Wiki source code of Federation & Decentralization
Version 7.14 by Robert Schaub on 2025/12/24 20:32
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| author | version | line-number | content |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | = Federation & Decentralization = | ||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | FactHarbor is designed to operate as a **federated network of nodes** rather than a single central server. | ||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | Decentralization provides: | ||
| 6 | |||
| 7 | * **Resilience** against censorship or political pressure | ||
| 8 | * **Autonomy** for local governance and moderation | ||
| 9 | * **Scalability** across many independent communities | ||
| 10 | * **Trust** without centralized control | ||
| 11 | * **Domain specialization** (health-focused nodes, energy-focused nodes, etc.) | ||
| 12 | |||
| 13 | FactHarbor draws inspiration from the Fediverse but uses stronger structure, versioning, and integrity guarantees. | ||
| 14 | |||
| 15 | ---- | ||
| 16 | |||
| 17 | == Federated FactHarbor Nodes == | ||
| 18 | |||
| 19 | Each FactHarbor instance ("node") maintains: | ||
| 20 | |||
| 21 | * Its own database | ||
| 22 | * Its own AKEL instance | ||
| 23 | * Its own reviewers, experts, and contributors | ||
| 24 | * Its own governance rules | ||
| 25 | |||
| 26 | Nodes exchange structured information: | ||
| 27 | |||
| 28 | * Claims | ||
| 29 | * Scenarios | ||
| 30 | * Evidence metadata (not necessarily full files) | ||
| 31 | * Verdicts (optional) | ||
| 32 | * Hashes and signatures for integrity | ||
| 33 | |||
| 34 | Nodes choose which external nodes they trust. | ||
| 35 | |||
| 36 | ---- | ||
| 37 | |||
| 38 | == Global Identifiers == | ||
| 39 | |||
| 40 | Every entity receives a globally unique, linkable identifier. | ||
| 41 | |||
| 42 | **Format**: | ||
| 43 | `factharbor://node_url/type/local_id` | ||
| 44 | |||
| 45 | **Example**: | ||
| 46 | `factharbor://factharbor.energy/claim/CLM-55812` | ||
| 47 | |||
| 48 | **Supported types**: | ||
| 49 | |||
| 50 | * `claim` | ||
| 51 | * `scenario` | ||
| 52 | * `evidence` | ||
| 53 | * `verdict` | ||
| 54 | * `user` (optional) | ||
| 55 | * `cluster` | ||
| 56 | |||
| 57 | **Properties**: | ||
| 58 | |||
| 59 | * Globally consistent | ||
| 60 | * Human-readable | ||
| 61 | * Hash-derived | ||
| 62 | * Independent of database internals | ||
| 63 | * URL-resolvable (future enhancement) | ||
| 64 | |||
| 65 | This allows cross-node references and prevents identifier collisions in federated environments. | ||
| 66 | |||
| 67 | ---- | ||
| 68 | |||
| 69 | == Trust Model == | ||
| 70 | |||
| 71 | Each node maintains a **trust table** defining relationships with other nodes: | ||
| 72 | |||
| 73 | === Trust Levels === | ||
| 74 | |||
| 75 | **Trusted Nodes**: | ||
| 76 | |||
| 77 | * Claims auto-imported | ||
| 78 | * Scenarios accepted without re-review | ||
| 79 | * Evidence considered valid | ||
| 80 | * Verdicts displayed to users | ||
| 81 | * High synchronization priority | ||
| 82 | |||
| 83 | **Neutral Nodes**: | ||
| 84 | |||
| 85 | * Claims imported but flagged for review | ||
| 86 | * Scenarios require local validation | ||
| 87 | * Evidence requires re-assessment | ||
| 88 | * Verdicts shown with "external node" disclaimer | ||
| 89 | * Normal synchronization priority | ||
| 90 | |||
| 91 | **Untrusted Nodes**: | ||
| 92 | |||
| 93 | * Claims quarantined, manual import only | ||
| 94 | * Scenarios rejected by default | ||
| 95 | * Evidence not accepted | ||
| 96 | * Verdicts not displayed | ||
| 97 | * No automatic synchronization | ||
| 98 | |||
| 99 | === Trust Affects === | ||
| 100 | |||
| 101 | * **Auto-import**: Whether claims/scenarios are automatically added | ||
| 102 | * **Re-review requirements**: Whether local reviewers must validate | ||
| 103 | * **Verdict display**: Whether external verdicts are shown to users | ||
| 104 | * **Synchronization frequency**: How often data is exchanged | ||
| 105 | * **Reputation signals**: How external reputation is interpreted | ||
| 106 | |||
| 107 | === Local Trust Authority === | ||
| 108 | |||
| 109 | Each node's governance team decides: | ||
| 110 | |||
| 111 | * Which nodes to trust | ||
| 112 | * Trust level criteria | ||
| 113 | * Trust escalation/degradation rules | ||
| 114 | * Dispute resolution with partner nodes | ||
| 115 | |||
| 116 | Trust is **local and autonomous** - no global trust registry exists. | ||
| 117 | |||
| 118 | ---- | ||
| 119 | |||
| 120 | == Data Sharing Model == | ||
| 121 | |||
| 122 | === What Nodes Share === | ||
| 123 | |||
| 124 | **Always shared** (if federation enabled): | ||
| 125 | |||
| 126 | * Claims and claim clusters | ||
| 127 | * Scenario structures | ||
| 128 | * Evidence metadata and content hashes | ||
| 129 | * Integrity signatures | ||
| 130 | |||
| 131 | **Optionally shared**: | ||
| 132 | |||
| 133 | * Full evidence files (large documents) | ||
| 134 | * Verdicts (nodes may choose to keep verdicts local) | ||
| 135 | * Vector embeddings | ||
| 136 | * Scenario templates | ||
| 137 | * AKEL distilled knowledge | ||
| 138 | |||
| 139 | **Never shared**: | ||
| 140 | |||
| 141 | * Internal user lists | ||
| 142 | * Reviewer comments and internal discussions | ||
| 143 | * Governance decisions and meeting notes | ||
| 144 | * Access control data | ||
| 145 | * Private or sensitive content marked as local-only | ||
| 146 | |||
| 147 | === Large Evidence Files === | ||
| 148 | |||
| 149 | Evidence files are: | ||
| 150 | |||
| 151 | * Stored locally by default | ||
| 152 | * Referenced via global content hash | ||
| 153 | * Optionally served through IPFS | ||
| 154 | * Accessible via direct peer-to-peer transfer | ||
| 155 | * Can be stored in S3-compatible object storage | ||
| 156 | |||
| 157 | ---- | ||
| 158 | |||
| 159 | == Synchronization Protocol == | ||
| 160 | |||
| 161 | Nodes exchange data using multiple synchronization methods: | ||
| 162 | |||
| 163 | === Push-Based Synchronization === | ||
| 164 | |||
| 165 | **Mechanism**: Webhooks | ||
| 166 | |||
| 167 | When local content changes: | ||
| 168 | |||
| 169 | 1. Node builds signed bundle | ||
| 170 | 2. Sends webhook notification to subscribed nodes | ||
| 171 | 3. Remote nodes fetch bundle | ||
| 172 | 4. Remote nodes validate and import | ||
| 173 | |||
| 174 | **Use case**: Real-time updates for trusted partners | ||
| 175 | |||
| 176 | === Pull-Based Synchronization === | ||
| 177 | |||
| 178 | **Mechanism**: Scheduled polling | ||
| 179 | |||
| 180 | Nodes periodically: | ||
| 181 | |||
| 182 | 1. Query partner nodes for updates | ||
| 183 | 2. Fetch changed entities since last sync | ||
| 184 | 3. Validate and import | ||
| 185 | 4. Store sync checkpoint | ||
| 186 | |||
| 187 | **Use case**: Regular batch updates, lower trust nodes | ||
| 188 | |||
| 189 | === Subscription-Based Synchronization === | ||
| 190 | |||
| 191 | **Mechanism**: WebSub-like protocol | ||
| 192 | |||
| 193 | Nodes subscribe to: | ||
| 194 | |||
| 195 | * Specific claim clusters | ||
| 196 | * Specific domains (medical, energy, etc.) | ||
| 197 | * Specific scenario types | ||
| 198 | * Verdict updates | ||
| 199 | |||
| 200 | Publisher pushes updates only to subscribers. | ||
| 201 | |||
| 202 | **Use case**: Selective federation, domain specialization | ||
| 203 | |||
| 204 | === Large Asset Transfer === | ||
| 205 | |||
| 206 | For files >10MB: | ||
| 207 | |||
| 208 | * S3-compatible object storage | ||
| 209 | * IPFS (content-addressed) | ||
| 210 | * Direct peer-to-peer transfer | ||
| 211 | * Chunked HTTP transfer with resume support | ||
| 212 | |||
| 213 | ---- | ||
| 214 | |||
| 215 | == Federation Sync Workflow == | ||
| 216 | |||
| 217 | Complete synchronization sequence for creating and sharing new content: | ||
| 218 | |||
| 219 | === Step 1: Local Node Creates New Versions === | ||
| 220 | |||
| 221 | User or AKEL creates: | ||
| 222 | |||
| 223 | * New claim version | ||
| 224 | * New scenario version | ||
| 225 | * New evidence version | ||
| 226 | * New verdict version | ||
| 227 | |||
| 228 | All changes tracked with: | ||
| 229 | |||
| 230 | * VersionID | ||
| 231 | * ParentVersionID | ||
| 232 | * AuthorType | ||
| 233 | * Timestamp | ||
| 234 | * JustificationText | ||
| 235 | |||
| 236 | === Step 2: Federation Layer Builds Signed Bundle === | ||
| 237 | |||
| 238 | Federation layer packages: | ||
| 239 | |||
| 240 | * Entity data (claim, scenario, evidence metadata, verdict) | ||
| 241 | * Version lineage (ParentVersionID chain) | ||
| 242 | * Cryptographic signatures | ||
| 243 | * Node provenance information | ||
| 244 | * Trust metadata | ||
| 245 | |||
| 246 | Bundle format: | ||
| 247 | |||
| 248 | * JSON-LD for structured data | ||
| 249 | * Content-addressed hashes | ||
| 250 | * Digital signatures for integrity | ||
| 251 | |||
| 252 | === Step 3: Bundle Includes Required Data === | ||
| 253 | |||
| 254 | Each bundle contains: | ||
| 255 | |||
| 256 | * **Claims**: Full claim text, classification, domain | ||
| 257 | * **Scenarios**: Definitions, assumptions, boundaries | ||
| 258 | * **Evidence metadata**: Source URLs, hashes, reliability scores (not always full files) | ||
| 259 | * **Verdicts**: Likelihood ranges, uncertainty, reasoning chains | ||
| 260 | * **Lineage**: Version history, parent relationships | ||
| 261 | * **Signatures**: Cryptographic proof of origin | ||
| 262 | |||
| 263 | === Step 4: Bundle Pushed to Trusted Neighbor Nodes === | ||
| 264 | |||
| 265 | Based on trust table: | ||
| 266 | |||
| 267 | * Push to **trusted nodes** immediately | ||
| 268 | * Queue for **neutral nodes** (batched) | ||
| 269 | * Skip **untrusted nodes** | ||
| 270 | |||
| 271 | Push methods: | ||
| 272 | |||
| 273 | * Webhook notification | ||
| 274 | * Direct API call | ||
| 275 | * Pub/Sub message queue | ||
| 276 | |||
| 277 | === Step 5: Remote Nodes Validate Lineage and Signatures === | ||
| 278 | |||
| 279 | Receiving node: | ||
| 280 | |||
| 281 | 1. Verifies cryptographic signatures | ||
| 282 | 2. Validates version lineage (ParentVersionID chain) | ||
| 283 | 3. Checks for conflicts with local data | ||
| 284 | 4. Validates data structure and required fields | ||
| 285 | 5. Applies local trust policies | ||
| 286 | |||
| 287 | Validation failures → reject or quarantine bundle | ||
| 288 | |||
| 289 | === Step 6: Accept or Branch Versions === | ||
| 290 | |||
| 291 | **Accept** (if validation passes): | ||
| 292 | |||
| 293 | * Import new versions | ||
| 294 | * Maintain provenance metadata | ||
| 295 | * Link to local related entities | ||
| 296 | * Update local indices | ||
| 297 | |||
| 298 | **Branch** (if conflict detected): | ||
| 299 | |||
| 300 | * Create parallel version tree | ||
| 301 | * Mark as "external branch" | ||
| 302 | * Allow local reviewers to merge or reject | ||
| 303 | * Preserve both version histories | ||
| 304 | |||
| 305 | **Reject** (if validation fails): | ||
| 306 | |||
| 307 | * Log rejection reason | ||
| 308 | * Notify source node (optional) | ||
| 309 | * Quarantine for manual review (optional) | ||
| 310 | |||
| 311 | === Step 7: Local Re-evaluation Runs if Required === | ||
| 312 | |||
| 313 | After import, local node checks: | ||
| 314 | |||
| 315 | * Does new evidence affect existing verdicts? | ||
| 316 | * Do new scenarios require re-assessment? | ||
| 317 | * Are there contradictions with local content? | ||
| 318 | |||
| 319 | If yes: | ||
| 320 | |||
| 321 | * Trigger AKEL re-evaluation | ||
| 322 | * Queue for reviewer attention | ||
| 323 | * Update affected verdicts | ||
| 324 | * Notify users following related content | ||
| 325 | |||
| 326 | ---- | ||
| 327 | |||
| 328 | == Cross-Node AI Knowledge Exchange == | ||
| 329 | |||
| 330 | Each node runs its own AKEL instance and may exchange AI-derived knowledge: | ||
| 331 | |||
| 332 | === What Can Be Shared === | ||
| 333 | |||
| 334 | **Vector embeddings**: | ||
| 335 | |||
| 336 | * For cross-node claim clustering | ||
| 337 | * For semantic search alignment | ||
| 338 | * Never includes training data | ||
| 339 | |||
| 340 | **Canonical claim forms**: | ||
| 341 | |||
| 342 | * Normalized claim text | ||
| 343 | * Standard phrasing templates | ||
| 344 | * Domain-specific formulations | ||
| 345 | |||
| 346 | **Scenario templates**: | ||
| 347 | |||
| 348 | * Reusable scenario structures | ||
| 349 | * Common assumption patterns | ||
| 350 | * Evaluation method templates | ||
| 351 | |||
| 352 | **Contradiction alerts**: | ||
| 353 | |||
| 354 | * Detected conflicts between claims | ||
| 355 | * Evidence conflicts across nodes | ||
| 356 | * Scenario incompatibilities | ||
| 357 | |||
| 358 | **Metadata and insights**: | ||
| 359 | |||
| 360 | * Aggregate quality metrics | ||
| 361 | * Reliability signal extraction | ||
| 362 | * Bubble detection patterns | ||
| 363 | |||
| 364 | === What Can NEVER Be Shared === | ||
| 365 | |||
| 366 | **Model weights**: No sharing of trained model parameters | ||
| 367 | |||
| 368 | **Training data**: No sharing of full training datasets | ||
| 369 | |||
| 370 | **Local governance overrides**: AKEL suggestions can be overridden locally | ||
| 371 | |||
| 372 | **User behavior data**: No cross-node tracking | ||
| 373 | |||
| 374 | **Internal review discussions**: Private content stays private | ||
| 375 | |||
| 376 | === Benefits of AI Knowledge Exchange === | ||
| 377 | |||
| 378 | * Reduced duplication across nodes | ||
| 379 | * Improved claim clustering accuracy | ||
| 380 | * Faster contradiction detection | ||
| 381 | * Shared scenario libraries | ||
| 382 | * Cross-node quality improvements | ||
| 383 | |||
| 384 | === Local Control Maintained === | ||
| 385 | |||
| 386 | * Nodes accept or reject shared AI knowledge | ||
| 387 | * Human reviewers can override any AKEL suggestion | ||
| 388 | * Local governance always has final authority | ||
| 389 | * No external AI control over local content | ||
| 390 | * Privacy-preserving knowledge exchange | ||
| 391 | |||
| 392 | ---- | ||
| 393 | |||
| 394 | == Decentralized Processing == | ||
| 395 | |||
| 396 | Each node independently performs: | ||
| 397 | |||
| 398 | * AKEL processing | ||
| 399 | * Scenario drafting and validation | ||
| 400 | * Evidence review | ||
| 401 | * Verdict calculation | ||
| 402 | * Truth landscape summarization | ||
| 403 | |||
| 404 | Nodes can specialize: | ||
| 405 | |||
| 406 | * Health-focused node with medical experts | ||
| 407 | * Energy-focused node with domain knowledge | ||
| 408 | * Small node delegating scenario libraries to partners | ||
| 409 | * Regional node with language/culture specialization | ||
| 410 | |||
| 411 | Optional data sharing includes: | ||
| 412 | |||
| 413 | * Embeddings for clustering | ||
| 414 | * Claim clusters for alignment | ||
| 415 | * Scenario templates for efficiency | ||
| 416 | * Verdict comparison metadata | ||
| 417 | |||
| 418 | ---- | ||
| 419 | |||
| 420 | == Scaling to Thousands of Users == | ||
| 421 | |||
| 422 | Nodes scale independently through: | ||
| 423 | |||
| 424 | * Horizontally scalable API servers | ||
| 425 | * Worker pools for AKEL tasks | ||
| 426 | * Hybrid storage (local + S3/IPFS) | ||
| 427 | * Redis caching for performance | ||
| 428 | * Sharded or partitioned databases | ||
| 429 | |||
| 430 | Federation allows effectively unlimited horizontal scaling by adding new nodes. | ||
| 431 | |||
| 432 | Communities may form: | ||
| 433 | |||
| 434 | * Domain-specific nodes (epidemiology, energy, climate) | ||
| 435 | * Language or region-based nodes | ||
| 436 | * NGO or institutional nodes | ||
| 437 | * Private organizational nodes | ||
| 438 | * Academic research nodes | ||
| 439 | |||
| 440 | Nodes cooperate through: | ||
| 441 | |||
| 442 | * Scenario library sharing | ||
| 443 | * Shared or overlapping claim clusters | ||
| 444 | * Expert delegation between nodes | ||
| 445 | * Distributed AKEL task support | ||
| 446 | * Cross-node quality audits | ||
| 447 | |||
| 448 | ---- | ||
| 449 | |||
| 450 | == Federation and Release 1.0 == | ||
| 451 | |||
| 452 | **POC**: Single node, optional federation experiments | ||
| 453 | |||
| 454 | **Beta 0**: 2-3 nodes, basic federation protocol | ||
| 455 | |||
| 456 | **Release 1.0**: Full federation support with: | ||
| 457 | |||
| 458 | * Robust synchronization protocol | ||
| 459 | * Trust model implementation | ||
| 460 | * Cross-node AI knowledge exchange | ||
| 461 | * Federated search and discovery | ||
| 462 | * Distributed audit collaboration | ||
| 463 | * Inter-node expert consultation | ||
| 464 | |||
| 465 | ---- | ||
| 466 | |||
| 467 | == Related Pages == | ||
| 468 | |||
| 469 | * [[AKEL (AI Knowledge Extraction Layer)>>Archive.FactHarbor V0\.9\.18 copy.Specification.AI Knowledge Extraction Layer (AKEL).WebHome]] | ||
| 470 | * [[Data Model>>FactHarbor.Archive.FactHarbor V0\.9\.18 copy.Specification.Data Model.WebHome]] | ||
| 471 | * [[Architecture>>Archive.FactHarbor V0\.9\.18 copy.Specification.Architecture.WebHome]] | ||
| 472 | * [[Workflows>>FactHarbor.Archive.FactHarbor V0\.9\.18 copy.Specification.Workflows.WebHome]] |