dot-agent-protocol

.agent Special-Use Domain Project Roadmap

Overview

This roadmap outlines the key phases, milestones, and activities for establishing .agent as a special-use domain name for autonomous AI agent communication. The project follows a structured approach from initial research through IETF standardization to implementation and adoption.

The timeline is approximate and may be adjusted based on community feedback, IETF process dynamics, and technical developments.

Phase 1: Research and Foundation (Months 1-3)

Objectives

Establish the technical and conceptual foundation for the .agent domain
Research existing special-use domains and relevant standards
Design the core technical architecture
Develop initial documentation and project structure

Key Activities and Deliverables

Timeline	Activity	Deliverable	Status
Month 1	Research special-use domains	Research report	Complete
Month 1	Analyze precedents (`.onion`, etc.)	Precedent analysis	Complete
Month 1-2	Design technical architecture	Architecture document	Complete
Month 2	Identify key stakeholders	Stakeholder map	Complete
Month 2-3	Develop project documentation	Project repository	Complete
Month 3	Create use case scenarios	Use case document	Complete
Month 3	Prepare for IETF engagement	Engagement strategy	Complete

Success Criteria

Comprehensive research report completed
Technical architecture document finalized
Project repository established with core documentation
Clear understanding of the standardization path

Phase 2: IETF Proposal Development (Months 3-6)

Objectives

Develop a formal Internet-Draft for submission to the IETF
Begin engagement with relevant IETF working groups
Build initial awareness and support within the technical community
Start early implementation work to validate concepts

Key Activities and Deliverables

Timeline	Activity	Deliverable	Status
Month 3-4	Draft Internet-Draft	Initial I-D document	In Progress
Month 4	Identify relevant working groups	Working group analysis	In Progress
Month 4	Join IETF mailing lists	Mailing list participation	Planned
Month 4-5	Socialize concept on mailing lists	Initial community feedback	Planned
Month 5	Revise Internet-Draft based on feedback	Revised I-D	Planned
Month 5-6	Develop presentation materials	Working group presentation	Planned
Month 6	Submit Internet-Draft to IETF	Submitted I-D	Planned
Month 6	Begin proof-of-concept implementation	Initial code repository	Planned

Success Criteria

Internet-Draft submitted to IETF
Active participation in relevant IETF mailing lists
Initial feedback gathered from community
Proof-of-concept implementation started

Phase 3: IETF Process and Working Group Engagement (Months 6-12)

Objectives

Present the proposal at IETF meetings
Engage actively with working group discussions
Address technical feedback and concerns
Work toward working group adoption of the draft
Continue implementation work to validate design

Key Activities and Deliverables

Timeline	Activity	Deliverable	Status
Month 6-7	Prepare for IETF meeting	Meeting presentation	Planned
Month 7-8	Present at IETF meeting	Presentation delivered	Planned
Month 8	Document feedback from presentation	Feedback analysis	Planned
Month 8-9	Revise Internet-Draft based on feedback	Updated I-D	Planned
Month 9-10	Engage with specific technical concerns	Technical responses	Planned
Month 10-11	Request working group adoption	Adoption call	Planned
Month 11-12	Address adoption feedback	Adoption-ready draft	Planned
Month 6-12	Continue reference implementation	Working prototype	Planned

Success Criteria

Successful presentation at IETF meeting
Constructive engagement with technical feedback
Progress toward working group adoption
Functional reference implementation demonstrating key concepts

Phase 4: Working Group Process and Consensus Building (Months 12-18)

Objectives

Achieve working group adoption of the draft
Refine the proposal through the working group process
Build consensus on technical approach and details
Prepare for IETF Last Call and IESG review
Develop production-ready implementation

Key Activities and Deliverables

Timeline	Activity	Deliverable	Status
Month 12-13	Working group adoption process	Adopted draft	Planned
Month 13-14	Address working group feedback	Updated working group draft	Planned
Month 14-15	Implement specific working group requests	Revised draft	Planned
Month 15-16	Prepare for working group last call	Last call-ready draft	Planned
Month 16-17	Working group last call	Last call feedback	Planned
Month 17-18	Address last call feedback	Final working group draft	Planned
Month 12-18	Enhance reference implementation	Production-ready implementation	Planned
Month 12-18	Develop integration libraries	Client libraries in multiple languages	Planned

Success Criteria

Draft adopted by working group
Successful navigation of working group process
Achievement of working group consensus
Production-ready implementation with client libraries

Phase 5: IETF Last Call, IESG Review, and RFC Publication (Months 18-24)

Objectives

Successfully navigate IETF Last Call
Address IESG review comments
Achieve publication as an RFC
Complete IANA registration of .agent
Finalize implementation and documentation

Key Activities and Deliverables

Timeline	Activity	Deliverable	Status
Month 18-19	IETF Last Call	Last call feedback	Planned
Month 19-20	Address Last Call feedback	Revised draft	Planned
Month 20-21	IESG review	IESG feedback	Planned
Month 21-22	Address IESG DISCUSS points	Final draft	Planned
Month 22-23	RFC Editor process	Published RFC	Planned
Month 23-24	IANA registration	`.agent` in Special-Use Domain Names registry	Planned
Month 18-24	Finalize implementation	Version 1.0 release	Planned
Month 18-24	Complete documentation	Comprehensive documentation	Planned

Success Criteria

Successful navigation of IETF Last Call and IESG review
Publication as an RFC
Addition of .agent to IANA Special-Use Domain Names registry
Release of version 1.0 implementation with documentation

Phase 6: Adoption and Ecosystem Development (Months 24+)

Objectives

Promote adoption of the .agent domain
Build a community of implementers and users
Develop additional tools and resources
Gather feedback for potential future enhancements

Key Activities and Deliverables

Timeline	Activity	Deliverable	Status
Month 24+	Develop adoption resources	Integration guides	Planned
Month 24+	Create educational materials	Tutorials and examples	Planned
Month 24+	Engage with AI developer community	Community growth	Planned
Month 24+	Support early adopters	Case studies	Planned
Month 24+	Gather implementation feedback	Feedback analysis	Planned
Month 24+	Plan for potential enhancements	Future roadmap	Planned

Success Criteria

Growing adoption by AI developers
Active community of implementers
Diverse use cases demonstrated
Clear path for future development

Parallel Workstreams

Throughout the project, several workstreams will run in parallel:

1. Technical Implementation

Timeline	Activity	Deliverable
Months 6-12	Proof-of-concept implementation	Working prototype
Months 12-18	Reference implementation development	Beta implementation
Months 18-24	Production implementation	Version 1.0 release
Months 12+	Client library development	Libraries in multiple languages
Months 18+	Integration tools	Tools for existing AI systems

2. Community Building

Timeline	Activity	Deliverable
Months 1+	IETF community engagement	Active participation
Months 6+	AI developer outreach	Growing awareness
Months 12+	Implementation community building	Active contributors
Months 18+	User community development	Early adopters
Months 24+	Broader ecosystem engagement	Partner integrations

3. Documentation and Education

Timeline	Activity	Deliverable
Months 1-6	Core concept documentation	Foundational documents
Months 6-12	Technical specification	Detailed specifications
Months 12-18	Implementation guides	Developer documentation
Months 18-24	Integration tutorials	How-to guides
Months 24+	Case studies and examples	Real-world applications

Risk Management

The roadmap includes contingency planning for potential risks:

1. Standardization Delays

Risk: IETF process takes longer than anticipated
Mitigation:

Build flexibility into the timeline
Continue implementation work in parallel
Maintain active engagement to address concerns promptly

2. Technical Challenges

Risk: Unforeseen technical issues in implementation
Mitigation:

Early proof-of-concept to identify issues
Modular design to isolate and address problems
Engage technical experts for specific challenges

3. Adoption Barriers

Risk: Slow adoption by AI developers
Mitigation:

Develop compelling use cases
Create easy integration paths
Provide robust documentation and support
Demonstrate clear benefits over alternatives

Success Metrics

The project’s success will be measured by:

Technical Achievement:
- Publication as an RFC
- Addition to IANA Special-Use Domain Names registry
- Robust, secure implementation
Developer Adoption:
- Number of AI systems integrating with .agent
- Diversity of use cases implemented
- Active developer community
Ecosystem Growth:
- Number of registered .agent identities
- Volume of agent-to-agent communications
- Variety of agent capabilities available
Technical Innovation:
- Novel applications enabled by the infrastructure
- Improvements to AI collaboration capabilities
- New patterns for autonomous agent interaction

Conclusion

This roadmap provides a structured path from concept to implementation for the .agent special-use domain. By following this plan while remaining adaptable to feedback and developments, the project aims to create a standardized namespace that enables autonomous AI agents to communicate, collaborate, and evolve collectively.

The success of this initiative depends on building technical consensus, demonstrating clear value, and addressing security and ethical considerations thoroughly. Through careful planning, community engagement, and rigorous technical design, the .agent domain has the potential to become a foundational element of future AI infrastructure.

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