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Observatory Protocol

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Specification

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State machines

States are entered on evidence, never on assertion.

Eleven state machines, from enrolment to revocation. Every transition is typed, and a state is entered only on the evidence its transition names.

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Functions
12
State machines
11
Objects
21
Standards
48

The practice this part continues.

Time A shared clock
Coordinated Universal Time is computed by the BIPM from data contributed by timing laboratories; IEEE 1588 defines the Precision Time Protocol, and ITU-T G.8275.1 profiles it for phase and time synchronisation across networks. In the protocol, time is a function in its own right: a measurement whose clock cannot be trusted cannot be published as trusted. [1][2][3]
2023 Attested identity
The IETF RATS architecture (RFC 9334) describes how one party appraises evidence about the state of another. The protocol’s Join and Admit functions apply that model to instruments: a participant begins untrusted and is admitted on evidence, not on assertion. [4]

Typed transitions, evidence at every step.

Select a machine, then a state, to read what it leads to and the evidence each transition requires.

UNENROLLED

DISCOVERED

ATTESTING

IDENTITY_ISSUED

POLICY_BOUND

PLAN_STAGED

LOCAL_READY

DEGRADED

QUARANTINED

REVOKED

Selected state
UNENROLLED
Leads to
DISCOVERED when hardware inventory recorded
QUARANTINED when bootstrap integrity failure
Reached from
Entry state

References

Sources for the historical and standards statements on this page.

  1. Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. “Realizing and disseminating international reference time scales: UTC, UTCr and TT(BIPM).” www.bipm.org/en/time-ftp
  2. IEEE Std 1588-2019. “IEEE Standard for a Precision Clock Synchronization Protocol for Networked Measurement and Control Systems.” doi.org/10.1109/IEEESTD.2020.9120376
  3. ITU-T Recommendation G.8275.1. “Precision time protocol telecom profile for phase/time synchronization with full timing support from the network.” www.itu.int/rec/T-REC-G.8275.1
  4. Birkholz, H., et al. (2023). RFC 9334, “Remote ATtestation procedureS (RATS) Architecture.” IETF. www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc9334
  5. Bradner, S. (1997). RFC 2119, “Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate Requirement Levels.” IETF. www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc2119
  6. Leiba, B. (2017). RFC 8174, “Ambiguity of Uppercase vs Lowercase in RFC 2119 Key Words.” IETF. www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc8174

Read it, test it, propose a change.

The Observatory Protocol is an open specification stewarded by the Nexus Consortium. Any party may implement it, and every change is proposed and decided in public.

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Every node has a state. Every state has evidence.

Twelve state machines, from enrolment to revocation. Transitions are typed; a state is entered only on the evidence its transition names.

Read it, test it, propose a change.

The Observatory Protocol is an open specification stewarded by the Nexus Consortium. Any party may implement it, and every change is proposed and decided in public.