Trusted Time Root
Provides a shared temporal baseline so events from different systems can be placed into one verification framework.
Protocol Scope
Public responsibilities of Prime
Prime is not the business-event protocol. It is the trusted upstream layer that turns time and issuance authority into verifiable system guarantees.
Issuance Windows
Constrains when nodes may issue event anchors and reduces trust risk from unbounded credential issuance.
Node Governance
Maintains node identity, trust state, rotation, and revocation so verifiers can judge whether a credential source is trustworthy.
Product Capability
How Prime supports Gnomon
These capabilities are usually used by node services and operating systems. Business applications inherit these trust constraints when they write event anchors through Polaris.
| Capability | Role | Business value |
|---|---|---|
| Time Authorization | Provides verifiable sequence numbers for issuing nodes | Gives cross-system events a shared ordering basis |
| Node Registration | Confirms which nodes may issue credentials for the system | Prevents unknown nodes from producing uncontrolled credentials |
| Issuance Constraint | Limits the time range and validity conditions for credentials | Makes source, period, and responsibility boundaries reviewable |
| Trust Governance | Supports trust-root rotation, revocation, and synchronization | Supports long-term operations and security response |
External View
Why business systems need a time root
In cross-organization, cross-node, or multi-agent workflows, local system clocks are not enough for independent review. Prime gives event anchors a verifiable upstream time basis.
Reduce Ordering Disputes
- Events from different systems can be compared through shared time credentials
- Issuing nodes are constrained by identity and issuance windows
- Verifiers can determine whether a credential came from a trusted source
Support Long-Term Operation
- Trust roots can rotate and abnormal nodes can be revoked
- Issuance and verification rules can be synchronized across nodes
- The layer fits audit, reconciliation, and tracing infrastructure