Files
fips/docs/design
Johnathan Corgan 6ab8b35755 Implement FSP port multiplexing and IPv6 header compression
Breaking wire format change: DataPacket payloads inside the AEAD envelope
now carry a 4-byte port header [src_port:2 LE][dst_port:2 LE] before the
service payload. The receiver dispatches by destination port.

Port multiplexing:
- send_session_data() takes src_port/dst_port params, prepends port header
- New send_ipv6_packet() compresses IPv6 header and sends on port 256
- Receive path dispatches DataPackets by port: port 256 decompresses IPv6
  header from session context and delivers to TUN, unknown ports dropped
- Port constants: FSP_PORT_HEADER_SIZE (4 bytes), FSP_PORT_IPV6_SHIM (256)

IPv6 header compression:
- New ipv6_shim module with compress_ipv6()/decompress_ipv6() pure functions
- Strips src/dst addresses (32 bytes) and payload length (2 bytes) from each
  packet, preserving traffic class, flow label, next header, and hop limit
  as 6-byte residual fields
- Addresses reconstructed from session context on receive side
- Net savings: 29 bytes per packet (overhead 106 → 77 bytes)
- FIPS_IPV6_OVERHEAD constant (77 bytes), effective_ipv6_mtu() updated
- 16 unit tests for round-trip fidelity, field preservation, error cases

Documentation:
- fips-wire-formats: DataPacket port header, port registry, IPv6 shim
  format tables, updated encapsulation walkthrough and overhead budget
- fips-ipv6-adapter: FIPS_IPV6_OVERHEAD (77 bytes), updated MTU numbers,
  TUN reader/writer flow with compression steps, impl status
- fips-session-layer: port-based service dispatch section, data transfer
  description, impl status
- fips-intro: IPv6 adapter as port 256 service, node architecture updated
- fips-mesh-operation: packet size summary with compressed overhead
- DataPacket doc updated with port header and dispatch model
- session_wire.rs module doc: DataPacket Port Multiplexing section
2026-03-11 12:53:32 +00:00
..

FIPS Design Documents

Protocol design specifications for the Federated Interoperable Peering System — a self-organizing encrypted mesh network built on Nostr identities.

Reading Order

Start with the introduction, then follow the protocol stack from bottom to top. After the stack, the mesh operation document explains how all the pieces work together. Supporting references provide deeper dives into specific topics.

Protocol Stack

Document Description
fips-intro.md Protocol introduction: goals, architecture, layer model
fips-transport-layer.md Transport layer: datagram delivery over arbitrary media
fips-mesh-layer.md FIPS Mesh Protocol (FMP): peer authentication, link encryption, forwarding
fips-session-layer.md FIPS Session Protocol (FSP): end-to-end encryption, sessions
fips-ipv6-adapter.md IPv6 adaptation: TUN interface, DNS, MTU enforcement

Mesh Behavior

Document Description
fips-mesh-operation.md How the mesh operates: routing, discovery, error recovery
fips-wire-formats.md Wire format reference for all message types

Supporting References

Document Description
fips-spanning-tree.md Spanning tree algorithms: root discovery, parent selection, coordinates
fips-bloom-filters.md Bloom filter math: FPR analysis, size classes, split-horizon

Implementation

Document Description
fips-configuration.md YAML configuration reference

Supplemental

Document Description
spanning-tree-dynamics.md Spanning tree walkthroughs: convergence scenarios, worked examples

Document Relationships

Document relationships