> Markdown twin of https://adna.network/patterns/federation-readiness/
> Index: https://adna.network/llms.txt · Full corpus: https://adna.network/llms-full.txt
> State is a build-time snapshot generated 2026-08-30 (UTC); nothing here is live.

# Federation Readiness — aDNA Patterns

## Problem

Something that works in your project isn't automatically safe to hand to someone else. A workflow may rely on files only you have, skip the labels a stranger needs to trust it, or miss the licensing a partner's legal team will ask for. The gap between "works locally" and "safe to share across projects" takes deliberate preparation — internal references break, metadata is missing, provenance is undeclared.

## Solution

Before federating a lattice, run the **6-point readiness checklist** (§11):

| # | Check | Field | Why |
|---|-------|-------|-----|
| 1 | Schema validation | Run `lattice_validate.py` | Catches structural errors before they propagate |
| 2 | Shareable opt-in | `federation.shareable: true` | Federation is never accidental — explicit consent |
| 3 | Source instance | `federation.source_instance` | Provenance: where did this come from? |
| 4 | License declared | `fair.license` | Legal: can the recipient use this? |
| 5 | Keywords present | `fair.keywords` (≥1) | Discovery: can someone find this? |
| 6 | References resolve | All `ref` fields are valid paths or `lattice://` URIs | Integrity: no broken links in the target |

**The readiness workflow**:

1. **Validate** — Run the schema validator against the `.lattice.yaml`. Fix any errors.
2. **Audit references** — Check every `ref` field. Replace local paths with `lattice://` URIs for cross-instance references. Remove or document references that are instance-specific.
3. **Add FAIR metadata** — Ensure the `fair:` block has at least `keywords` and `license`. Add `provenance` and `creators` for full trust.
4. **Set federation block** — Enable `shareable: true`, set `source_instance`, choose a `version_policy`.
5. **Document interfaces** — If the lattice will be composed (not just imported whole), declare entry/exit nodes and their expected data types.
6. **Re-validate** — Run the validator again. Federation properties have their own consistency checks.

**Version policy selection**:

| Policy | Behavior | Best For |
|--------|----------|---------|
| `locked` | Halt on any version change | Production dependencies |
| `patch` | Accept patches, halt on minor/major | Stable integrations |
| `minor` | Accept minor changes, halt on major | Active development |
| `latest` | Always use latest, warn on breaking | Experimental use |

## When to Use

- Before publishing a lattice to a registry
- Before sharing a lattice with another aDNA instance
- When extracting a sub-lattice from a larger pipeline for independent use
- During quality reviews of lattice objects

## Example: This Vault

The lattice examples at `what/lattices/examples/` demonstrate federation readiness at different stages:

**Federated example**: The `docking_assessment` lattice carries a complete federation block:

```yaml
federation:
  shareable: true
  source_instance: adna
  parent_lattice: protein_binder_design
  version_policy: locked
  extracted_nodes: [structure_prediction, interface_analysis, ranking]
```

This lattice passes all 6 checks: schema-valid, opted in, provenance set, licensed, keyworded, and its `extracted_nodes` cross-reference against the parent lattice.

**Validation tools**: `what/lattices/tools/lattice_validate.py` implements checks 1-6 programmatically. Running it against a lattice file reports schema compliance, node ID uniqueness, edge reference validity, and federation property consistency.

**The readiness checklist in practice**: The federation guide at `what/context/adna_core/context_adna_core_federation.md` includes both pre-federation and post-federation checklists — the full workflow from "private lattice" to "composed into another project."

## Anti-Pattern

**Accidental federation**: Setting `shareable: true` on a lattice that contains internal references, proprietary data, or unresolved dependencies. Federation must be deliberate.

**Local paths in shared lattices**: A `ref: what/modules/my_custom_module` that only exists in the source project. Shared lattices must use `lattice://` URIs or document that the reference is instance-specific.

**Missing version policy**: Federating without declaring a `version_policy`. The default is `minor`, but explicit is always better — the policy determines what happens when the source updates.

**Skipping post-federation validation**: Importing a lattice into a target project without re-validating. The lattice may be valid in source but incompatible in target (different ontology, missing dependencies).

## Related

- [Lattice Composition](/learn/concepts/lattice-composition) — the composition patterns that federation-ready lattices enable
- [FAIR Envelope](/patterns/fair-envelope) — the metadata pattern that federation readiness depends on
- [Open Standard](/learn/concepts/open-standard) — the governance model that makes cross-instance federation possible