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Transport Architecture ​

The Transport Layer is responsible for one architectural problem:

Moving execution safely across distributed infrastructure without changing the meaning of that execution.

Distributed runtimes depend on continuous communication between independently operating components.

Execution contracts, scheduling decisions, shard assignments, execution evidence, and runtime metadata must travel across unreliable global networks while preserving integrity.

The Transport Layer exists to preserve that continuity.

QUIC is the primary transport implementation used by the Forge runtime.

The Transport Problem ​

Distributed execution assumes imperfect networks.

Infrastructure may span:

  • cloud providers
  • enterprise networks
  • research clusters
  • home broadband
  • mobile networks
  • geographically distant regions

Network quality constantly changes.

Connections may disappear.

Latency fluctuates.

Packets are lost.

Infrastructure moves.

Execution, however, must remain understandable, deterministic, and recoverable.

Transport therefore exists to preserve execution continuity rather than merely transmit bytes.

Transport Philosophy ​

The Transport Layer moves execution.

It never changes execution.

Execution contracts remain identical before and after transmission.

Transport preserves:

  • execution identity
  • execution ordering
  • delivery integrity
  • runtime continuity
  • execution evidence flow

Transport enables execution.

It never defines execution.

Relationship to the Runtime ​

The Transport Layer connects the distributed runtime.

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Execution Contract
        │
        ▼
Hub Coordination
        │
        ▼
Scheduler Placement
        │
        ▼
Transport Layer
        │
        ▼
Agent Execution
        │
        ▼
Aggregation
        │
        ▼
Execution Evidence

Transport forms the communication fabric between runtime components.

It is not responsible for computation.

It is responsible for continuity.

Primary Responsibilities ​

Reliable Delivery ​

Move execution information across unreliable infrastructure.

Examples include:

  • execution contracts
  • shard assignments
  • runtime commands
  • execution metadata
  • partial outputs
  • execution evidence

Reliable delivery preserves execution continuity.

Secure Communication ​

Protect runtime communication against interception and manipulation.

Transport establishes encrypted communication channels before execution begins.

Execution integrity depends on trusted communication.

Flow Isolation ​

Independent execution streams remain isolated.

Different workloads should not interfere with one another simply because they share the same transport session.

Isolation improves resilience and operational predictability.

Session Management ​

Maintain long-lived runtime communication.

Responsibilities include:

  • session establishment
  • capability negotiation
  • session recovery
  • connection lifecycle
  • graceful termination

Recovery Coordination ​

Communication failures are expected.

Transport coordinates recovery through:

  • reconnect
  • stream recovery
  • retransmission
  • execution continuity
  • delivery confirmation

Recovery restores communication.

It does not redefine execution.

Execution Evidence Transport ​

Execution Evidence must travel through the runtime together with execution outputs.

Transport preserves:

  • metadata
  • timing
  • artifacts
  • replay references
  • verification information

Execution is incomplete until evidence reaches the runtime.

What the Transport Layer Never Does ​

Architectural boundaries remain explicit.

The Transport Layer never:

  • performs computation
  • schedules workloads
  • plans execution
  • defines primitive semantics
  • aggregates outputs
  • performs verification
  • interprets business meaning
  • changes execution contracts

Transport carries execution.

It never becomes execution.

Transport Lifecycle ​

Every distributed execution follows the same communication lifecycle.

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Establish Secure Session
            │
            ▼
Exchange Runtime Metadata
            │
            ▼
Deliver Execution Contract
            │
            ▼
Transfer Execution Payloads
            │
            ▼
Receive Structured Outputs
            │
            ▼
Transfer Execution Evidence
            │
            ▼
Complete Runtime Session

Communication mechanisms may evolve.

The lifecycle remains stable.

QUIC as the Primary Transport ​

Forge uses QUIC as the primary transport implementation.

QUIC was selected because it naturally supports distributed execution through:

  • multiplexed bidirectional streams
  • built-in TLS 1.3
  • efficient connection establishment
  • congestion control
  • packet loss recovery
  • connection migration
  • NAT rebinding
  • high-latency environments

Private deployments may support approved TCP-based transport where UDP connectivity is unavailable.

Transport implementations may evolve.

The transport architecture remains unchanged.

Stream Architecture ​

Transport separates communication into independent logical streams.

Typical stream classes include:

Control Streams ​

Exchange:

  • lifecycle events
  • health information
  • capability negotiation
  • runtime coordination

Execution Streams ​

Carry:

  • execution contracts
  • shard assignments
  • execution payloads
  • runtime commands

Result Streams ​

Return:

  • structured outputs
  • runtime metadata
  • diagnostics
  • execution metrics

Evidence Streams ​

Transfer:

  • verification records
  • replay metadata
  • artifact references
  • execution evidence
  • lineage information

Stream isolation improves resilience and allows execution to continue despite localized transport issues.

Communication Recovery ​

Distributed infrastructure experiences continuous communication failures.

Examples include:

  • packet loss
  • temporary disconnects
  • NAT rebinding
  • mobile network transitions
  • routing changes
  • intermittent connectivity

Transport recovery preserves execution continuity through:

  • session restoration
  • stream recovery
  • retransmission
  • execution replay alignment
  • delivery acknowledgement

Communication recovery should never redefine execution semantics.

Heterogeneous Networks ​

The runtime assumes network diversity.

Participating infrastructure may operate across:

  • fiber networks
  • enterprise WANs
  • public cloud
  • consumer broadband
  • satellite links
  • mobile networks
  • hybrid environments

Transport adapts to network conditions.

Execution remains architecture-driven.

Runtime Observability ​

The Transport Layer continuously emits communication telemetry.

Examples include:

  • round-trip latency
  • packet loss
  • congestion events
  • reconnect events
  • stream recovery
  • bandwidth utilization
  • session lifetime
  • flow control statistics

These signals make runtime communication observable.

Contribution to Execution Evidence ​

Transport contributes communication metadata to Execution Evidence.

Examples include:

  • transport timestamps
  • delivery confirmation
  • reconnect history
  • session identifiers
  • stream metadata
  • transport latency
  • retry history
  • communication diagnostics

Execution Evidence therefore includes not only computation, but the communication history that enabled that computation.

Failure Model ​

Transport assumes imperfect communication.

Examples include:

  • packet loss
  • connection interruption
  • regional routing instability
  • network congestion
  • temporary isolation
  • provider outages
  • transport retries

These failures affect communication.

They should not compromise execution integrity.

Architectural Guarantees ​

The Transport Layer is designed to preserve:

  • secure runtime communication
  • reliable execution delivery
  • execution continuity
  • replayable communication metadata
  • heterogeneous network support
  • observable transport behavior
  • explicit communication boundaries

These guarantees define the transport architecture independently of any specific protocol implementation.

Architectural Non-Goals ​

The Transport Layer intentionally does not:

  • execute workloads
  • define computation semantics
  • replace scheduling
  • replace verification
  • aggregate results
  • interpret business logic
  • optimize execution correctness through communication shortcuts

Transport preserves communication.

It does not preserve meaning.

Meaning belongs to the execution model.

How to Verify Transport Behavior ​

A technical evaluator can inspect transport behavior during one distributed execution.

Suggested verification path:

  1. Execute a distributed workload.
  2. Inspect transport session establishment.
  3. Observe execution stream creation.
  4. Introduce controlled packet loss.
  5. Verify session recovery.
  6. Inspect delivery metadata.
  7. Compare execution evidence before and after recovery.
  8. Confirm that execution semantics remain unchanged.

The observed transport behavior should correspond to the architecture described in this document.

Related Documentation ​

Continue with:

  1. Network Architecture
  2. Storage Architecture
  3. Scaling Architecture
  4. Hub Architecture
  5. Scheduler Architecture
  6. Agent Kernel Architecture

Final Mental Model ​

The Transport Layer exists so that execution can move through the runtime without losing its architectural identity.

Infrastructure changes.

Networks fluctuate.

Connections recover.

Execution continues.

That continuity defines the Forge Transport Architecture.

Deterministic execution infrastructure for distributed compute.

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