REF-069: OCI Distribution Specification
REF-069: OCI Distribution Specification
Citation
Open Container Initiative. (2026). OCI Distribution Specification. OCI. https://github.com/opencontainers/distribution-spec
Rendered specification: https://specs.opencontainers.org/distribution-spec/
Document Profile
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Year | 2021-2026 |
| Type | Registry API specification |
| Status | Active OCI standard |
| GRADE / Quality | A - normative distribution specification with conformance ecosystem |
| AIWG Relevance | Medium - Registry model for immutable content distribution and referrers |
Executive Summary
The OCI Distribution Specification standardizes registry APIs for distributing content. The resource-distribution lesson for AIWG is not that AIWG must become an OCI registry; it is that mature registries separate named references from content-addressed blobs and make manifests the unit that binds related content.
This model supports AIWG's release-host architecture: channel names and exact versions are lookup inputs, while manifest digests and descriptor hashes are the verification surface.
AIWG Implementation Mapping
| OCI Distribution Concept | AIWG Resource Implication |
|---|---|
| Registry API | `releases.aiwg.io` release-host contract |
| Manifest retrieval | Versioned `manifest.json` fetch before body reads |
| Blob/content transfer | Raw resources and prebuilt Fortemi exports |
| Referrers and artifact metadata | Future room for attestations, SBOMs, and release evidence |
| Conformance tooling | Local-vs-web parity and offline conformance suites |
Design Implications
- Keep resource bodies behind a signed manifest instead of treating each URL as
self-authenticating.
- Make digest-addressed cache generations the stable local identity.
- Reserve room for future attestation/referrer-style metadata without changing
the first resource body contract.
Cross-References
- REF-070: OCI Image Specification defines descriptors and digest-addressed
content structures used by OCI Distribution.
- REF-074: Provenance graphs often use OCI registries as their storage substrate.
- `docs/install/web-backed-resources.md`: AIWG release-host contract.