uniform across platforms. Each component follows a defined state machine governing activation, steady‑state operation, error handling, and recovery. The User Orchestration Agent manages the lifecycle of Application Service Instances, ensuring that capabilities, endpoints, and identity metadata remain consistent and validated throughout the instance’s lifetime.

Capabilities are explicitly declared, immutable, and enforced at multiple layers. The Service Catalog maintained by the UOA provides authoritative metadata for routing, policy enforcement, and health monitoring. Capabilities cannot be inferred from endpoint structure or naming, and undeclared operations are rejected deterministically.

Message formats are structured, transport‑agnostic, and consistent across platforms. Whether delivered via domain sockets, named pipes, XPC, Binder, or POSIX IPC, messages maintain identical semantics, identity requirements, and error structures. This ensures interoperability even when underlying OS primitives differ significantly.

The architecture aligns with OSI Layers 5–7, introducing identity and capability semantics above the traditional model. It preserves compatibility with existing networking stacks while providing a modern, zero‑trust orchestration layer for local services.

By the end of this summary, readers should understand the architecture’s purpose: to provide a secure, deterministic, cross‑platform orchestration model that preserves identity integrity, enforces strict isolation, and ensures consistent behavior across heterogeneous environments.

1 — Design Principles 2 — Terminology 5 — Security Model 6 — System Discovery Service (SDS) 9 — Message Formats 10 — Lifecycle and State Machines 11 — Error Handling and Recovery 12 — Compliance Requirements 13 — Platform‑Specific Notes 14 — Capability Matrix 15 — Compliance Matrix 16 — Compatibility Notes 17 — OSI‑Layer Positioning 18 — Glossary 19 — Appendices

Section 1 — Design Principles

1.1 Zero‑Trust by Default

All components MUST authenticate explicitly. No implicit trust is permitted between processes, users, or endpoints.

1.2 Deterministic Behaviour

All state transitions, handshakes, and failure modes MUST be predictable, reproducible, and observable.

1.3 Explicit Identity

Every request MUST include verifiable identity information for the device, user, session, and service instance.

1.4 Least Privilege

Each component MUST operate with the minimum rights required for its function, with no ambient authority.

1.5 Minimal Surface Area

Interfaces, endpoints, and capabilities MUST be reduced to the smallest set necessary for correct operation.

1.6 Graceful Recovery

Unexpected conditions MUST be handled safely, with clear diagnostics and predictable fallback paths.

1.7 Cross‑Platform Consistency

The system MUST behave consistently across Windows, Linux, macOS, mobile OSes, and embedded environments, with platform‑specific differences isolated and explicit.

Section 2 — Terminology

This section defines the normative terms used throughout the specification. Each term is unique, unambiguous, and aligned with cross‑platform engineering practice. The linked phrases allow readers to explore each concept individually without disrupting the flow of the specification.

Core Components

System Discovery Service (SDS)) — The system‑wide endpoint responsible for advertising available orchestration capabilities, mediating initial trust establishment, and providing discovery metadata to user‑level components.
User Orchestration Agent (UOA)) — The per‑user orchestration component responsible for managing service lifecycles, enforcing identity boundaries, and coordinating communication between applications and local services.
Application Service Instance (ASI)) — A single running instance of an application‑level service, exposing one or more local endpoints and operating under explicit identity and privilege constraints.

Identity and Session Terms

Device Identity (DID)) — A stable identifier representing the physical or virtual device, used for trust anchoring and system‑level policy enforcement.
User Identity Token (UIT)) — A verifiable token representing the authenticated user context under which a UOA and its ASIs operate.
Session Token (ST)) — A unique, time‑bounded identifier representing a single orchestration session, used to correlate requests, enforce isolation, and prevent replay.
Generation ID (GenID)) — A monotonically increasing identifier assigned to each ASI instantiation, ensuring deterministic lifecycle tracking and preventing stale references.

Communication and Interface Terms

Endpoint — A transport‑agnostic communication interface exposed by SDS, UOA, or ASI components. Endpoints may be implemented using sockets, pipes, domain sockets, platform IPC primitives, or other local transports.
Request — A structured message sent from one component to another, carrying identity metadata, operation parameters, and optional payloads.
Response — A structured message returned to the requester, containing results, status codes, and optional payloads.

Service Catalog Terms

Service Catalog — A structured registry maintained by the UOA describing available ASIs, their capabilities, endpoints, identity requirements, and lifecycle metadata.

Lifecycle Terms

Activation — The process of instantiating an ASI, establishing its identity, and registering its endpoints with the UOA.
Deactivation — The controlled shutdown of an ASI, including cleanup of resources, deregistration from the Service Catalog, and invalidation of associated tokens.
Health State — A structured representation of an ASI’s operational condition, used for monitoring, recovery, and policy enforcement.

Section 3 — Architecture Overview

3.1 System Model

The architecture defines a local, zero‑trust service layer composed of three cooperating components: the System Discovery Service (SDS)), the User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and one or more Application Service Instances (ASI)). These components operate entirely on‑device and communicate through authenticated local Endpoints using structured Requests and Responses.

3.2 Identity Foundation

All communication is anchored in explicit identity. Devices are represented by a Device Identity (DID)), users by a User Identity Token (UIT)), sessions by a Session Token (ST)), and ASI lifecycles by a Generation ID (GenID)). These identifiers ensure deterministic behaviour, prevent impersonation, and allow precise lifecycle tracking.

3.3 Component Roles

The SDS provides system‑level discovery, advertises orchestration capabilities, and mediates initial trust establishment.
The UOA manages per‑user orchestration, supervises ASI lifecycles, enforces identity boundaries, and maintains the Service Catalog.
Each ASI implements a specific application‑level service, exposes one or more endpoints, and operates under explicit identity and privilege constraints.

3.4 Communication Model

All communication between SDS, UOA, and ASIs occurs through authenticated local endpoints. Transports may include domain sockets, named pipes, platform IPC primitives, or other local mechanisms. Each request carries identity metadata, operation parameters, and optional payloads. Each response includes status information and optional results.

3.5 Lifecycle Model

ASI lifecycles follow a deterministic sequence: Activation, steady‑state operation, and Deactivation. The UOA supervises these transitions, monitors Health State, and enforces recovery policies.

3.6 Security Posture

The architecture enforces zero‑trust boundaries between all components. Identity must be explicit, privileges must be minimal, and all communication must be authenticated. No component may assume the legitimacy of another without verification. This posture protects against impersonation, escalation, and cross‑context interference.

3.7 Cross‑Platform Consistency

The architecture is designed to operate consistently across Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and embedded POSIX environments. Platform‑specific differences are isolated to transport selection, privilege boundaries, and lifecycle integration with native service managers.

Section 4 — Identity Model

The identity model defines how devices, users, sessions, and service instances are represented, authenticated, and correlated across the architecture. Identity is explicit, verifiable, and required for all communication between the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)).

4.1 Identity Layers

Four identity layers operate together to ensure deterministic, zero‑trust communication:

Device Identity (DID)) — Represents the physical or virtual device.
User Identity Token (UIT)) — Represents the authenticated user context.
Session Token (ST)) — Represents a single orchestration session.
Generation ID (GenID)) — Represents a specific instantiation of an ASI.

Each layer is independent, explicit, and required for correct operation.

4.2 Device Identity (DID)

The DID uniquely identifies the device and anchors system‑level trust.

Characteristics

Stable across reboots
Bound to hardware, VM identity, or OS‑level secure storage
Used by SDS to enforce system‑level policy
Never assumed; always verified

Requirements

The SDS MUST authenticate the DID before accepting any request.
The UOA MUST include the DID in all upstream communications.
ASIs MUST inherit the DID context from the UOA.

4.3 User Identity Token (UIT)

The UIT represents the authenticated user under which the UOA and ASIs operate.

Characteristics

Derived from OS login, browser identity, or application authentication
Time‑bounded
Non‑transferable
Verifiable by SDS and UOA

Requirements

The UOA MUST authenticate the UIT before activating any ASI.
The SDS MUST validate UIT scope before granting discovery metadata.
ASIs MUST operate strictly within the UIT’s privilege boundaries.

4.4 Session Token (ST)

The ST identifies a single orchestration session.

Characteristics

Unique per session
Time‑bounded
Used to correlate requests
Prevents replay and cross‑session confusion

Requirements

The UOA MUST generate a new ST for each session.
The SDS MUST reject requests with expired or unknown STs.
ASIs MUST include the ST in all responses to ensure correlation.

4.5 Generation ID (GenID)

The GenID identifies a specific instantiation of an ASI.

Characteristics

Monotonically increasing
Assigned at activation
Prevents stale references
Enables deterministic lifecycle tracking

Requirements

The UOA MUST assign a new GenID for each ASI activation.
The SDS MUST treat GenID mismatches as invalid references.
ASIs MUST include their GenID in all endpoint registrations.

4.6 Identity Propagation

Identity flows through the system in a strict, top‑down manner:

SDS authenticates DID
UOA authenticates UIT
UOA generates ST
UOA assigns GenID
ASI inherits DID + UIT + ST + GenID

This ensures:

No implicit trust
No identity ambiguity
No cross‑context leakage
Deterministic correlation of all operations

4.7 Identity in Requests and Responses

Every Request MUST include:

DID
UIT
ST
GenID (if ASI‑related)
Operation metadata
Optional payload

Every Response MUST include:

ST
GenID (if applicable)
Status code
Optional payload

Identity MUST be explicit in both directions.

4.8 Identity Validation Rules

The following rules MUST be enforced:

Identity MUST NOT be inferred from transport.
Identity MUST NOT be cached beyond its validity window.
Identity MUST be validated at every trust boundary.
Identity MUST be rejected if incomplete, malformed, or expired.
Identity MUST be logged for audit and correlation.

These rules ensure safety, clarity, and deterministic behaviour.

4.9 Cross‑Platform Identity Considerations

Identity mechanisms differ across platforms, but the model remains consistent.

Windows

DID may derive from TPM or system GUID
UIT aligns with OS user tokens
ST and GenID are UOA‑managed

Linux

DID may derive from machine‑id
UIT aligns with UID/GID
ST and GenID are UOA‑managed

macOS / iOS

DID may derive from Secure Enclave identifiers
UIT aligns with user session tokens
ST and GenID are UOA‑managed

Android

DID may derive from keystore identifiers
UIT aligns with app user profiles
ST and GenID are UOA‑managed

Embedded POSIX

DID may derive from hardware identifiers
UIT may be static or absent
ST and GenID remain required

Identity is platform‑specific in implementation but platform‑agnostic in semantics.

4.10 Identity and Zero‑Trust

Identity is the foundation of the zero‑trust posture:

No component is trusted without explicit identity
No request is accepted without identity
No privilege is granted without identity
No lifecycle action occurs without identity
No endpoint is registered without identity

Identity is not optional; it is the core of the architecture.

Section 5 — Security Model

Disclaimer: This section adopts a documentation‑oriented structure to meet the needs of technical audiences across platforms while also conforming to the formatting and linking requirements of this environment. The content remains reductionist, normative, and aligned with the design principles established earlier.

5.1 Security Posture Overview

The security model defines how the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)) maintain a zero‑trust boundary between all components. Every interaction requires explicit identity, authenticated Endpoints, and structured Requests and Responses.

5.2 Trust Boundaries

Three primary trust boundaries exist:

Device boundary — enforced by the Device Identity (DID)).
User boundary — enforced by the User Identity Token (UIT)).
Session boundary — enforced by the Session Token (ST)).

Each boundary MUST be validated independently. No component may assume the legitimacy of another without explicit verification.

5.3 Authentication Requirements

All components MUST authenticate:

DID at the SDS boundary
UIT at the UOA boundary
ST at both SDS and UOA boundaries
Generation ID (GenID)) for ASI‑specific operations

Authentication MUST NOT rely on transport properties alone. Identity MUST be included in every request and response.

5.4 Authorization Model

Authorization is based on:

Device‑level policy
User‑level privilege
Session‑level scope
ASI‑level capability declarations stored in the Service Catalog

The UOA enforces user‑level and session‑level authorization. The SDS enforces device‑level authorization. ASIs enforce capability‑level authorization.

5.5 Endpoint Security

Endpoints MUST:

Require explicit identity
Reject unauthenticated traffic
Validate ST and GenID
Enforce least privilege
Provide deterministic error codes

Endpoints MUST NOT:

Accept anonymous requests
Infer identity from transport
Allow privilege escalation through metadata omission

5.6 Message Integrity

All requests and responses MUST include:

Identity metadata (DID, UIT, ST, GenID)
Operation identifiers
Integrity‑checked payloads

Message integrity MUST be validated at every hop. Messages lacking required metadata MUST be rejected.

5.7 Replay Protection

Replay protection is enforced through:

Time‑bounded ST
Monotonic GenID
Nonce or sequence fields (implementation‑specific)

Requests with expired ST or mismatched GenID MUST be rejected.

5.8 Isolation Guarantees

Isolation is enforced at:

Device boundary (SDS)
User boundary (UOA)
Instance boundary (ASI)

ASIs MUST NOT access or infer the state of other ASIs unless explicitly authorized by the UOA.

5.9 Error Handling and Recovery

Errors MUST:

Be deterministic
Include identity metadata
Avoid leaking sensitive information
Trigger safe fallback paths

Unexpected conditions MUST NOT cause privilege escalation or cross‑context leakage.

5.10 Platform‑Specific Security Considerations

Security posture is consistent across platforms, but enforcement mechanisms differ:

Windows: token‑based identity, ACLs, AppContainer boundaries
Linux: UID/GID, namespaces, SELinux/AppArmor
macOS/iOS: sandbox profiles, XPC entitlement checks
Android: Binder identity, app sandboxing
Embedded POSIX: hardware identity, minimal privilege models

Platform differences MUST NOT alter the semantics of identity, authorization, or isolation.

Section 6 — System Discovery Service (SDS)

Disclaimer: This section is formatted to meet both technical‑standards expectations and the structural requirements of this environment. It remains reductionist, normative, and aligned with the architecture defined earlier.

6.1 Role of the SDS

The System Discovery Service (SDS)) is the system‑level authority responsible for advertising orchestration capabilities, mediating initial trust establishment, and providing discovery metadata to user‑level components. It forms the first trust boundary in the architecture and anchors all device‑level identity and policy enforcement.

6.2 Responsibilities

The SDS performs several core functions:

Discovery — Exposes a stable Endpoint that allows the User Orchestration Agent (UOA)) to obtain system‑level metadata.
Identity Verification — Authenticates the Device Identity (DID)) and validates the User Identity Token (UIT)) and Session Token (ST)).
Policy Enforcement — Applies device‑level policy to determine which capabilities may be exposed to the UOA.
Trust Mediation — Ensures that all downstream components operate within authenticated and authorized boundaries.

6.3 Discovery Endpoint

The SDS exposes a single, well‑known discovery endpoint. This endpoint MUST:

Require explicit identity metadata
Reject unauthenticated Requests
Provide deterministic Responses
Advertise supported transports, capabilities, and policy constraints
Operate consistently across platforms

The endpoint MUST NOT rely on transport‑level identity or implicit trust.

6.4 Discovery Metadata

The SDS returns structured metadata describing:

Supported transports (e.g., domain sockets, named pipes, platform IPC)
Supported authentication mechanisms
Supported orchestration capabilities
Device‑level policy constraints
Required identity fields for subsequent communication

Metadata MUST be deterministic and MUST NOT vary between sessions unless policy or configuration changes.

6.5 Identity Validation

The SDS validates identity at the device boundary:

DID MUST be authenticated before any metadata is returned
UIT MUST be validated for scope and legitimacy
ST MUST be validated for freshness and correlation

Identity validation MUST occur on every request. Cached identity MUST NOT be reused beyond its validity window.

6.6 Authorization

The SDS enforces device‑level authorization:

Determines which UOA instances may operate
Determines which capabilities may be exposed
Determines whether ASIs may be activated under the current UIT

Authorization MUST be explicit and MUST NOT rely on assumptions about user or device trustworthiness.

6.7 Error Handling

The SDS MUST return deterministic error codes for:

Invalid or missing identity
Unsupported operations
Policy violations
Transport mismatches
Expired or unknown ST

Errors MUST NOT leak sensitive information about device configuration or policy.

6.8 Platform‑Specific Behaviour

The SDS integrates with platform‑native mechanisms:

Windows: service manager, ACLs, AppContainer boundaries
Linux: systemd, namespaces, SELinux/AppArmor
macOS/iOS: launchd, XPC entitlement checks
Android: Binder identity, app sandboxing
Embedded POSIX: minimal identity and policy enforcement

Platform differences MUST NOT alter the semantics of discovery, identity, or authorization.

6.9 Security Requirements

The SDS MUST:

Enforce zero‑trust boundaries
Require explicit identity
Validate all metadata
Reject malformed or incomplete requests
Provide deterministic responses
Avoid implicit trust in transport or caller

The SDS MUST NOT:

Accept anonymous requests
Infer identity from connection properties
Expose privileged capabilities without explicit authorization

6.10 Interaction with UOA

The SDS is the first component contacted by the UOA. The UOA MUST:

Authenticate using DID + UIT + ST
Request discovery metadata
Use metadata to establish subsequent communication channels
Respect device‑level policy constraints

The SDS MUST ensure that all UOA interactions occur within authenticated, authorized, and deterministic boundaries.

Section 7 — User Orchestration Agent (UOA)

Disclaimer: This section uses a documentation‑oriented structure to satisfy both technical audiences and the formatting requirements of this environment. The content remains reductionist, normative, and aligned with the architecture defined earlier.

7.1 Role of the UOA

The User Orchestration Agent (UOA)) is the per‑user orchestration component responsible for managing service lifecycles, enforcing identity boundaries, and coordinating communication between applications and local services. It forms the second trust boundary in the architecture.

7.2 Responsibilities

The UOA performs several core functions:

Identity Enforcement — Validates the User Identity Token (UIT)) and Session Token (ST)).
Lifecycle Management — Activates and deactivates Application Service Instances (ASI)).
Service Catalog Maintenance — Maintains the authoritative Service Catalog for the user context.
Policy Enforcement — Applies user‑level and session‑level policy constraints.
Routing — Mediates communication between applications and ASIs.

7.3 Identity Validation

The UOA validates identity at the user boundary:

UIT MUST be authenticated before any ASI activation.
ST MUST be validated for freshness and correlation.
Device Identity (DID)) MUST be included in all upstream communications.

Identity MUST NOT be inferred from transport or process context.

7.4 ASI Lifecycle Management

The UOA manages the full lifecycle of ASIs:

Activation — Assigns a Generation ID (GenID)), establishes identity, and registers endpoints.
Steady State — Monitors Health State and enforces policy.
Deactivation — Deregisters endpoints, invalidates tokens, and releases resources.

Lifecycle transitions MUST be deterministic and logged.

7.5 Service Catalog

The UOA maintains the Service Catalog, which includes:

ASI identifiers
GenID
Endpoint metadata
Capability declarations
Policy constraints
Health state

The catalog MUST be authoritative and MUST NOT be bypassed.

7.6 Routing and Mediation

The UOA mediates communication between applications and ASIs:

Validates identity metadata
Enforces capability constraints
Ensures deterministic routing
Rejects malformed or unauthorized requests

Routing MUST NOT leak information about other ASIs or user contexts.

7.7 Error Handling

The UOA MUST return deterministic error codes for:

Invalid identity
Policy violations
Unknown ASIs
Expired ST
Mismatched GenID

Errors MUST NOT expose sensitive information.

7.8 Platform‑Specific Behaviour

The UOA integrates with platform‑native mechanisms:

Windows: user‑mode services, ACLs
Linux: systemd user services, namespaces
macOS/iOS: launchd agents, XPC
Android: app‑scoped services
Embedded POSIX: minimal user contexts

Platform differences MUST NOT alter the semantics of identity, lifecycle, or routing.

7.9 Security Requirements

The UOA MUST:

Enforce zero‑trust boundaries
Validate all identity metadata
Maintain deterministic lifecycle transitions
Enforce least privilege
Reject unauthorized requests

The UOA MUST NOT:

Infer identity from process context
Allow ASIs to bypass catalog registration
Permit cross‑context access without explicit authorization

Section 9 — Message Formats

9.1 Overview

Message formats define how the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)) exchange structured information. All messages use authenticated Endpoints and include explicit identity metadata.

9.2 Required Fields

Every Request MUST include:

Device Identity (DID))
User Identity Token (UIT))
Session Token (ST))
Generation ID (GenID)) (if ASI‑related)
Operation identifier
Optional payload

Every Response MUST include:

ST
GenID (if applicable)
Status code
Optional payload

9.3 Structure

Messages follow a structured, platform‑agnostic format:

Header — identity metadata, operation, correlation fields
Body — operation parameters, payload
Footer — integrity fields, optional diagnostics

Headers MUST be validated before bodies are processed.

9.4 Correlation

Correlation is enforced through:

ST
Operation ID
Optional sequence numbers

Responses MUST match the ST and operation ID of the corresponding request.

9.5 Error Messages

Error responses MUST include:

Error code
Error category
ST
Optional diagnostic payload

Errors MUST NOT leak sensitive information.

9.6 Platform Considerations

Message formats are transport‑agnostic. Platforms may encode messages using:

JSON
CBOR
Protobuf
Cap’n Proto
Platform‑native IPC formats

Encoding MUST NOT alter semantics.

Section 10 — Lifecycle and State Machines

10.1 Overview

Lifecycle and state machines define how the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)) transition through operational states. All transitions MUST be deterministic and identity‑validated.

10.2 SDS Lifecycle

States

Initialized — SDS has loaded configuration and device policy.
Ready — SDS is accepting discovery Requests.
Degraded — SDS is operational but with reduced capability.
Unavailable — SDS cannot serve discovery metadata.

Transitions

Initialized → Ready (configuration loaded)
Ready → Degraded (policy or subsystem failure)
Degraded → Ready (recovery)
Any → Unavailable (critical failure)

SDS MUST NOT return discovery metadata unless in Ready state.

10.3 UOA Lifecycle

States

Uninitialized — UOA has not yet contacted SDS.
Discovering — UOA is retrieving metadata from SDS.
Operational — UOA is managing ASIs and routing requests.
Recovering — UOA is restoring state after failure.
Terminated — UOA has shut down.

Transitions

Uninitialized → Discovering (startup)
Discovering → Operational (successful discovery)
Operational → Recovering (identity or policy failure)
Recovering → Operational (successful recovery)
Any → Terminated (shutdown)

UOA MUST NOT activate ASIs unless in Operational state.

10.4 ASI Lifecycle

States

PendingActivation — ASI has been requested but not yet assigned a Generation ID (GenID)).
Activating — UOA is assigning identity and registering endpoints.
Active — ASI is processing authenticated traffic.
Deactivating — ASI is shutting down.
Terminated — ASI has released all resources.

Transitions

PendingActivation → Activating (UOA initiates activation)
Activating → Active (endpoints registered)
Active → Deactivating (UOA initiates shutdown)
Deactivating → Terminated (resources released)

ASI MUST NOT accept requests unless in Active state.

10.5 Identity‑Driven Transitions

Identity validation governs all transitions:

Invalid Device Identity (DID)) forces SDS → Degraded.
Invalid User Identity Token (UIT)) forces UOA → Recovering.
Invalid Session Token (ST)) forces ASI → Deactivating.

Identity MUST be validated before any state transition is accepted.

10.6 Failure and Recovery

SDS Recovery

Reload configuration
Revalidate DID
Re‑expose discovery endpoint

UOA Recovery

Re‑establish session
Revalidate UIT
Rebuild Service Catalog

ASI Recovery

Re‑register endpoints
Revalidate GenID
Re‑enter Active state

Recovery MUST NOT bypass identity validation.

10.7 State Machine Determinism

All components MUST:

Use explicit state definitions
Reject illegal transitions
Log all transitions
Maintain monotonic GenID sequencing
Ensure correlation via ST

State machines MUST NOT rely on implicit assumptions or transport‑level behavior.

10.8 Platform‑Specific Lifecycle Integration

Lifecycle semantics remain constant across platforms, but integration differs:

Windows: SCM service states
Linux: systemd unit states
macOS/iOS: launchd job states
Android: service lifecycle callbacks
Embedded POSIX: minimal state tracking

Platform differences MUST NOT alter lifecycle semantics.

Section 11 — Error Handling and Recovery

11.1 Overview

Error handling defines how the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)) respond to invalid inputs, identity failures, policy violations, and unexpected conditions. Recovery defines how components return to a valid operational state.

11.2 Error Categories

Errors fall into the following categories:

Identity Errors — invalid Device Identity (DID)), User Identity Token (UIT)), Session Token (ST)), or Generation ID (GenID)).
Authorization Errors — insufficient privilege or policy violation.
Capability Errors — unsupported operation or undeclared capability.
Transport Errors — malformed or incomplete Requests.
State Errors — illegal lifecycle transitions.
Internal Errors — unexpected subsystem failures.

11.3 Error Response Format

Error responses MUST include:

Error code
Error category
ST (if available)
GenID (if applicable)
Optional diagnostic payload

Error responses MUST NOT include sensitive internal details.

11.4 Identity Error Handling

Identity errors MUST trigger:

SDS → Degraded
UOA → Recovering
ASI → Deactivating

Identity MUST be revalidated before returning to normal operation.

11.5 Authorization Error Handling

Authorization errors MUST:

Reject the request
Log the violation
Preserve component state
Avoid revealing policy internals

Authorization errors MUST NOT trigger component shutdown.

11.6 Capability Error Handling

Capability errors MUST:

Return a deterministic error code
Reject the operation
Preserve ASI state

Capabilities MUST NOT be inferred or auto‑enabled.

11.7 Transport Error Handling

Transport errors MUST:

Reject malformed messages
Avoid partial processing
Log the failure
Maintain correlation via ST

Transport errors MUST NOT cause privilege escalation.

11.8 State Error Handling

Illegal lifecycle transitions MUST:

Be rejected
Be logged
Preserve the current valid state

State machines MUST NOT enter undefined states.

11.9 Recovery Model

Recovery is deterministic and identity‑driven.

SDS Recovery

Reload configuration
Revalidate DID
Re‑expose discovery endpoint

UOA Recovery

Revalidate UIT
Rebuild Service Catalog
Re‑establish session

ASI Recovery

Re‑register endpoints
Revalidate GenID
Re‑enter Active state

Recovery MUST NOT bypass identity validation.

11.10 Platform‑Specific Recovery

Recovery semantics remain constant, but mechanisms differ:

Windows: SCM restart policies
Linux: systemd restart directives
macOS/iOS: launchd job recovery
Android: service restart callbacks
Embedded POSIX: watchdog timers

Platform differences MUST NOT alter recovery semantics.

Section 12 — Compliance Requirements

12.1 Overview

Compliance requirements define the mandatory behaviors for the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)) to ensure interoperability, determinism, and security across platforms.

12.2 Identity Compliance

Implementations MUST:

Validate Device Identity (DID)) at SDS boundaries.
Validate User Identity Token (UIT)) at UOA boundaries.
Validate Session Token (ST)) for all requests.
Validate Generation ID (GenID)) for ASI‑specific operations.
Reject any request missing required identity metadata.

Identity MUST NOT be inferred from transport or process context.

12.3 Authorization Compliance

Implementations MUST:

Enforce device‑level policy at SDS.
Enforce user‑level and session‑level policy at UOA.
Enforce capability‑level policy at ASIs.
Reject unauthorized operations deterministically.

Authorization MUST NOT rely on implicit assumptions.

12.4 Capability Compliance

Capabilities MUST:

Be explicitly declared by ASIs.
Be immutable for the lifetime of the ASI.
Be enforced by the UOA.
Not be inferred from endpoint structure or naming.

Undeclared capabilities MUST be rejected.

12.5 Endpoint Compliance

Endpoints MUST:

Require explicit identity metadata.
Reject unauthenticated Requests.
Provide deterministic Responses.
Enforce least privilege.

Endpoints MUST NOT:

Accept anonymous traffic.
Infer identity from transport.
Allow privilege escalation through metadata omission.

12.6 Lifecycle Compliance

Lifecycle transitions MUST:

Follow the defined state machines.
Reject illegal transitions.
Log all transitions.
Maintain monotonic GenID sequencing.

Components MUST NOT enter undefined states.

12.7 Error Handling Compliance

Error responses MUST:

Use deterministic error codes.
Include ST and GenID (if applicable).
Avoid leaking sensitive information.
Preserve component state.

Errors MUST NOT cause privilege escalation or cross‑context leakage.

12.8 Recovery Compliance

Recovery MUST:

Revalidate identity before returning to normal operation.
Restore state deterministically.
Maintain correlation via ST.
Rebuild the Service Catalog at UOA.
Re‑register endpoints at ASIs.

Recovery MUST NOT bypass identity validation.

12.9 Platform Compliance

Platform implementations MUST:

Preserve semantic equivalence across Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android, and embedded POSIX.
Integrate with native service managers without altering lifecycle semantics.
Use platform‑appropriate identity primitives without altering identity semantics.

Platform differences MUST NOT affect interoperability.

12.10 Logging and Audit Compliance

Implementations MUST:

Log identity validation events.
Log lifecycle transitions.
Log authorization failures.
Log capability violations.
Preserve correlation via ST.

Logs MUST NOT contain sensitive payload data.

12.11 Interoperability Compliance

Implementations MUST:

Support the full identity model.
Support deterministic message formats.
Support the defined lifecycle model.
Support capability declarations.
Support platform‑agnostic endpoint semantics.

Interoperability MUST NOT depend on platform‑specific behavior.

12.12 Security Compliance

Implementations MUST:

Enforce zero‑trust boundaries.
Validate identity at every boundary.
Reject malformed or incomplete messages.
Enforce least privilege.
Maintain deterministic behavior.

Security MUST NOT rely on transport‑level assumptions.

Section 13 — Platform‑Specific Notes

13.1 Overview

Platform‑specific notes describe how the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)) integrate with native operating system mechanisms while preserving the architecture’s identity, lifecycle, and zero‑trust semantics.

13.2 Windows Integration

Windows implementations rely on:

Service Manager for SDS hosting and lifecycle.
AppContainer for ASI isolation.
Access Control Lists for endpoint permissions.
User tokens for UIT enforcement.

Windows MUST preserve:

Deterministic lifecycle transitions
Explicit identity validation
Isolation between ASIs
Consistent endpoint semantics

13.3 Linux Integration

Linux implementations rely on:

systemd for SDS and UOA lifecycle.
Namespaces for ASI isolation.
cgroups for resource control.
SELinux or AppArmor for policy enforcement.

Linux MUST preserve:

Identity semantics independent of UID/GID
Deterministic state transitions
Capability enforcement
Transport‑agnostic message formats

13.4 macOS Integration

macOS implementations rely on:

launchd for SDS and UOA lifecycle.
XPC services for ASI isolation and communication.
Sandbox profiles for privilege boundaries.

macOS MUST preserve:

Explicit identity propagation
Deterministic endpoint registration
Zero‑trust enforcement across XPC boundaries

13.5 iOS Integration

iOS implementations rely on:

App Sandbox for ASI isolation.
XPC for inter‑process communication.
Entitlements for capability declaration.

iOS MUST preserve:

Strict identity validation
Immutable capability declarations
Deterministic lifecycle behavior

13.6 Android Integration

Android implementations rely on:

Binder IPC for endpoint communication.
App sandboxing for ASI isolation.
User profiles for UIT mapping.

Android MUST preserve:

Identity semantics independent of app UID
Deterministic routing via UOA
Capability enforcement across Binder boundaries

13.7 Embedded POSIX Integration

Embedded implementations rely on:

POSIX processes for ASI isolation.
Hardware identifiers for DID.
Watchdog timers for recovery.

Embedded systems MUST preserve:

Full identity model
Deterministic lifecycle semantics
Zero‑trust boundaries

13.8 Cross‑Platform Consistency Requirements

All platforms MUST preserve:

Identity semantics (DID, UIT, ST, GenID)
Deterministic lifecycle transitions
Capability enforcement
Zero‑trust boundaries
Transport‑agnostic message formats
Isolation between ASIs

Platform differences MUST NOT affect interoperability.

13.9 Divergence Constraints

Platforms MAY differ in:

Transport mechanisms
Service managers
Isolation primitives
Encoding formats

Platforms MUST NOT differ in:

Identity requirements
Authorization semantics
Capability declarations
Lifecycle state machines
Error handling semantics

Section 14 — Capability Matrix

14.1 Overview

The capability matrix defines how the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)) expose, enforce, and consume capabilities. Capabilities describe what a component may do, not what it will do, and they are central to zero‑trust enforcement.

14.2 Capability Categories

Discovery Capabilities — Metadata exposure, transport advertisement, policy signaling.
Orchestration Capabilities — Lifecycle control, routing, identity propagation.
Service Capabilities — ASI‑specific operations exposed to applications.
Security Capabilities — Identity validation, authorization, isolation.
Health Capabilities — Health reporting, diagnostics, recovery signaling.

Each capability MUST be explicitly declared and MUST NOT be inferred.

14.3 Capability Matrix Table

The table maps capabilities to the components that MUST implement them.

Capability	SDS	UOA	ASI
Discovery	Required	Optional	Not applicable
Identity Validation	Required	Required	Required
Lifecycle Control	Not applicable	Required	Required (self)
Capability Declaration	Optional	Required	Required
Routing	Not applicable	Required	Optional
Health Reporting	Optional	Required	Required
Policy Enforcement	Required	Required	Required
Endpoint Registration	Not applicable	Required	Required
Error Handling	Required	Required	Required

14.4 Capability Declaration Rules

Capabilities MUST be declared during ASI activation.
Capabilities MUST be immutable for the lifetime of the ASI.
Capabilities MUST be validated by the UOA before routing requests.
Capabilities MUST NOT be inferred from endpoint naming or structure.
Capabilities MUST be included in the Service Catalog.

14.5 Capability Enforcement

Enforcement occurs at multiple layers:

SDS enforces device‑level policy.
UOA enforces user‑level and session‑level policy.
ASI enforces operation‑level constraints.

Enforcement MUST be deterministic and MUST NOT rely on transport‑level assumptions.

14.6 Capability Negotiation

Capability negotiation occurs only between:

UOA ↔ SDS (during discovery)
UOA ↔ ASI (during activation)

Negotiation MUST NOT occur between applications and ASIs directly.

Negotiation MUST:

Validate identity
Validate policy
Validate capability compatibility
Reject undeclared or unsupported capabilities

14.7 Platform‑Specific Capability Notes

Platforms MAY differ in how capabilities are implemented, but MUST NOT differ in semantics.

Examples:

Windows: capabilities may map to ACLs or AppContainer profiles.
Linux: capabilities may map to namespaces, SELinux/AppArmor rules.
macOS/iOS: capabilities may map to entitlements or sandbox profiles.
Android: capabilities may map to Binder permissions or app profiles.
Embedded POSIX: capabilities may map to hardware flags or minimal privilege models.

Semantic equivalence MUST be preserved across all platforms.

14.8 Capability Compliance

Implementations MUST:

Declare capabilities explicitly.
Enforce capabilities consistently.
Reject undeclared capabilities.
Log capability violations.
Maintain capability metadata in the Service Catalog.

Implementations MUST NOT:

Infer capabilities.
Modify capabilities after activation.
Allow cross‑context capability leakage.

Section 15 — Compliance Matrix

15.1 Overview

The compliance matrix maps mandatory behaviors across the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)). It ensures that all implementations preserve identity semantics, lifecycle determinism, capability enforcement, and zero‑trust boundaries across platforms.

15.2 Identity Compliance Matrix

Requirement	SDS	UOA	ASI
Validate Device Identity)	Required	Required	Inherited
Validate User Identity Token)	Required	Required	Inherited
Validate Session Token)	Required	Required	Required
Validate Generation ID)	Not applicable	Required	Required
Reject missing identity metadata	Required	Required	Required

Identity MUST NOT be inferred from transport or process context.

15.3 Lifecycle Compliance Matrix

Requirement	SDS	UOA	ASI
Deterministic state machine	Required	Required	Required
Reject illegal transitions	Required	Required	Required
Log lifecycle transitions	Required	Required	Required
Maintain monotonic GenID	Not applicable	Required	Required
Enforce activation prerequisites	Not applicable	Required	Required

Lifecycle semantics MUST remain consistent across platforms.

15.4 Capability Compliance Matrix

Requirement	SDS	UOA	ASI
Declare capabilities	Optional	Required	Required
Enforce capability constraints	Required	Required	Required
Reject undeclared capabilities	Required	Required	Required
Maintain capability metadata	Optional	Required	Required
Immutable capability set	Not applicable	Required	Required

Capabilities MUST NOT be inferred or modified after activation.

15.5 Authorization Compliance Matrix

Requirement	SDS	UOA	ASI
Enforce device‑level policy	Required	Not applicable	Not applicable
Enforce user/session policy	Not applicable	Required	Not applicable
Enforce capability policy	Required	Required	Required
Reject unauthorized operations	Required	Required	Required
Log authorization failures	Required	Required	Required

Authorization MUST NOT rely on implicit assumptions.

15.6 Endpoint Compliance Matrix

Requirement	SDS	UOA	ASI
Require explicit identity	Required	Required	Required
Reject unauthenticated Requests	Required	Required	Required
Provide deterministic Responses	Required	Required	Required
Enforce least privilege	Required	Required	Required
Register endpoints	Not applicable	Required	Required

Endpoints MUST NOT infer identity from transport.

15.7 Error Handling Compliance Matrix

Requirement	SDS	UOA	ASI
Deterministic error codes	Required	Required	Required
Include ST in errors	Required	Required	Required
Include GenID when applicable	Not applicable	Required	Required
Avoid sensitive leakage	Required	Required	Required
Preserve component state	Required	Required	Required

Errors MUST NOT cause privilege escalation.

15.8 Recovery Compliance Matrix

Requirement	SDS	UOA	ASI
Revalidate identity before recovery	Required	Required	Required
Restore deterministic state	Required	Required	Required
Rebuild Service Catalog	Not applicable	Required	Not applicable
Re‑register endpoints	Not applicable	Not applicable	Required
Maintain correlation via ST	Required	Required	Required

Recovery MUST NOT bypass identity validation.

15.9 Platform Compliance Matrix

Requirement	SDS	UOA	ASI
Preserve identity semantics	Required	Required	Required
Preserve lifecycle semantics	Required	Required	Required
Preserve capability semantics	Required	Required	Required
Integrate with native service managers	Required	Required	Required
Maintain cross‑platform equivalence	Required	Required	Required

Platform differences MUST NOT affect interoperability.

15.10 Interoperability Compliance Matrix

Requirement	SDS	UOA	ASI
Support full identity model	Required	Required	Required
Support deterministic message formats	Required	Required	Required
Support capability declarations	Optional	Required	Required
Support zero‑trust boundaries	Required	Required	Required
Support cross‑platform consistency	Required	Required	Required

Interoperability MUST NOT depend on platform‑specific behavior.

Section 16 — Compatibility Notes

16.1 Overview

Compatibility notes define how the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)) maintain consistent behavior across heterogeneous platforms, transports, privilege models, and service managers. Compatibility ensures that implementations remain interoperable even when underlying OS primitives differ significantly.

16.2 Identity Compatibility

Identity semantics MUST remain consistent across all platforms.

Device Identity) MUST represent a stable device‑level anchor regardless of hardware or virtualization.
User Identity Token) MUST map to the authenticated user context, even when platforms differ in user models.
Session Token) MUST be time‑bounded and unique across all platforms.
Generation ID) MUST be monotonic and MUST NOT collide across ASI activations.

Identity MUST NOT rely on platform‑specific assumptions such as UID/GID, AppContainer IDs, or Binder caller identity.

16.3 Transport Compatibility

Transports MAY differ, but message semantics MUST remain identical.

Windows: named pipes, RPC
Linux: domain sockets, pipes
macOS/iOS: XPC
Android: Binder
Embedded POSIX: domain sockets, serial IPC

Message formats MUST remain transport‑agnostic, and identity MUST NOT be inferred from transport metadata.

16.4 Lifecycle Compatibility

Lifecycle semantics MUST remain consistent across platforms even when service managers differ.

Windows: SCM
Linux: systemd
macOS/iOS: launchd
Android: service lifecycle callbacks
Embedded POSIX: minimal lifecycle primitives

State transitions MUST follow the same rules regardless of platform.

16.5 Capability Compatibility

Capabilities MUST be interpreted consistently across platforms.

Capability declarations MUST NOT depend on platform‑specific privilege models.
Capability enforcement MUST remain deterministic even when implemented via different primitives (ACLs, SELinux, entitlements, Binder permissions).
Capability negotiation MUST follow identical semantics across all platforms.

16.6 Policy Compatibility

Policy enforcement MUST remain semantically equivalent across platforms.

Device‑level policy (SDS) MUST NOT depend on OS‑specific constructs.
User‑level policy (UOA) MUST map cleanly to the platform’s user model.
Capability‑level policy (ASI) MUST remain consistent regardless of sandboxing or isolation primitives.

Policy MUST NOT diverge in ways that affect interoperability.

16.7 Error Compatibility

Error semantics MUST remain consistent across platforms.

Error codes MUST map to the same categories.
Error messages MUST follow the same structure.
Identity‑related errors MUST trigger the same lifecycle transitions.
Transport errors MUST NOT expose platform‑specific details.

16.8 Recovery Compatibility

Recovery semantics MUST remain consistent across platforms.

Identity MUST be revalidated before recovery.
State MUST be restored deterministically.
Endpoints MUST be re‑registered consistently.
Service Catalog MUST be rebuilt identically.

Recovery MUST NOT rely on platform‑specific heuristics.

16.9 Cross‑Version Compatibility

Implementations MUST maintain forward and backward compatibility across versions.

Identity fields MUST NOT be removed.
New fields MUST be optional.
Message formats MUST remain extensible.
Capabilities MUST be versioned.
Lifecycle semantics MUST remain stable.

Breaking changes MUST be explicitly versioned and MUST NOT be introduced implicitly.

16.10 Interoperability Guarantees

All implementations MUST guarantee:

Identity equivalence
Capability equivalence
Lifecycle equivalence
Error equivalence
Recovery equivalence
Policy equivalence

Interoperability MUST NOT depend on platform‑specific behavior, privilege models, or transport mechanisms.

Section 17 — OSI‑Layer Positioning

17.1 Overview

Positioning the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)) within the OSI model clarifies how the architecture relates to existing networking, transport, and application layers. The system operates entirely on‑device, but its semantics map cleanly onto OSI concepts to ensure conceptual interoperability and predictable behavior.

17.2 Layer Mapping Summary

The architecture spans multiple OSI layers:

Layer 5 (Session Layer) — Identity propagation, Session Token) management, correlation.
Layer 6 (Presentation Layer) — Message encoding, structured Request and Response formats.
Layer 7 (Application Layer) — Capability declarations, lifecycle control, orchestration semantics.

The system does not replace OSI layers 1–4; it operates above them.

17.3 Layer 5 — Session Layer Alignment

The architecture’s session semantics map directly to OSI Layer 5.

Session Token) provides correlation and replay protection.
Generation ID) provides instance‑level sequencing.
Identity metadata ensures deterministic session boundaries.
UOA enforces session isolation and lifecycle transitions.

Session semantics MUST remain consistent across platforms.

17.4 Layer 6 — Presentation Layer Alignment

Message formats map to OSI Layer 6.

Structured headers, bodies, and footers.
Encoding formats (JSON, CBOR, Protobuf, etc.).
Transport‑agnostic semantics.
Explicit identity metadata.
Deterministic error structures.

Presentation semantics MUST NOT depend on platform‑specific encoding.

17.5 Layer 7 — Application Layer Alignment

Application‑level orchestration maps to OSI Layer 7.

Capability declarations.
Endpoint registration.
Policy enforcement.
Lifecycle control.
Health reporting.
Routing semantics.

Layer 7 behavior MUST remain semantically equivalent across platforms.

17.6 Cross‑Layer Interactions

The architecture enforces strict separation between layers:

Layer 5 identity MUST NOT be inferred from Layer 4 transport.
Layer 6 encoding MUST NOT alter Layer 7 semantics.
Layer 7 capabilities MUST NOT bypass Layer 5 session boundaries.

Cross‑layer leakage MUST be treated as a compliance violation.

17.7 Platform‑Specific Layer Mapping

Different platforms implement OSI layers differently, but the architecture’s semantics remain stable.

Windows: RPC, named pipes, AppContainer, ACLs.
Linux: domain sockets, namespaces, SELinux/AppArmor.
macOS/iOS: XPC, sandbox profiles.
Android: Binder, app sandboxing.
Embedded POSIX: minimal IPC, hardware identity.

Layer semantics MUST remain consistent regardless of implementation.

17.8 OSI‑Adjacent Concepts

The architecture introduces concepts not present in the OSI model:

Device Identity) — below Layer 5.
User Identity Token) — orthogonal to Layer 7.
Capability declarations — above Layer 7.
Zero‑trust boundaries — cross‑layer.

These concepts extend OSI semantics without conflicting with them.

17.9 Compatibility with OSI‑Based Systems

The architecture is compatible with OSI‑based systems because:

It does not redefine transport or network layers.
It does not alter encoding semantics.
It does not modify application‑layer protocols.
It operates entirely on‑device, above existing networking stacks.

Compatibility MUST be preserved across all implementations.

17.10 Summary

The architecture:

Aligns with OSI Layers 5–7.
Introduces identity and capability semantics above OSI.
Preserves transport‑agnostic behavior.
Ensures deterministic, cross‑platform orchestration.
Maintains strict zero‑trust boundaries.

Section 18 — Glossary

18.1 Overview

The glossary defines all core terms used throughout the architecture, ensuring consistent interpretation across implementations of the System Discovery Service (SDS)), User Orchestration Agent (UOA)), and Application Service Instances (ASI)). Each entry provides a concise definition and clarifies the term’s role within the system.

18.2 Core Identity Terms

Device Identity (DID)) — A stable identifier representing the physical or virtual device. Used by SDS to enforce device‑level trust boundaries.
User Identity Token (UIT)) — A token representing the authenticated user context. Used by UOA to enforce user‑level authorization.
Session Token (ST)) — A time‑bounded token providing correlation, replay protection, and session isolation.
Generation ID (GenID)) — A monotonic identifier assigned to each ASI activation, ensuring deterministic lifecycle sequencing.

18.3 Component Terms

System Discovery Service (SDS)) — The device‑level authority responsible for discovery, identity validation, and policy enforcement.
User Orchestration Agent (UOA)) — The per‑user orchestration layer responsible for lifecycle control, routing, and capability enforcement.
Application Service Instance (ASI)) — A running instance of an application‑level service, exposing endpoints and capabilities under strict identity and policy constraints.

18.4 Messaging Terms

Request — A structured message sent to SDS, UOA, or ASI containing identity metadata, operation identifiers, and optional payload.
Response — A structured message returned by SDS, UOA, or ASI containing status, identity metadata, and optional payload.
Endpoint — A communication interface exposed by SDS, UOA, or ASI for receiving requests and returning responses.

18.5 Capability Terms

Capability Declaration — A list of operations an ASI supports, declared during activation and immutable for the ASI’s lifetime.
Service Capabilities — The specific operations exposed by an ASI to applications.
Orchestration Capabilities — The operations supported by UOA for lifecycle control, routing, and identity propagation.
Discovery Capabilities — The metadata and operations exposed by SDS during discovery.

18.6 Policy and Security Terms

Policy Enforcement — The application of device‑level, user‑level, and capability‑level rules governing what operations are permitted.
Zero‑Trust Boundary — A strict separation requiring explicit identity validation at every interaction.
Authorization — The process of determining whether an identity is permitted to perform a requested operation.
Isolation — The guarantee that ASIs cannot access or infer the state of other ASIs or user contexts.

18.7 Lifecycle Terms

Activation — The process of creating an ASI, assigning a GenID, and registering endpoints.
Deactivation — The process of shutting down an ASI, deregistering endpoints, and invalidating identity metadata.
Health State — A structured representation of an ASI’s operational condition, used for monitoring and recovery.

18.8 Catalog and Metadata Terms

Service Catalog — The authoritative registry maintained by UOA containing ASI metadata, capabilities, endpoints, and health state.
Discovery Metadata — The structured information returned by SDS describing supported transports, identity requirements, and policy constraints.

18.9 Error and Recovery Terms

Error Code — A deterministic identifier describing the category and nature of a failure.
Recovery — The process by which SDS, UOA, or ASI returns to a valid operational state after a failure, always requiring identity revalidation.

18.10 Transport and Encoding Terms

Transport — The underlying IPC mechanism used to deliver messages (e.g., domain sockets, named pipes, XPC, Binder).
Encoding — The serialization format used for message bodies (e.g., JSON, CBOR, Protobuf).

18.11 OSI Alignment Terms

Session Layer — The OSI layer corresponding to identity propagation and session correlation.
Presentation Layer — The OSI layer corresponding to message encoding and structure.
Application Layer — The OSI layer corresponding to capabilities, routing, and orchestration semantics.

Normative Requirements Summary Table

Area	Mandatory Requirements	Optional Behaviors	Forbidden Behaviors
Identity	Validate Device Identity, User Identity Token, Session Token, and Generation ID at every boundary	Platform‑specific identity primitives	Inferring identity from transport, process, or context
Lifecycle	Follow deterministic state machines for SDS, UOA, ASI	Platform‑specific service managers	Entering undefined states or skipping identity validation
Capabilities	Declare capabilities explicitly and immutably	Platform‑specific enforcement mechanisms	Inferring capabilities from endpoint names or structure
Routing	Route only through validated identity and declared capabilities	Platform‑specific IPC	Cross‑context routing or implicit trust
Policy	Enforce device, user, and capability policy deterministically	Platform‑specific policy engines	Silent policy bypass or inconsistent enforcement
Error Handling	Use deterministic error codes and preserve state	Platform‑specific logging	Leaking sensitive information or escalating privilege
Recovery	Revalidate identity before recovery; restore deterministic state	Platform‑specific restart mechanisms	Recovery without identity validation
Interoperability	Maintain semantic equivalence across platforms	Platform‑specific optimizations	Divergence in identity, lifecycle, or capability semantics
Message Format	Use structured, transport‑agnostic request/response formats	Encoding choice (JSON, CBOR, Protobuf)	Encoding‑dependent semantics or implicit metadata

This table gives reviewers a single‑page contract:

what must always be true,
what may vary,
what must never occur.

Title Page

Unified Local Orchestration Architecture (ULOA)

Cross‑Platform Identity, Lifecycle, and Zero‑Trust Specification

Front‑Matter

Legal Disclaimer

Executive Summary

Table of Contents

Section 1 — Design Principles

1.1 Zero‑Trust by Default

1.2 Deterministic Behaviour

1.3 Explicit Identity

1.4 Least Privilege

1.5 Minimal Surface Area

1.6 Graceful Recovery

1.7 Cross‑Platform Consistency

Section 2 — Terminology

Core Components

Identity and Session Terms

Communication and Interface Terms

Service Catalog Terms

Lifecycle Terms

Section 3 — Architecture Overview

3.1 System Model

3.2 Identity Foundation

3.3 Component Roles

3.4 Communication Model

3.5 Lifecycle Model

3.6 Security Posture

3.7 Cross‑Platform Consistency

Section 4 — Identity Model

4.1 Identity Layers

4.2 Device Identity (DID)

Characteristics

Requirements

4.3 User Identity Token (UIT)

Characteristics

Requirements

4.4 Session Token (ST)

Characteristics

Requirements

4.5 Generation ID (GenID)

Characteristics

Requirements

4.6 Identity Propagation

4.7 Identity in Requests and Responses

4.8 Identity Validation Rules

4.9 Cross‑Platform Identity Considerations

Windows

Linux

macOS / iOS

Android

Embedded POSIX

4.10 Identity and Zero‑Trust

Section 5 — Security Model

5.1 Security Posture Overview

5.2 Trust Boundaries

5.3 Authentication Requirements

5.4 Authorization Model

5.5 Endpoint Security

5.6 Message Integrity

5.7 Replay Protection

5.8 Isolation Guarantees

5.9 Error Handling and Recovery

5.10 Platform‑Specific Security Considerations

Section 6 — System Discovery Service (SDS)

6.1 Role of the SDS

6.2 Responsibilities

6.3 Discovery Endpoint

6.4 Discovery Metadata

6.5 Identity Validation

6.6 Authorization

6.7 Error Handling

6.8 Platform‑Specific Behaviour

6.9 Security Requirements

6.10 Interaction with UOA

Section 7 — User Orchestration Agent (UOA)

7.1 Role of the UOA

7.2 Responsibilities

7.3 Identity Validation

7.4 ASI Lifecycle Management