Artifacts
Kristal produces a small set of standard artifacts that can be verified, distributed, and composed. This page is a map of what exists, what it’s for, and when you’ll see it.
This wiki stays high-level. For exact fields and schemas, follow the “Tech details” links on each artifact page.
Core artifacts (most workflows)
Exchange
What it is: the portable bundle of curated knowledge for a build.
When you get it: every time you compile a Kristal.
Used by: validators, distributors, pack builders, offline consumers.
See: Artifact-Exchange
Validation Report
What it is: evidence that required checks passed (core rules + any profiles).
When you get it: whenever you validate an Exchange or derived artifact.
Used by: offline verification, CI gating, federation consumers.
See: Artifact-Validation-Report
Runtime Pack
What it is: a query-optimized package built from an Exchange (indexes, bitmaps, policies).
When you get it: when you prepare a Kristal for serving/query.
Used by: query engines and serving systems.
Federation artifacts (multi-publisher / scoped delivery)
Shard Manifest
What it is: a manifest that describes a scoped shard (domain/time/authority), with integrity and validation references.
When you get it: when you publish scoped Kristals (by domain, authority, tenant, etc.).
Used by: federation builders/consumers.
Federation Manifest
What it is: a deterministic composition of multiple shards into one “federated Kristal”.
When you get it: when a curator publishes a composed view across multiple shards/publishers.
Used by: consumers who want a single entry point with policy-driven composition.
See: Artifact-Federation-Manifest
Authority Registry
What it is: pinned trust policy data (trust roots + rules) used to decide which authorities are acceptable for which scopes.
When you get it: when you operate multi-authority or multi-publisher systems.
Used by: federation verification and policy enforcement.
See: Artifact-Authority-Registry
Typical dependency graph (conceptual)
- Exchange → validated by → Validation Report
- Exchange → compiled into → Runtime Pack
- Shard Manifest references → shard Exchange + validation evidence + authority seals
- Federation Manifest references → shard manifests (and optionally their seals)
- Authority Registry guides → verification and acceptance rules for shards/federations
How to choose what you need
- If you just want “a Kristal you can query”: Exchange + Runtime Pack (+ Validation Report)
- If you need offline trust / audit: add Validation Reports + signatures
- If you need multiple publishers or scoped sources: add Shards + Federation + Authority Registry