diff --git a/INTENT.md b/INTENT.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..08e9b8d --- /dev/null +++ b/INTENT.md @@ -0,0 +1,98 @@ +# INTENT + +## Purpose + +This repository exists to provide a **lightweight, profile-conformant identity and access management (IAM) system** for the NetKingdom ecosystem. + +It ensures that applications can rely on a **stable, versioned authentication contract** independent of the underlying IAM implementation. + +--- + +## Primary Utility + +The repository provides an implementation of the **NetKingdom IAM Profile** that: + +* Delivers OIDC/PKCE-based authentication with strong security constraints +* Normalizes identity data across heterogeneous backend systems +* Enforces strict adherence to a defined IAM contract +* Enables seamless migration between lightweight and expanded IAM modes + +It transforms IAM from a system dependency into a **replaceable, contract-driven capability**. + +--- + +## Intended Users + +* Application developers integrating against the NetKingdom IAM Profile +* Infrastructure operators (`adm`) deploying IAM in constrained environments +* Automation systems (`atm`) managing identity, migration, and validation workflows +* LLM agents (`agt`) interacting with authenticated services + +--- + +## Strategic Role in the System + +This repository serves as the **lightweight IAM layer** within NetKingdom: + +* It provides a **drop-in alternative to Keycloak** for environments with limited resources +* It anchors IAM around a **profile contract rather than a specific implementation** +* It enables a **two-mode architecture**: + + * Lightweight mode (KeyCape) + * Expanded mode (Keycloak) + +The profile ensures that both modes are **interchangeable without application changes**. + +--- + +## Strategic Boundaries + +This repository is **not** intended to: + +* Become a full-featured, general-purpose IAM platform +* Extend beyond the defined NetKingdom IAM Profile +* Support features that weaken security guarantees (e.g., implicit flow, wildcard redirects) +* Replace or wrap Keycloak in expanded deployments + +Its responsibility is limited to **strict, secure, and transparent profile implementation**. + +--- + +## Design Principles + +* **Contract over implementation** + Applications depend on the IAM profile, not on KeyCape internals + +* **Security through constraint** + Only explicitly allowed features are supported; unsafe patterns are rejected + +* **Explicitness over convenience** + Unsupported features must fail clearly and predictably + +* **Replaceability by design** + The system must be swappable with Keycloak without breaking integrations + +* **Canonical identity model** + Identity data must be normalized and consistent across all backends + +--- + +## Maturity Target + +A mature version of this repository should: + +* Fully implement and enforce the **NetKingdom IAM Profile** with zero ambiguity +* Provide **complete migration pathways** between lightweight and expanded modes +* Offer **deterministic and testable behavior** across all supported scenarios +* Act as a **reference implementation** of the IAM Profile +* Enable IAM deployments that are **minimal, secure, and operationally efficient** + +--- + +## Stability Note + +Changes to this file represent a **deliberate shift in the IAM contract, scope, or architectural role** of this repository. + +Such changes must be made with explicit intent, as they directly affect all dependent applications. + +