# RFC-<PRODUCT>-<NNNN> — <Decision-Oriented Title>

**Status:** Working Draft  
**Product:** <PRODUCT>  
**Authors:** <names or team>  
**Owner:** <accountable owner>  
**Created:** <YYYY-MM-DD>  
**Last updated:** <YYYY-MM-DD>  
**Target decision:** ADOPT | ADAPT | EXPERIMENT | REJECT  
**Repository:** <repository>  
**Branch:** <branch>  
**Commit:** <full SHA>  
**Supersedes:** <RFC key or none>  
**Related RFCs:** <keys or none>  

## 1. Executive summary

Explain the proposal, why it matters, and the outcome requested.

## 2. Decision requested

State one exact decision.

## 3. Context

Describe the product, environment, users, dependencies, and current state.

## 4. Problem

Define the problem, impact, risk, evidence, and consequences of doing nothing.

## 5. Goals

- <goal>
- <goal>

## 6. Non-goals

- <non-goal>
- <non-goal>

## 7. Existing implementations

- <current internal implementation>
- <previous implementation>
- <external or standards-based alternative>

## 8. Proposed decision

Describe the complete technical and operational decision.

## 9. Architecture

Describe components, boundaries, data flow, authority, dependencies, and failure domains.

## 10. Security model

Cover trust boundaries, privilege separation, authentication, authorization, credential and key storage, encryption, logging and redaction, update trust, rollback, and threat assumptions.

## 11. Tested implementation

```text
Operating system:
Architecture:
Compiler:
Framework/toolkit:
Build system:
Runtime dependencies:
Repository:
Branch:
Commit:
```

### Exact build commands

```bash
# commands
```

### Artifact

```text
Name:
Version:
SHA-256:
```

## 12. Evidence

For every major claim:

```text
Claim:
Environment:
Command or procedure:
Expected:
Observed:
Date:
Observer:
Artifact or log:
```

## 13. Acceptance-test matrix

| Test | Expected | Observed | Result | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clean build | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| Installation | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| Launch | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| Authentication | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| Connection | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| Routing | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| DNS | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| Reconnect | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| Disconnect | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| Failure handling | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| Uninstall | | | PASS/FAIL | |
| Rollback | | | PASS/FAIL | |

## 14. Alternatives considered

Describe each alternative, its advantages, disadvantages, and why it was not selected.

## 15. Compatibility

Describe supported versions, upgrade behavior, migration, and interoperability.

## 16. Observability

Document health signals, logs, metrics, events, dashboards, and operator procedures.

## 17. Adoption plan

### Phase 1 — Baseline freeze

### Phase 2 — Independent reproduction

### Phase 3 — Security and operational review

### Phase 4 — Controlled rollout

### Phase 5 — Production adoption

## 18. Rollback plan

State triggers, commands, preserved state, package downgrade, configuration restoration, and verification.

## 19. Risks and mitigations

| Risk | Impact | Likelihood | Mitigation | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| | | | | |

## 20. Known limitations

List honestly.

## 21. Decision conditions proposed

- <condition>
- <condition>

## 22. Review questions

- <question>
- <question>

## 23. References

- <document, issue, commit, standard, or artifact>

## 24. Appendices

Include logs, checksums, screenshots, diagrams, and detailed procedures.

## ORBIT governance payload

```json
{
  "rfc_key": "RFC-<PRODUCT>-<NNNN>",
  "title": "<title>",
  "summary": "<summary>",
  "problem": "<problem>",
  "evidence": [
    "<evidence item>"
  ],
  "existing_implementations": [
    "<implementation>"
  ],
  "proposed_decision": "<decision>",
  "adoption_plan": "<plan>"
}
```