RDCP Protocol Specification¶

Version: v1.0
Status: Draft
Purpose: Language-agnostic runtime debug control protocol

Overview¶

RDCP (Runtime Debug Control Protocol) is a standardized HTTP-based protocol for controlling debug logging in distributed applications at runtime. This specification is designed to be language and framework agnostic, enabling consistent debug control across heterogeneous systems.

Key Features¶

Runtime Control: Enable/disable debug categories without restarts
Multi-level Security: Basic, Standard, and Enterprise authentication modes
Multi-tenant Ready: Built-in tenant isolation support
Performance Aware: Zero-overhead when debug categories are disabled
Language Agnostic: HTTP/JSON protocol works with any technology stack

Quick Start¶

Required Endpoints¶

All RDCP-compliant implementations must expose these endpoints:

Endpoint	Method	Purpose
`/.well-known/rdcp`	GET	Protocol discovery
`/rdcp/v1/discovery`	GET	Debug system discovery
`/rdcp/v1/control`	POST	Runtime control
`/rdcp/v1/status`	GET	Current status
`/rdcp/v1/health`	GET	System health

Example Discovery Response¶

{
  "protocol": "rdcp/1.0",
  "endpoints": {
    "discovery": "/rdcp/v1/discovery",
    "control": "/rdcp/v1/control",
    "status": "/rdcp/v1/status",
    "health": "/rdcp/v1/health"
  },
  "security": {
    "level": "standard",
    "methods": ["bearer"],
    "required": true
  }
}

Documentation Structure¶

API Reference - Interactive OpenAPI (v1) with try-it examples
Protocol Specification - Complete technical specification
Implementation Guide - Step-by-step implementation instructions
Protocol Schemas - JSON schema definitions
Error Codes - Standard error codes and handling
Compliance Report - Compliance levels and requirements

Security Levels¶

Level	Use Case	Authentication	Features
Basic	Development/Internal	API Key	Simple shared secrets
Standard	Production SaaS	Bearer Token (JWT)	User identity, scopes
Enterprise	Regulated Industries	mTLS + Token	Full audit trail, compliance

Getting Started¶

Read the Protocol Specification for complete technical details
Follow the Implementation Guide for step-by-step instructions
Review Error Codes for proper error handling
Check Compliance Requirements for your target security level

Community¶

Repository: github.com/mojoatomic/rdcp-protocol
Issues: Report bugs or request features
SDK Implementation: RDCP JavaScript/TypeScript SDK

RDCP is designed for production use in enterprise and government environments, with a focus on security, performance, and protocol compliance.