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Federated Infrastructure

This document outlines the federated collaboration infrastructure for the AI Agent Orchestration Platform.

Overview

Federated infrastructure enables secure, privacy-preserving workflows that span multiple organizations. This approach allows organizations to collaborate while maintaining data sovereignty, regulatory compliance, and security. This document covers the architecture, protocols, deployment, and management of federated infrastructure.

Federated Architecture

The federated architecture consists of several components:

  1. Federated Orchestrator: Coordinates workflows across organizations
  2. Secure Computation Engine: Enables privacy-preserving computation
  3. Federated Storage: Manages data across organizational boundaries
  4. Governance Framework: Enforces policies and compliance
  5. Identity & Access Management: Controls cross-organization access

Federated Architecture Diagram

Note: This is a placeholder for a federated architecture diagram. The actual diagram should be created and added to the project.

Federated Orchestrator

Cross-Organization Workflow Coordination

The federated orchestrator coordinates workflows across organizations:

  • Workflow Distribution: Distribute workflow steps to appropriate organizations
  • State Management: Track workflow state across organizations
  • Error Handling: Manage failures in cross-organization workflows
  • Timeout Management: Handle delays in cross-organization communication
  • Audit Trail: Record all cross-organization interactions

Example federated workflow configuration:

# federated-workflow.yaml
name: cross-org-document-processing
version: 1.0.0
type: federated

participants:
  - id: org-a
    role: initiator
    endpoint: https://meta-agent.org-a.com/federated
    certificate: /certs/org-a.crt

  - id: org-b
    role: processor
    endpoint: https://meta-agent.org-b.com/federated
    certificate: /certs/org-b.crt

  - id: org-c
    role: reviewer
    endpoint: https://meta-agent.org-c.com/federated
    certificate: /certs/org-c.crt

workflow:
  steps:
    - id: document-upload
      organization: org-a
      agent: document-uploader
      next: document-classification

    - id: document-classification
      organization: org-b
      agent: document-classifier
      next: sensitive-data-detection

    - id: sensitive-data-detection
      organization: org-b
      agent: pii-detector
      next: document-review

    - id: document-review
      organization: org-c
      agent: document-reviewer
      next: document-approval

    - id: document-approval
      organization: org-a
      agent: approval-agent
      next: null

governance:
  data_sharing:
    - from: org-a
      to: org-b
      data_types: [document]
      restrictions: [no-storage, no-extraction]

    - from: org-b
      to: org-c
      data_types: [document, classification]
      restrictions: [no-storage]

    - from: org-c
      to: org-a
      data_types: [review-result]
      restrictions: []

audit:
  level: detailed
  storage_location: all-participants
  retention_period: 90d

Federated Protocol

The federated protocol defines how organizations communicate:

  • Message Format: Standardized message structure
  • Transport Security: Secure communication channel
  • Authentication: Verify organization identity
  • Authorization: Control access to resources
  • Non-repudiation: Prevent denial of actions

Example federated protocol message:

{
  "message_id": "msg-123456789",
  "timestamp": "2025-04-18T14:30:45.123Z",
  "sender": {
    "organization_id": "org-a",
    "instance_id": "instance-a1"
  },
  "recipient": {
    "organization_id": "org-b",
    "instance_id": "instance-b1"
  },
  "workflow_id": "wf-987654321",
  "step_id": "document-classification",
  "message_type": "step-execution-request",
  "payload": {
    "agent_id": "document-classifier",
    "input": {
      "document_id": "doc-123",
      "document_type": "contract",
      "document_url": "https://secure-storage.org-a.com/documents/doc-123?token=xyz"
    },
    "execution_parameters": {
      "timeout": 300,
      "priority": "normal"
    }
  },
  "governance": {
    "data_handling": {
      "storage_allowed": false,
      "processing_purpose": "classification-only",
      "retention_period": "0s"
    },
    "audit_requirements": {
      "detail_level": "full",
      "store_result": true
    }
  },
  "signature": "base64-encoded-signature"
}

Secure Computation Engine

Privacy-Preserving Computation

The secure computation engine enables privacy-preserving computation:

  • Secure Multi-Party Computation (MPC): Compute on encrypted data
  • Homomorphic Encryption: Perform operations on encrypted data
  • Zero-Knowledge Proofs: Verify results without revealing data
  • Differential Privacy: Add noise to protect individual privacy
  • Federated Learning: Train models without sharing raw data

Example secure computation configuration:

# secure-computation.yaml
computation_types:
  - type: mpc
    protocol: spdz
    libraries: [mp-spdz]
    supported_operations: [addition, multiplication, comparison]

  - type: homomorphic
    scheme: bfv
    libraries: [seal]
    supported_operations: [addition, multiplication]

  - type: federated_learning
    framework: tensorflow-federated
    aggregation: secure-aggregation
    supported_models: [linear, neural-network, decision-tree]

security:
  key_management:
    type: threshold
    threshold: 3
    participants: 5
    key_rotation_days: 30

  network:
    protocol: tls-1.3
    certificate_authority: /certs/federated-ca.crt

  computation_verification:
    enabled: true
    method: zero-knowledge
    proofs: [computation-correctness, input-validity]

Federated Learning

The platform supports federated learning:

  • Model Distribution: Share model architecture
  • Local Training: Train on local data
  • Secure Aggregation: Combine model updates securely
  • Model Evaluation: Assess model performance
  • Differential Privacy: Add noise to protect privacy

Example federated learning configuration:

# federated-learning.yaml
model:
  name: document-classifier
  type: neural-network
  architecture: {
    "layers": [
      {"type": "embedding", "vocab_size": 10000, "embedding_dim": 128},
      {"type": "lstm", "units": 64},
      {"type": "dense", "units": 64, "activation": "relu"},
      {"type": "dense", "units": 10, "activation": "softmax"}
    ]
  }
  format: tensorflow

training:
  rounds: 100
  local_epochs: 5
  batch_size: 32
  learning_rate: 0.001
  optimizer: adam
  loss: categorical_crossentropy
  metrics: [accuracy, precision, recall]

aggregation:
  method: federated-averaging
  secure_aggregation: true
  min_participants: 3
  max_participants: 10
  dropout_tolerance: 0.2

privacy:
  differential_privacy: true
  noise_multiplier: 1.1
  l2_norm_clip: 1.0
  microbatches: 16

participants:
  - id: org-a
    weight: 1.0
    min_samples: 1000
  - id: org-b
    weight: 1.0
    min_samples: 1000
  - id: org-c
    weight: 1.0
    min_samples: 1000

Federated Storage

Distributed Data Management

The federated storage system manages data across organizations:

  • Data Localization: Keep data within organizational boundaries
  • Distributed Queries: Query data across organizations
  • Access Control: Enforce fine-grained access policies
  • Audit Trail: Track all data access
  • Compliance: Enforce data governance policies

Example federated storage configuration:

# federated-storage.yaml
storage_nodes:
  - organization: org-a
    endpoint: https://storage.org-a.com
    certificate: /certs/storage-org-a.crt
    data_categories: [customer-data, transaction-data]

  - organization: org-b
    endpoint: https://storage.org-b.com
    certificate: /certs/storage-org-b.crt
    data_categories: [product-data, analytics-data]

  - organization: org-c
    endpoint: https://storage.org-c.com
    certificate: /certs/storage-org-c.crt
    data_categories: [compliance-data, audit-data]

query_engine:
  type: distributed-sql
  dialect: postgresql
  federation_protocol: data-mesh
  query_timeout: 30s
  max_result_size: 10MB

access_control:
  policy_enforcement: distributed
  policy_synchronization: real-time
  default_policy: deny-all

encryption:
  data_at_rest: true
  data_in_transit: true
  data_in_use: true
  key_management: federated

compliance:
  data_residency:
    enabled: true
    enforcement: strict

  data_retention:
    enabled: true
    default_period: 90d
    override_by_category:
      customer-data: 365d
      transaction-data: 730d
      compliance-data: 2555d

  right_to_be_forgotten:
    enabled: true
    propagation_time: 24h

Secure Data Exchange

Mechanisms for secure data exchange between organizations:

  • Secure Data Channels: Encrypted communication
  • Just-in-Time Access: Temporary access to data
  • Data Tokenization: Replace sensitive data with tokens
  • Data Minimization: Share only necessary data
  • Usage Control: Enforce data usage policies

Governance Framework

Policy Management

The governance framework manages policies:

  • Policy Definition: Define data sharing and usage policies
  • Policy Enforcement: Enforce policies across organizations
  • Policy Verification: Verify policy compliance
  • Policy Auditing: Track policy enforcement
  • Policy Updates: Manage policy changes

Example governance policy:

# governance-policy.yaml
policy_id: gdpr-compliant-sharing
version: 1.0.0
effective_date: 2025-01-01
expiration_date: 2026-01-01

data_categories:
  - name: personal-data
    description: "Personal identifiable information"
    examples: ["name", "email", "address", "phone"]
    sensitivity: high

  - name: transaction-data
    description: "Business transaction records"
    examples: ["order_id", "product_id", "timestamp", "amount"]
    sensitivity: medium

  - name: analytics-data
    description: "Aggregated analytics information"
    examples: ["conversion_rate", "average_order_value"]
    sensitivity: low

rules:
  - name: personal-data-processing
    description: "Rules for processing personal data"
    data_category: personal-data
    allowed_purposes: ["contract-fulfillment", "legal-obligation"]
    prohibited_purposes: ["marketing", "profiling"]
    retention_period: 90d
    requires_consent: true
    allowed_recipients: ["org-a", "org-b"]
    cross_border_transfer: false

  - name: transaction-data-processing
    description: "Rules for processing transaction data"
    data_category: transaction-data
    allowed_purposes: ["contract-fulfillment", "analytics"]
    prohibited_purposes: []
    retention_period: 365d
    requires_consent: false
    allowed_recipients: ["org-a", "org-b", "org-c"]
    cross_border_transfer: true

  - name: analytics-data-processing
    description: "Rules for processing analytics data"
    data_category: analytics-data
    allowed_purposes: ["analytics", "reporting", "improvement"]
    prohibited_purposes: ["individual-targeting"]
    retention_period: 730d
    requires_consent: false
    allowed_recipients: ["org-a", "org-b", "org-c"]
    cross_border_transfer: true

enforcement:
  mechanism: technical-and-organizational
  verification: automated-and-manual
  audit_frequency: quarterly
  violation_handling: block-and-report

Compliance Management

The governance framework ensures compliance:

  • Regulatory Compliance: GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, etc.
  • Industry Standards: ISO, NIST, etc.
  • Contractual Obligations: SLAs, DPAs, etc.
  • Internal Policies: Security policies, data policies, etc.
  • Audit Trail: Comprehensive audit records

Identity & Access Management

Cross-Organization Authentication

The IAM system handles cross-organization authentication:

  • Federated Identity: Single identity across organizations
  • Multi-Factor Authentication: Enhanced security
  • Certificate-Based Authentication: PKI infrastructure
  • Token-Based Authentication: JWT or similar
  • Single Sign-On: Seamless authentication

Example IAM configuration:

# federated-iam.yaml
identity_providers:
  - organization: org-a
    type: openid-connect
    issuer: https://auth.org-a.com
    jwks_uri: https://auth.org-a.com/.well-known/jwks.json
    client_id: meta-agent-federated

  - organization: org-b
    type: openid-connect
    issuer: https://auth.org-b.com
    jwks_uri: https://auth.org-b.com/.well-known/jwks.json
    client_id: meta-agent-federated

  - organization: org-c
    type: openid-connect
    issuer: https://auth.org-c.com
    jwks_uri: https://auth.org-c.com/.well-known/jwks.json
    client_id: meta-agent-federated

trust_framework:
  type: mutual-tls
  certificate_authority: /certs/federated-ca.crt
  certificate_revocation_list: https://crl.meta-agent-federation.com/crl.pem
  ocsp_responder: https://ocsp.meta-agent-federation.com

authentication:
  methods:
    - type: jwt
      required: true
      lifetime: 3600

    - type: mtls
      required: true

    - type: api-key
      required: false
      rotation_days: 30

authorization:
  policy_engine: open-policy-agent
  policy_distribution: pull
  policy_update_interval: 300
  default_policy: deny-all

Cross-Organization Authorization

The IAM system handles cross-organization authorization:

  • Role-Based Access Control: Roles across organizations
  • Attribute-Based Access Control: Fine-grained access control
  • Policy-Based Access Control: Complex access policies
  • Just-in-Time Access: Temporary access grants
  • Delegation: Delegate access rights

Federated Deployment

Deployment Architecture

The federated deployment architecture:

  • Organization Node: Platform instance in each organization
  • Federation Gateway: Interface for cross-organization communication
  • Shared Services: Common services for federation
  • Private Services: Organization-specific services
  • Hybrid Deployment: Mix of cloud and on-premises

Example federated deployment configuration:

# federated-deployment.yaml
organization:
  id: org-a
  name: "Organization A"
  domain: org-a.com
  region: us-west
  compliance_jurisdiction: us

federation:
  gateway:
    endpoint: https://federation.org-a.com
    certificate: /certs/federation-org-a.crt
    private_key: /certs/federation-org-a.key

  partners:
    - id: org-b
      endpoint: https://federation.org-b.com
      certificate: /certs/federation-org-b.crt
      trust_level: high

    - id: org-c
      endpoint: https://federation.org-c.com
      certificate: /certs/federation-org-c.crt
      trust_level: medium

deployment:
  environment: hybrid

  cloud_components:
    - component: federation-gateway
      provider: aws
      region: us-west-2
      instance_type: t3.medium

    - component: secure-computation
      provider: aws
      region: us-west-2
      instance_type: c5.2xlarge

  on_premises_components:
    - component: data-storage
      server: data-center-1
      resources:
        cpu: 8
        memory: 32GB
        storage: 1TB

    - component: workflow-engine
      server: data-center-1
      resources:
        cpu: 16
        memory: 64GB
        storage: 500GB

networking:
  vpn:
    enabled: true
    type: ipsec
    endpoints:
      - name: primary
        address: vpn1.org-a.com
      - name: backup
        address: vpn2.org-a.com

  firewall:
    inbound_rules:
      - port: 443
        protocol: tcp
        source: [org-b, org-c]
        purpose: federation-api

    outbound_rules:
      - port: 443
        protocol: tcp
        destination: [org-b, org-c]
        purpose: federation-api

Deployment Process

The federated deployment process:

  1. Federation Setup: Establish federation infrastructure
  2. Partner Onboarding: Add new organizations to federation
  3. Policy Configuration: Configure governance policies
  4. Connectivity Testing: Verify cross-organization communication
  5. Workflow Testing: Test cross-organization workflows
  6. Production Deployment: Deploy to production
  7. Monitoring Setup: Configure federated monitoring

Example federation setup script:

#!/bin/bash
# setup_federation.sh - Set up federation infrastructure

ORG_ID=$1
FEDERATION_NAME=$2

if [ -z "$ORG_ID" ] || [ -z "$FEDERATION_NAME" ]; then
  echo "Usage: ./setup_federation.sh [org_id] [federation_name]"
  echo "Example: ./setup_federation.sh org-a meta-agent-federation"
  exit 1
fi

echo "Setting up federation infrastructure for $ORG_ID in $FEDERATION_NAME..."

# Generate federation certificates
mkdir -p /etc/meta-agent/federation/certs
openssl req -new -x509 -days 365 -nodes \
  -out /etc/meta-agent/federation/certs/federation-$ORG_ID.crt \
  -keyout /etc/meta-agent/federation/certs/federation-$ORG_ID.key \
  -subj "/CN=$ORG_ID/O=$FEDERATION_NAME"

# Configure federation gateway
cat > /etc/meta-agent/federation/config.yaml << EOF
organization:
  id: $ORG_ID
  name: "Organization $ORG_ID"
  domain: $ORG_ID.com

federation:
  name: $FEDERATION_NAME
  gateway:
    endpoint: https://federation.$ORG_ID.com
    certificate: /etc/meta-agent/federation/certs/federation-$ORG_ID.crt
    private_key: /etc/meta-agent/federation/certs/federation-$ORG_ID.key
EOF

# Deploy federation gateway
kubectl apply -f kubernetes/federation-gateway.yaml

# Register with federation directory
curl -X POST https://directory.$FEDERATION_NAME.com/register \
  --cert /etc/meta-agent/federation/certs/federation-$ORG_ID.crt \
  --key /etc/meta-agent/federation/certs/federation-$ORG_ID.key \
  -d @/etc/meta-agent/federation/config.yaml

echo "Federation setup complete for $ORG_ID in $FEDERATION_NAME"

Federated Monitoring

Cross-Organization Monitoring

Monitor federated infrastructure:

  • Federation Health: Monitor federation connectivity
  • Cross-Organization Workflows: Track workflow execution
  • Data Transfer: Monitor data exchange
  • Policy Compliance: Verify policy enforcement
  • Security Events: Track security-related events

Example federated monitoring configuration:

# federated-monitoring.yaml
monitoring:
  federation_health:
    check_interval: 60
    timeout: 10
    failure_threshold: 3
    endpoints:
      - organization: org-a
        url: https://federation.org-a.com/health
      - organization: org-b
        url: https://federation.org-b.com/health
      - organization: org-c
        url: https://federation.org-c.com/health

  workflow_monitoring:
    enabled: true
    metrics:
      - name: cross_org_workflow_count
        description: "Number of cross-organization workflows"
      - name: cross_org_workflow_duration
        description: "Duration of cross-organization workflows"
      - name: cross_org_workflow_success_rate
        description: "Success rate of cross-organization workflows"

  data_transfer:
    enabled: true
    metrics:
      - name: data_transfer_volume
        description: "Volume of data transferred between organizations"
      - name: data_transfer_latency
        description: "Latency of data transfers between organizations"

  policy_compliance:
    enabled: true
    check_interval: 3600
    metrics:
      - name: policy_violations
        description: "Number of policy violations"
      - name: policy_compliance_rate
        description: "Rate of policy compliance"

alerting:
  endpoints:
    - name: org-a-alerts
      url: https://alerts.org-a.com/webhook
      organizations: [org-a]
    - name: org-b-alerts
      url: https://alerts.org-b.com/webhook
      organizations: [org-b]
    - name: org-c-alerts
      url: https://alerts.org-c.com/webhook
      organizations: [org-c]
    - name: federation-alerts
      url: https://alerts.meta-agent-federation.com/webhook
      organizations: [org-a, org-b, org-c]

  rules:
    - name: federation_health_critical
      condition: "federation_health_status == 'critical'"
      severity: critical
      description: "Federation health is critical"
      notify: [federation-alerts]

    - name: high_policy_violations
      condition: "policy_violations > 10"
      severity: high
      description: "High number of policy violations"
      notify: [federation-alerts, "${organization}-alerts"]

Federated Audit

The federated audit system:

  • Distributed Audit Trail: Audit records across organizations
  • Tamper-Proof Storage: Immutable audit records
  • Audit Aggregation: Combine audit data for analysis
  • Compliance Reporting: Generate compliance reports
  • Forensic Analysis: Investigate security incidents

Example federated audit configuration:

# federated-audit.yaml
audit:
  storage:
    type: distributed-ledger
    implementation: hyperledger-fabric
    retention_period: 7y

  events:
    - category: authentication
      level: info
      include_fields: [timestamp, user_id, organization_id, result]

    - category: authorization
      level: info
      include_fields: [timestamp, user_id, organization_id, resource, action, result]

    - category: data_access
      level: info
      include_fields: [timestamp, user_id, organization_id, data_category, purpose, action]

    - category: policy_enforcement
      level: info
      include_fields: [timestamp, policy_id, resource, action, result]

    - category: federation_management
      level: info
      include_fields: [timestamp, organization_id, action, result]

  reporting:
    scheduled_reports:
      - name: monthly-compliance
        frequency: monthly
        format: pdf
        recipients: [compliance@org-a.com, compliance@org-b.com, compliance@org-c.com]

      - name: quarterly-audit
        frequency: quarterly
        format: pdf
        recipients: [audit@org-a.com, audit@org-b.com, audit@org-c.com]

Federated Security

Security Measures

Security measures for federated infrastructure:

  • Mutual TLS: Secure communication between organizations
  • Certificate Management: PKI infrastructure for federation
  • Key Management: Secure key storage and rotation
  • Secure Enclaves: Trusted execution environments
  • Intrusion Detection: Detect and respond to attacks
  • Vulnerability Management: Identify and fix vulnerabilities

Example federated security configuration:

# federated-security.yaml
communication:
  protocol: mtls-1.3
  cipher_suites:
    - TLS_AES_256_GCM_SHA384
    - TLS_CHACHA20_POLY1305_SHA256
  certificate_verification: strict
  certificate_transparency: enabled

certificate_management:
  authority: federated-ca
  validity_period: 365d
  key_algorithm: ecdsa
  key_size: 384
  renewal_threshold: 30d
  revocation_check: ocsp

key_management:
  storage: hardware-security-module
  rotation_period: 90d
  backup: enabled
  recovery_threshold: 3
  recovery_shares: 5

secure_enclaves:
  enabled: true
  technology: intel-sgx
  attestation: enabled
  code_verification: enabled

intrusion_detection:
  network_monitoring: enabled
  behavioral_analysis: enabled
  anomaly_detection: enabled
  alert_threshold: medium

vulnerability_management:
  scanning_frequency: weekly
  patch_management: automated
  risk_assessment: enabled
  remediation_sla:
    critical: 24h
    high: 72h
    medium: 7d
    low: 30d

Incident Response

Federated incident response procedures:

  • Detection: Identify security incidents
  • Containment: Limit impact of incidents
  • Eradication: Remove threat from environment
  • Recovery: Restore normal operations
  • Post-Incident Analysis: Learn from incidents
  • Cross-Organization Coordination: Coordinate response

Example incident response playbook:

# federated-incident-response.yaml
incident_types:
  - type: data_breach
    severity: critical
    description: "Unauthorized access to sensitive data"
    indicators:
      - "Unusual data access patterns"
      - "Unauthorized authentication attempts"
      - "Data exfiltration alerts"
    response_team: [security-lead, privacy-officer, legal-counsel]

  - type: federation_compromise
    severity: critical
    description: "Compromise of federation infrastructure"
    indicators:
      - "Certificate anomalies"
      - "Unauthorized federation requests"
      - "Federation gateway alerts"
    response_team: [security-lead, federation-admin, ciso]

response_procedures:
  - phase: detection
    actions:
      - "Verify alert authenticity"
      - "Assess scope and impact"
      - "Classify incident type and severity"
      - "Notify response team"
      - "Establish communication channel"

  - phase: containment
    actions:
      - "Isolate affected systems"
      - "Revoke compromised credentials"
      - "Block malicious IP addresses"
      - "Suspend affected federation connections"
      - "Preserve evidence"

  - phase: eradication
    actions:
      - "Remove malware or unauthorized access"
      - "Patch vulnerabilities"
      - "Reset compromised credentials"
      - "Verify system integrity"

  - phase: recovery
    actions:
      - "Restore from clean backups if needed"
      - "Reestablish federation connections"
      - "Implement additional security controls"
      - "Verify normal operations"

  - phase: post_incident
    actions:
      - "Document incident timeline"
      - "Analyze root cause"
      - "Update security controls"
      - "Share lessons learned"
      - "Update incident response procedures"

communication:
  internal:
    channel: secure-chat
    participants: [response-team, executive-team]

  cross_organization:
    channel: federation-security-channel
    participants: [org-a-security, org-b-security, org-c-security]

  regulatory:
    channel: secure-email
    recipients: [data-protection-authority, industry-regulator]
    timeframe: "Within 72 hours of discovery"

Federated Scripts

Scripts for federated infrastructure are located in /infra/scripts/:

  • setup_federation.sh - Set up federation infrastructure
  • add_federation_partner.sh - Add new organization to federation
  • test_federation_connectivity.sh - Test cross-organization connectivity
  • federated_workflow_test.sh - Test cross-organization workflow
  • rotate_federation_certs.sh - Rotate federation certificates

Best Practices

  • Implement strong authentication and authorization
  • Use secure communication channels
  • Enforce data governance policies
  • Implement comprehensive audit trails
  • Design for regulatory compliance
  • Test cross-organization workflows thoroughly
  • Document federation agreements
  • Implement incident response procedures
  • Regularly review and update security measures
  • Train staff on federated collaboration

References

Last updated: 2025-04-18