UIM Protocol Terminology¶

This page provides definitions for key terms used in the UIM Protocol specification. Terms are organized by category for easy reference.

Core Protocol Terms¶

Intent¶

Definition: An action that can be performed by a web service, including metadata and parameters required for execution. Related Terms: Intent UID, Intent Metadata, Parameters Example: SearchProducts, GetProductDetails, PlaceOrder

Web Service¶

Definition: A service that publishes its capabilities (intents) using the UIM Protocol. Related Terms: Service Provider, API Example: An e-commerce platform that exposes intents for searching products and placing orders.

AI Agent¶

Definition: An application or service that uses intents to interact with web services. Related Terms: Client, Consumer Example: A shopping assistant that helps users find products across multiple e-commerce platforms.

Policy Adherence Token (PAT)¶

Definition: A token issued by a web service to an AI agent, encapsulating permissions, usage limits, and billing agreements. Related Terms: ODRL Policy, UIM License Example: A JWT token containing permissions and rate limits.

Intent UID¶

Definition: A unique identifier for an intent, following the format namespace:intent_name:version. Related Terms: Intent, Namespace Example: ecommerce.com:SearchProducts:v1

Intent Metadata¶

Definition: Descriptive information about an intent, including its name, description, and category. Related Terms: Intent, Tags Example: Name: "SearchProducts", Description: "Search for products based on criteria", Tags: ["e-commerce", "search"]

Parameters¶

Definition: Inputs required by an intent to perform its action, including name, type, and whether they are required. Related Terms: Intent, Input Parameters, Output Parameters Example: query, category, price_range

Input Parameters¶

Definition: Parameters that are provided by the AI agent to the web service when executing an intent. Related Terms: Parameters, Intent Example: query: "laptop", category: "electronics"

Output Parameters¶

Definition: Parameters that are returned by the web service to the AI agent after executing an intent. Related Terms: Parameters, Intent Example: products: [...], total_results: 42

Endpoint¶

Definition: The API endpoint where an intent can be executed. Related Terms: API, URL Example: https://api.ecommerce.com/products/search

ODRL Policy¶

Definition: A policy expressed using the Open Digital Rights Language (ODRL) that defines permissions, prohibitions, and obligations. Related Terms: Permission, Prohibition, Obligation Example: A policy that allows executing intents with a rate limit of 1000 requests per hour.

UIM License¶

Definition: A set of rules and conditions that govern the usage of data returned by an intent, including permissions, prohibitions, and obligations. Related Terms: ODRL Policy, PAT Example: UIM-BY-NC-v1.0 - A license that allows non-commercial use with attribution.

Permission¶

Definition: An allowed action specified in a policy. Related Terms: ODRL Policy, Prohibition, Obligation Example: Permission to execute an intent with a rate limit of 1000 requests per hour.

Prohibition¶

Definition: A disallowed action specified in a policy. Related Terms: ODRL Policy, Permission, Obligation Example: Prohibition against exceeding the rate limit.

Obligation¶

Definition: An action that must be performed as a condition of using a service. Related Terms: ODRL Policy, Permission, Prohibition Example: Obligation to pay for intent execution.

Discovery Endpoint¶

Definition: The API endpoint where AI agents can query for available intents. Related Terms: Intent, API Endpoint Example: /api/intents/search

DNS TXT Record¶

Definition: A DNS record that contains text information, used in the UIM Protocol to provide discovery information. Related Terms: agents.json Example: uim-agents-file=https://example.com/agents.json

agents.json¶

Definition: A JSON file that contains information about a web service and its available intents. Related Terms: DNS TXT Record, Intent Example: A file containing service information, intents, and policy information.

Authentication¶

Definition: The process of verifying the identity of an AI agent. Related Terms: Authorization, PAT Example: Using a PAT to authenticate an AI agent.

Authorization¶

Definition: The process of determining whether an authenticated AI agent has permission to perform a specific action. Related Terms: Authentication, Permission Example: Checking if an AI agent has permission to execute a specific intent.

Digital Signature¶

Definition: A cryptographic mechanism used to verify the authenticity and integrity of data. Related Terms: Public Key, Private Key Example: Signing a policy with a private key to prove agreement.

Centralized Architecture¶

Definition: An architecture where a central repository manages intent registration, discovery, and execution. Related Terms: Decentralized Architecture, Hybrid Approach Example: A central repository that manages intents from multiple web services.

Decentralized Architecture¶

Definition: An architecture where AI agents interact directly with web services without a central intermediary. Related Terms: Centralized Architecture, Hybrid Approach Example: AI agents discovering web services through DNS TXT records and interacting directly with them.

Hybrid Approach¶

Definition: An architecture that combines elements of centralized and decentralized architectures. Related Terms: Centralized Architecture, Decentralized Architecture Example: Centralized discovery with decentralized execution.

Execution Endpoint¶

Definition: The API endpoint where AI agents can execute intents. Related Terms: Intent, API Endpoint Example: /api/intents/execute

Rate Limit¶

Definition: A limit on the number of requests an AI agent can make to a web service within a specific time period. Related Terms: PAT, Policy Example: 1000 requests per hour.

Billing Information¶

Definition: Information about the cost of executing intents and payment methods. Related Terms: PAT, Policy Example: $0.01 per intent execution.

Data Minimization¶

Definition: The principle of collecting and storing only the data necessary for the intended purpose. Related Terms: Privacy, Security Example: Designing intents to require only the minimum necessary parameters.

Anonymization¶

Definition: The process of removing personally identifiable information from data. Related Terms: Privacy, Security Example: Removing user IDs and email addresses from data returned by intents.

Data Retention¶

Definition: The period of time for which data is stored before being deleted. Related Terms: Privacy, Security Example: Storing data for 30 days before deleting it.