Faqs - Beckn protocol

frequently asked questions

How is beckn protocol different from tcp/ip, http, smtp?

Beckn protocol is an application layer protocol that is compatible with any transport layer protocols like TCP/IP and UDP. Furthermore, it can be piggybacked on other application layer protocols like HTTP or SMTP communication to allow interoperability at the application layer as well.

	beckn	http / https	smtp	tcp/ip
Methods	SEARCH , SELECT , INIT , CONFIRM , STATUS , UPDATE , TRACK , CANCEL , RATING , SUPPORT	SEARCH , SELECT , INIT , CONFIRM , STATUS , UPDATE , TRACK , CANCEL , RATING , SUPPORT	HELO, MAIL, RCPT, DATA	SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK, FIN
Packet Schema	Context, Message	Request Line, Headers, Body	From, To, Subject, Body	TCP Header, Data
Information Schema	Intent, Catalog, Fulfillment, Order etc	None	None	None
Format	application/json, application/protobuf*	application/json, application/protobuf, multipart/form-data, image/jpeg etc	text/plain, text/html, multipart/mixed	None
Encryption	TLS / SSL	TLS / SSL	None	None
Addressing	IPv4, IPv6, DNS	IPv4, IPv6	DNS	IPv4, IPv6
Routing	Beckn Gateways, Network Registries	IP Gateways	IP Gateways	IP Gateways
Trust	Registry PKI, x509 Certificates*	x509 Certificates	None	None

Is beckn protocol only for commerce?

No, beckn protocol is not only for commerce. Beckn protocol specification simply specifies a set of interoperable APIs that allows discovery, engagement, fulfillment and post-fulfillment of services and goods. The services and goods can be availed with or without commercial consideration. If required, beckn protocol allows commercial contracts to be established between two actors.

What is the latest version of beckn protocol?

For the transaction layer
- The latest stable version is 0.9.2
- The current patch version draft branch is 0.9.3-draft
For the registry layer
- The latest stable version is 0.2.0
- The current minor version draft branch is 0.3.0-draft

Is the same version used in all layers of beckn protocol and their respective release roadmaps?

No, beckn protocol has multiple loosely-coupled layers namely, transaction layer, registry layer, policy layer etc, that evolve independently. So, it is possible for implementations to have layers with different versions. Read the document here to learn more.

If beckn protocol has to be implemented for a particular sector, what layers of beckn protocol must be implemented?

Adoption of beckn protocol requires implementation of the transaction, registry and policy layer of beckn protocol. The transaction layer consists of APIs that allow discovery, order, fulfillment and post-fulfillment of services. The registry layer allows trusted contracts to be established by way of Digital Signatures. And the policy layer allows sector-specific policies to be layered as a middleware in the implementations.

How is the evolution of beckn protocol managed and governed?

To understand the governance of beckn protocol, read the document published here.

If I find any issues in beckn protocol, how do I notify and correct it?

If you discover an issue in the specification, you can report it here. But before that, please read this document.

If I want to include new features into the specification, what should I do?

To understand how to propose features, enhancements and contribute to the evolution of beckn protocol, click here.

Can I have multiple domains operate on a single network?

Yes, multiple domains can exist as different subnets inside a larger multi-domain network. Domains here refer to different industry sectors (like Retail, Mobility, Logistics, etc). Many such domain-specific Subnets, each supporting a specific set of use cases can be connected to each other in different topologies. For example, a Retail network connected with a Logistics network is a very common multi-domain network configuration. To learn more about network topologies, click here.

Can I have multiple versions operating on a single network?

Yes, each network can allow multiple versions of the protocol to be implemented. However, the interoperability between two versions must be handled by the implementers.

How does a 3rd party n/w entity configure network-specific rules and configurations?

A third party network entity can layer network specific rules and configurations as policies. How to layer such policies is shown here.

What if beckn protocol governance / community ceases to exist? What happens to the adopters and implementers?

In an unlikely scenario where beckn protocol governance ceases to exist, the protocol specification will be made available with Creative Commons – Attribution – Share Alike 4.0 (CC-BY-SA 4.0) license that will allow adopters / implementers to fork the specification and evolve from there without disrupting adoption.