Pervasive.link

Specification

Core Protocol

Specification + Parser

Element	Description
Schema Definition	Establishes the standard structure for expressing functions, behaviors, and rules. Provides the baseline for consistent interoperability.
Schema Templates	JSON Schema or JSON LD templates for Intent, Capability, Offer, Policy, Receipt. Enforces consistent shapes and types.
Spec Registry	Versioned spec storage with content addressing. Supports deprecation, aliasing, and compatibility notes.
Validator Service	Checks conformance of submitted specs or messages against schema. Returns structured error reports for debugging.
Spec Parser	Generates validators, codecs, and type bindings. Produces negotiation stubs and routing hints.

DSL + Workflow

Element	Description
Pervasive DSL Core	Minimal domain-specific language for modeling interactions. Provides primitives for composition and extension.
DSL Standard Library	Set of prebuilt functions, operators, and workflow constructs. Accelerates adoption and enforces common idioms.
DSL Registry	Versioned repository of DSL modules. Supports dependency resolution, upgrades, and semantic tagging.
DSL Resolver	Maps DSL invocations to underlying spec or workflow bindings. Handles ambiguity and fallbacks across contexts.
Planner	Translates high-level DSL goals into ordered execution DAGs. Optimizes for efficiency and resource allocation.
Executor	Runs workflows step by step with error recovery and retries. Emits receipts and state updates downstream.
Shared State Management	Maintains synchronized state across actors during execution. Provides consistency, conflict resolution, and audit logs.

Common services

Element	Description
Policy Adapter Hooks	Pre, run, post adapters injected from spec. Guarantees uniform enforcement across teams.
Policy Executor	Applies policies at runtime with pre/post checks. Resolves conflicts between overlapping or nested rules.
Constraint Language	Declarative syntax for encoding limits and invariants. Ensures safe negotiation and execution boundaries.
Error Taxonomy	Standard vocabulary for categorizing and communicating errors. Supports structured recovery across heterogeneous systems.
Compatibility Matrix	Captures which versions, schemas, or DSLs can interoperate. Used in negotiation and upgrade planning.

Discovery (find the right counterpart)

Element	Description
AdvertiseCapability	Agents broadcast typed capability descriptors (IO, schema hashes, SLO, price, policies). Makes meaning portable and queryable.
Discovery Gateways (Ingress/egress)	Edge services that accept Advertise/Discover over HTTP2/QUIC/NATS. Normalize envelopes, rate-limit, and apply basic policy.
Gossip Catalogs	Epidemic protocol to spread capability metadata without a central root. Anti-entropy keeps catalogs convergent under churn.
Curated Catalogs	Signed, moderated indices for high-assurance domains (finance/health). Same as gossip, plus curation attestations.
Catalog Indexer	Builds inverted indices on IO types, schema IDs, tags, policy, region, SLO, cost. Enables millisecond-class structured queries.
Discover API	Query by structure: inputs/outputs, required policies, attestations, feature flags, cost/SLO bounds. Returns candidates + proofs.
Namespace & Ontology Map	Maps aliases to canonical schema hashes and versions. Prevents dupes and “same name, different meaning” collisions.
Policy-Aware Filters	Drop candidates that cannot satisfy required policy/attestation/jurisdiction. Saves resolver from impossible negotiations.
Result Ranking	Orders candidates by policy fit→trust → SLO → price (configurable). Provides scores and reasons for transparency.

Resolver Plane (agree on how to talk)

Element	Description
Schema Negotiator	Computes intersection between requester’s accepted schemas and provider’s offered ones (by content hash). Proposes best fit/downgrade.
Feature Set Intersector	Resolves optional features. Produces a concrete, mutually supported feature vector.
Compatibility Matrix Engine	Applies machine-readable accept/downgrade/reject rules. Explains any downgrade and denies unsafe mixes deterministically.
Semantic Equivalence Checker	Detects when two different schema IDs encode the same meaning. Prevents duplicate integrations and silent semantic drift.
Schema Translation	Runs declarative, verified and auditable schema translations between two different schemas wherever possible.
Policy Merger & Precedence Resolver	Combines overlapping policy packs (jurisdiction, org, trace). Deterministic priority rules with explainable denials.
Jurisdiction Resolver	Maps geo/domain context to required policy sets. Blocks coordination if jurisdictional constraints cannot be satisfied.

Definition

Element	Description
ID / Name	Unique identity or name under which the agent operates across registries and communication layers.
Type / Role	Functional archetype (e.g., planner, sensor, broker) and role within a task or coordination protocol.
Capabilities / Skills	Explicit skills, tool integrations, or callable functions defining what the agent can perform.
State	Current operational state including readiness, idle, failure, locked, suspended, or active engagement.
Embodiment	Physical or virtual embodiment context, e.g., software-only, robotic form, hybrid cyber-physical.
Knowledge	Local or distributed knowledge graph, database, or prior world model available to the agent.
Mind	References specs of Cognitive architectures & Cognitive components forming mind such as Reasoning engine, planner. explorer etc.
Communication Standards	Supported interaction protocols and formats.
Memory	Supported Memory systems - Persistent or ephemeral memory models—short-term, long-term, episodic, or event-based buffers.
Infrastructure	Runtime or deployment substrate & requirements specifications.

Objectives

Element	Description
Goals	Core agent objectives e.g., complete task, maximize reward, maintain equilibrium, serve requests.
Goal_Types	Types of goals—reactive, deliberative, emergent, maintenance, learning, or exploration.
Goals Hierarchy	Structured goal decomposition into subgoals and dependencies across hierarchical layers.
Goal Conflict Policy	Policy for resolving internal goal conflict or inter-agent goal interference scenarios.
Goal Optimization Functions	Mathematical or heuristic functions used to evaluate or prioritize competing goals.
Goal Optimizer	Algorithms/approach used for problem solving, e.g., MCTS, RL-based scheduling, Pareto optimization.

Interface Specification

Inputs / Outputs

Element	Description
Signal	Basic triggers, control flags, symbols, sensory events initiating agent response behaviors.
Messages	Encapsulated communicative acts, e.g., requests, proposals, commitments, refusals, confirmations.
Data	Structured, semi-structured, or unstructured input streams from other agents or systems.
Internal	Internal input interfaces (multiple) for data pipelines or state sharing, subsystem data exchange.
External	External input interfaces (multiple) to receive from other agents, humans, sensors, or task contexts.
Prompt Schema	Prompt structures used when agent behaviors are to be driven by LLM-based subsystems.

Exposed APIs / Endpoints

Element	Description
REST	HTTP-based endpoints for synchronous agent invocation or resource retrieval.
WebSocket	Bi-directional channel for real-time, event-driven agent communication.
gRPC	High-performance RPC interface for structured, low-latency agent-to-agent communication.
Local Calls	Internal hooks or cross-process calls within the same runtime container or cluster.

Message Protocols

Element	Description
Message IDs	Unique identifiers enabling traceability, deduplication, and correlation.
Message Types	Classification (e.g., inform, query, propose, assert, ask-if, commit, broadcast).
Message Protocols	Standard protocol used to encode message intent and ensure semantic clarity.
Translators	Adapters that enable understanding across heterogeneous agents by translating across protocols.

Expected I/O Behavior

Element	Description
Frequency	Rate of input/output processing per time window or per agent state cycle.
Response Time	Time window within which the agent is expected to respond to inputs or queries.
Schema	Structural definition of the data payload expected across communication.

Communication & Coordination

Communication Protocol

Element	Description
Broadcast	One-to-many message spread where all nearby agents receive the same message, often stateless.
Peer-to-peer	Direct agent-to-agent channel with local negotiation, useful in trust-based or ad hoc settings.
Pub/sub	Agents subscribe to topic-specific streams for scalable, decoupled message dissemination.
Federated	Coordination among agent clusters where each cluster maintains autonomy, but participates in agreed-upon inter-cluster messaging rules, often governed by shared policies, gateways, or semantic contracts.
Cooperative	Mutual information exchange where all agents work toward aligned or interdependent goals.
Competitive	Messages are strategic, often containing signaling, bluffing, or misdirection in zero-sum contexts.
Mixed	Blends competitive and cooperative dialogue depending on shared situational logic.
Isolated	Minimal communication, agents act independently, observing environment rather than messages.

Communication Semantics

Componenta	Description
Performative	Defines intention behind message (e.g., request, inform, propose), enabling shared interpretation across agent types.
Content	The semantic payload or task-specific data carried by messages, central to goal alignment and decision-making.
Ontology / Vocabulary Reference	Shared terminologies enabling semantic interoperability and reducing ambiguity across diverse agents.
Language	Structural syntax and encoding format used in message exchange, can be domain-specific or standardized.
Protocol Context	Embeds communication norms, sequence roles, and situational rules that shape valid exchanges and expected flows.
Priority / Urgency	Marks time-sensitivity or importance to help agents prioritize responses, escalation, or interrupt routines.
Sender / Receiver Metadata	Carries identity, trust level, and permissions of participating agents, aiding in authentication and filtering.
Trust / Signature / Auth*	Ensures message integrity, validates sources, and enables secure interaction through cryptographic or identity protocols.

Coordination Strategy

Structure

Component	Description
Centralized	A single agent or orchestrator drives coordination, ideal for controlled environments but with single-point-of-failure risks.
Decentralized	Agents act autonomously, coordinate via peer interactions or indirect signals; enhances resilience and local adaptability.
Federated	Clusters of agents manage local coordination and exchange aggregate results, enabling modular governance and privacy.
Hybrid	Dynamically switches between centralized and decentralized modes depending on system state, task type, or agent roles.
Rule Based	Coordination follows predefined logic, policy rules, or regulatory protocols, ensuring deterministic, explainable outcomes.
Market Based	Uses bidding, pricing, or barter to allocate tasks/resources efficiently in dynamic multi-agent ecosystems.
Consensus Based	Reaches shared agreement among agents via voting, averaging, or negotiation, often used for safety-critical coordination.

Timing

Component	Description
Synchronous	Communication and coordination occur in lockstep; ideal when timing precision or event ordering is critical.
Asynchronous	Agents operate independently and respond to events as they occur, supporting scalable and latency-tolerant interactions.

Environment Specification

Component	Description
Percepts	Inputs the agent senses from its environment or peers, enabling situational awareness, stimulus-response, or world-state updates.
Actuators	Outputs through which the agent acts, affecting its world or signaling intent, such as moving, modifying state, or issuing messages.
Shared World Model	Common environmental data structure or ontology enabling consistent understanding and synchronization across agents.
Norms	Contextual behavioral expectations or soft constraints agents follow to ensure cooperation, fairness, or ethical conduct.
Resources	Limited elements (e.g., compute, tokens, bandwidth) that agents must access, negotiate, or compete for to perform tasks.
Constraints	Explicit rules or boundaries imposed on agent behavior to ensure safety, consistency, or policy compliance.
Runtime_env	The execution context—hardware, platform, simulation layer—that defines the agent's operational and interaction boundaries.
Migration_policy	Rules guiding relocation or reassignment of agents across runtime nodes for load balancing, locality, or mobility.
Execution_mode	Whether the agent runs synchronously, reactively, on-demand, or continuously, affecting responsiveness and energy use.

Lifecycle & Execution Model

Element	Description
Initialization	The agent’s bootstrapping phase specification such as identity assignment, goal loading, environment binding, and protocol setup.
Termination	Specifications for triggering clean shutdown, resource release, state archival, and optionally, task delegation or succession planning.
Constraints	Execution of multiple agent processes or behaviors simultaneously for higher throughput or responsiveness.
Scheduling	Temporal or priority-based strategy that governs when and how agent tasks or subroutines are executed.
Liveness / Idle	Specifications that define when agents are actively computing, waiting, or in dormant state to optimize resource usage or signal readiness.
Wake	Mechanism to resume suspended or idle agents based on events, triggers, or scheduling signals.
Events	External or internal occurrences that alter agent behavior or trigger specific routines, including failure, requests, or alerts.

Policy & Governance

Element	Description
Access Control	Defines and enforces which agents can access specific resources, APIs, or roles based on identity or authorization level.
Guardrails	Predefined safety boundaries preventing agents from engaging in harmful, unaligned, or anomalous behavior.
Audit	Continuous or post-hoc recording of actions and decisions for accountability, dispute resolution, and system integrity.
Verification	Validates agent behavior or output against formal specifications, policies, or task requirements.
Logging	Persistent or distributed recording of operational data for observability, debugging, learning, or regulation.
Alignment	Mechanisms ensuring agent behavior remains consistent with system goals, user intent, and collective norms.
Conflict Resolution	Procedures or protocols for resolving disputes between agents over resources, roles, or outcomes.
Policies	High-level operational rules defining acceptable behaviors, priorities, and tradeoffs for agent decision-making.
Priority & Overriding	System-wide rules for task or decision precedence; determines what supersedes what in case of conflict.
Enforcement	Monitors and ensures compliance with norms, rules, and policies, possibly triggering sanctions or corrective action.

Identity, trust, and provenance

Element	Description
Identity Service	Provides unique, verifiable identifiers for actors, agents, and systems. Forms the basis of recognition and interaction.
Attestation Service	Issues proofs of authenticity and correctness. Ensures claims or capabilities can be independently verified.
Receipt Service	Records outcomes, exchanges, or transactions. Produces evidence trails for accountability.
Trust Scoring Engine	Computes dynamic trust levels based on behavior, history, and compliance. Guides decision-making under uncertainty.
Reputation update	Continuously adjusts reputation standing of actors in the network. Encodes collective reliability and performance.

Execution

Element	Description
Execution Orchestrator	Master coordinator that oversees multi-step flows, ensuring order, dependencies, and priorities are respected.
Task Planner	Expands high-level intents into fine-grained tasks, identifying inputs, outputs, and dependencies.
Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) Builder	Converts tasks into a dependency graph, ensuring no cycles, so execution order is deterministic and traceable.
DAG Executor	Walks the DAG, triggering nodes as their dependencies resolve, supporting concurrency where possible.
Task Scheduler	Assigns DAG nodes to agents, systems, or resources based on availability, policy, and load.
Execution Binder	Binds abstract tasks (from spec or DSL) to concrete runtime capabilities of each actor.
Policy Enforcement Layer	Applies guardrails (security, compliance, permissions) dynamically during DAG execution.
Shared State Coordinator	Keeps execution context and state synchronized across distributed nodes in the DAG.
Controller Layer	Provides reactive adjustments (retries, re-routing, parallelization) based on DAG execution status.
Observability	Tracks DAG progress, metrics, and health at each node and edge.
Audit	Records lineage of DAG executions for replayability, trust, and dispute resolution.