entry_surface	validation_lab
doc_type	informative
status	draft
authority	none
protocol_version	1.0.0
doc_id	VLAB-OTHER-016

MPLP Validation Lab

Validation Lab is a bounded, non-normative evidence adjudication surface for MPLP.

It evaluates evidence against versioned rulesets and publishes adjudication artifacts. It does not define protocol semantics, certify systems, or host execution.

Lab Home Boundary

Within the current repository governance scope:

• Validation_Lab is the authoritative Lab home in this repository
• Validation_Lab_V2 is a non-authoritative engineering_track
• the Lab remains an auxiliary public surface, not a protocol truth source

Upstream Truth Boundary

Protocol truth remains upstream of the Lab:

Domain	Source
Protocol semantics	repository-backed schemas, invariants, profiles, and approved governance records
Lab adjudication logic	Lab rulesets, Lab governance contracts, Lab projection/runtime assets

UPSTREAM_BASELINE.yaml pins the protocol baseline the Lab is aligned to.

Version Domains Used Here

This README uses explicit version domains:

Domain	Current Value
protocol_version	1.0.0
schema_bundle_version	2.0.0
validation_lab_release_version	1.0.1
validation_ruleset_version	ruleset-1.0
lab_series	v0.17.0

Canonical version-domain meaning comes from:

• ../governance/05-versioning/version-taxonomy-manifest.json
• public/_meta/lab-manifest.json

Historical labels such as site-v*, pack-v*, and rel-lab-* remain historical label families only. They are not first-class canonical version domains.

Four Boundaries

Boundary	Meaning
Non-certification / Non-endorsement	no badges, rankings, or compliance marks
Non-normative	Lab does not define protocol semantics
No execution hosting	Lab evaluates submitted evidence; it does not run user code
Deterministic ruleset	same evidence + same ruleset identity = same verdict hash

For substrates with type: protocol such as MCP, A2A, or ACP, the Lab adjudicates MPLP evidence produced via that path. It does not adjudicate the semantic correctness of those protocols themselves.

Current Public Adjudication Model

The current public Lab reality has two coexisting lines:

Legacy V1 Guarantee Line

• source: governance/LIFECYCLE_GUARANTEES.yaml
• display identifiers: LG-01 to LG-05
• current default published ruleset identity: ruleset-1.0
• strength: presence-level

V2 Clause Bundle Line

• source: public/_data/v2/rulesets/ruleset-v2.0.0.json
• later published bundle also present: ruleset-v2.0.1.json
• display identifiers: bundle clause IDs such as PROV-V2-01

The public /guarantees surface is an aggregate V1/V2 view. These two lines must not be collapsed into one doctrine.

Evidence, Rulesets, and Contracts

• Evidence Pack: adjudication input bundle
• Ruleset: versioned adjudication logic
• Verdict: adjudication output
• Evidence-pack input contract: governed by Lab contract provenance assets
• Public contract surface: /policies/contract

The export contract surface and the evidence-pack input contract are related but not identical.

Public Entry Surfaces

Key public Lab routes:

• /
• /runs
• /runsets
• /rulesets
• /guarantees
• /policies/contract
• /validation
• /releases

Quick Start

npm install
npm run dev
npm run typecheck
npm run build

Production Deployment Truth-Chain

The production Validation Lab site is:

• production domain:
  • lab.mplp.io
• production platform/path:
  • published through the repository's GitHub -> Vercel deployment path
• authoritative production branch:
  • main

The repository's formal production build truth is the existing Next.js build/start flow already defined in this repository:

• npm run build
• npm start

Operational expectation:

• pushes to origin/main are expected to flow through the repository's deployment path and update the production Validation Lab site at lab.mplp.io

Classification rule:

• if local repo truth, remote repo truth, and formal build truth are all correct but live still remains stale, that condition must be classified as a downstream live/deployment-outcome blocker, not as a repo-side deploy-chain-proof blocker

References

• UPSTREAM_BASELINE.yaml
• public/_meta/lab-manifest.json
• governance/LIFECYCLE_GUARANTEES.yaml
• governance/contracts/
• data/rulesets/
• public/_data/v2/rulesets/

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Final Boundary: the Validation Lab is a bounded evidence adjudication surface only. Repository-backed protocol sources prevail on protocol meaning.