key-cape/INTENT.md

# INTENT

KeyCape declares its layer as **Tooling** under the NetKingdom security layer
model v0.4. It provides deterministic authentication and identity claims through
the versioned IAM profile, packaging Authelia, LLDAP, and privacyIDEA.
Authorization decisions belong to access-engine; KeyCape is not an authorization
decision point. Issuing a role or scope claim does not decide access to a resource.

These backend components are implementation dependencies of KeyCape's tooling
boundary. Separate catalog entries are unnecessary until they expose independently
owned estate capabilities. Staff integration follows engine APIs as required by
the layer model; this declaration does not certify every existing caller path.

## Purpose

This repository exists to provide a **lightweight, profile-conformant identity and access management (IAM) system**.

It ensures that applications can rely on a **stable, versioned authentication contract** independent of the underlying IAM implementation.

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## Primary Utility

The repository provides an implementation of a **versioned IAM profile** that:

* Delivers OIDC/PKCE-based authentication with strong security constraints
* Normalizes identity data across heterogeneous backend systems
* Enforces strict adherence to the 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**.

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## Intended Users

* Application developers integrating against the 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

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## Strategic Role in the System

This repository serves as the **lightweight IAM layer**:

* It provides a **resource-efficient implementation** of the IAM profile 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 (this implementation)
  * Expanded mode (a heavier, full-featured implementation)

The profile ensures that both modes are **interchangeable without application changes**.

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## Strategic Boundaries

This repository is **not** intended to:

* Become a full-featured, general-purpose IAM platform
* Extend beyond the defined IAM profile
* Support features that weaken security guarantees (e.g., implicit flow, wildcard redirects)
* Replace or wrap the heavier expanded-mode implementation

Its responsibility is limited to **strict, secure, and transparent profile implementation**.

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## 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 a heavier profile implementation without breaking integrations

* **Canonical identity model**
  Identity data must be normalized and consistent across all backends

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## Maturity Target

A mature version of this repository should:

* Fully implement and enforce the **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**

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## 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.