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---
title: "Matrix as a Messaging Framework"
abbrev: "Matrix as a Messaging Framework"
category: std
docname: draft-ralston-mimi-matrix-framework-latest
submissiontype: IETF # also: "independent", "IAB", or "IRTF"
number:
date:
consensus: true
v: 3
area: "Applications and Real-Time"
workgroup: "More Instant Messaging Interoperability"
keyword:
- matrix
- mimi
- framework
- messaging
- interoperability
venue:
group: "More Instant Messaging Interoperability"
type: "Working Group"
mail: "mimi@ietf.org"
arch: "https://mailarchive.ietf.org/arch/browse/mimi/"
github: "turt2live/ietf-mimi-matrix-framework"
latest: "https://turt2live.github.io/ietf-mimi-matrix-framework/draft-ralston-mimi-matrix-framework.html"
author:
-
fullname: Travis Ralston
organization: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
email: travisr@matrix.org
normative:
MxRoomVersionGrammar:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/rooms/#room-version-grammar
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Room Versions | Room Version Grammar"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxRoomVersion10:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/rooms/v10/
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Room Version 10"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxInviteApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#inviting-to-a-room
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | Invites"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxJoinApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#joining-rooms
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | Joins"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxKnockApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#a-nameknocking-rooms-knocking-upon-a-room
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | Knocks"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxLeaveApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#leaving-rooms-rejecting-invites
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | Leaves and Rejected Invites"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxEventsApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#retrieving-events
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | Event Retrieval"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxBackfillApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#backfilling-and-retrieving-missing-events
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | Backfill"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MSC1767:
target: https://github.com/matrix-org/matrix-spec-proposals/blob/01654eb2dec7769daf1d8d7a25c04cb70a1ac9f4/proposals/1767-extensible-events.md
title: "Extensible event types & fallback in Matrix (v2)"
date: 2023
author:
- name: Matthew Hodgson
org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
- name: Travis Ralston
org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
informative:
MxSpec:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
DMLS:
target: https://gitlab.matrix.org/matrix-org/mls-ts/-/blob/dd57bc25f6145ddedfb6d193f6baebf5133db7ed/decentralised.org
title: "Decentralised MLS"
author:
- name: Hubert Chathi
org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
date: 2021
seriesinfo:
Web: https://gitlab.matrix.org/matrix-org/mls-ts/-/blob/dd57bc25f6145ddedfb6d193f6baebf5133db7ed/decentralised.org
format:
ORG: https://gitlab.matrix.org/matrix-org/mls-ts/-/blob/dd57bc25f6145ddedfb6d193f6baebf5133db7ed/decentralised.org
MxSecurityThreatModel:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/appendices/#security-threat-model
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Appendices | Security Threat Model"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxTransactionApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#transactions
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | Transactions"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxDevicesApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#device-management
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | Device Management"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxEncryptionApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#end-to-end-encryption
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | End-to-End Encryption"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxToDeviceApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#send-to-device-messaging
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | Send-to-device Messaging"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxClientServerApi:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/client-server-api
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Client-Server API"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
MxEDU:
target: https://spec.matrix.org/v1.6/server-server-api/#edus
title: "Matrix Specification | v1.6 | Federation API | EDUs"
date: 2023
author:
- org: The Matrix.org Foundation C.I.C.
--- abstract
This document describes how Matrix, an existing openly specified decentralized
protocol for secure interoperable communications, works to create a framework
for messaging.
--- middle
# Introduction
Matrix is an existing open standard suitable for Instant Messaging (IM), Voice over IP
(VoIP) signaling, Internet of Things (IoT) communication, and bridging other existing
communication platforms together. In this document we focus largely on the IM use case,
however the concepts can be applied to other forms of communication as well.
The existing Matrix specification [MxSpec] is quite large, yet modular. Here, we can
focus on the reusable portions that cover messaging, and leave the rest out of scope,
leading to more effective implementations.
This document assumes some prior knowledge of federated or decentralized systems, such
as the principles of email. This document additionally references concepts from
{{!I-D.rosenberg-mimi-taxonomy}} to build common understanding.
# Overall model
At a high level, Matrix consists of 4 primary concepts:
* Homeservers (also called "servers" for simplicity) contain user accounts and handle
the algorithms needed to support Rooms.
* Users produce Events which are sent into Rooms through their Homeserver.
* Rooms are a defined set of algorithms which govern how all servers in that room behave
and treat Events. They are similar to channels, group chats, etc from other protocols.
* Events are pieces of information that make up a room. They can be "state events" which
track details such as membership, room name, and encryption algorithm or "timeline events"
which are most commonly messages between users.
Homeservers replicate events created by their users to all other participating homeservers
in the room (any server with at least 1 joined user). Similarly, events are retrieved
on-demand from those same participating homeservers. The details regarding how this is done
specifically, and how a server becomes joined to a room, are discussed later in this document.
A 2 homeserver federation might look as follows:
~~~ aasvg
{::include art/network-arch.ascii-art}
~~~
{: #fig-network-arch title="Simple Network Architecture of Matrix"}
In this Figure, Alice, Bob, and Carol are on "hs1", with Dan and Erin being on "hs2". Despite
both having the root domain "example.org", they are considered two completely different homeservers.
Typically, a homeserver would use a domain which was closer to the root (ie: just "example.org"),
however for illustrative purposes and having two homeservers to work with, they have been "improperly"
named here.
If Alice creates a room and invites Bob, Alice and Bob can communicate without hs2. If Bob invites Dan
or Erin, hs2 joins the room when either accepts the invite. During the join process hs1 replicates the
current state of the room (membership, room name, etc) to hs2. After this initial replication, both
homeservers replicate new events from their side to the other. This replication includes validation of
the events on the receiving side.
## Eventual Consistency
In federated environments it is extremely likely that a remote server will be offline or unreachable for
a variety of reasons, and a protocol generally needs to handle this network fault without causing undue
inconvenience to others involved. In Matrix, homeservers can go completely offline without affecting other
homeservers (and therefore users) in the room - only users on that offline homeserver would be affected.
During a network fault, homeservers can continue to send events to the room without the involvement of the
remaining homeservers. This applies to both sides of the fault: the "offline" server might have had an
issue where it could not send or receive from the federation side, but users are still able to send events
internally - the server can continue to queue these events until full connectivity is restored. When
network is restored between affected parties, they simply send any traffic the remote side missed and the
room's history is merged together. This is eventual consistency: over time, all homeservers involved will
reach a consistent state, even through network issues.
# Rooms and Events
Rooms are a conceptual place where users can send and receive events. Events are sent into the room, and
all participants with sufficient access will receive the event. Rooms have a unique identifier of
`!opaque_localpart:example.org`, with the server name in the ID providing no meaning beyond a measure to
ensure global uniqueness of the room. It is not possible to create rooms with another server's name in the
ID.
Rooms are not "created on" any particular server because the room is replicated to all participating
homeservers equally. Though, at time of creation, the room might only exist on a single server until
other participants are invited and joined (as is typical with creating a new room).
Rooms are not limited in number of participants, and a "direct message" (DM, 1:1) room is simply a room
with two users in it. Rooms can additionally have a "type" to clearly communicate their intended purpose,
however this type does not fundamentally change that events are sent into the room for receipt by other
users. The type typically only changes client-side rendering/handling of the room.
Events are how data is exchanged over Matrix. Each client action (eg: "send a message") correlates with
exactly one event. Each event has a type to differentiate different kinds of data, and each type SHOULD
serve exactly one purpose. For example, an event for an image might contain a "caption" (alt text), but
should not contain a text message to go along with the image - instead, the client would send two events
and use a structured relationship to represent the text referencing the image.
Through the use of namespaces, events can represent any piece of information. Clients looking to send
text messages would use `m.message`, for example, while an IoT device might send `org.example.temperature`
into the room. The namespace for event types is the same as the Java package naming conventions (reverse
domain with purpose).
## State Events
Within a room, some events are used to store key/value information: these are known as state events.
Alongside all the normal fields for an event, they also contain a "state key" which is used to store
similar information of the same type in the room.
Such an example of a state event is membership: each member, once involved in the room in some way, has
a dedicated `m.room.member` state event to describe their membership state (`join`, `leave`, `ban`, etc)
and a state key of their user ID. This allows their membership to change and for other clients (or servers)
to easily look up current membership information using the event type and predictable state key.
Other examples of state events are the room name, topic, permissions, history visibility, join constraints,
and creation information itself (all with empty/blank state keys, as there's only one useful version of
each). Custom state events are additionally possible, just like with custom events.
## Room Versions
Rooms have strict rules for what is allowed to be contained within them, and have various algorithms which
handle different aspects of the protocol, such as conflict resolution and acceptance of events. To allow
rooms to be improved upon through new algorithms or rules, "room versions" are employed to manage a set of
expectations for each room. New room versions would be created and assigned as needed.
Room versions do not have implicit ordering or hierarchy to them, and once in place their principles are
immutable (preventing all existing rooms from breaking). This allows for breaking changes to be implemented
without actually breaking existing rooms: rooms would "upgrade" to the new room version, putting their old
copy behind them.
Upgrading a room is done by creating a new room with the new version specified, and adding some referential
information in both rooms. This is to allow clients and servers to treat the set of rooms as a single logical
room, with history being available for clients which might wish to combine the timelines of the rooms to hide
the mechanics of the room upgrade itself.
Rooms can be upgraded any number of times, and because there's no implicit ordering for room versions it's
possible to "upgrade" from, for example, version 2 to 1, or even 2 to 2.
Later in this document is a description of a room version suitable for MIMI.
## Mapping Features to Events
To achieve proper interoperability it is important to consider which features the other clients (and sometimes
servers) in the domain support, and how to represent them using a common format
{{!I-D.ralston-mimi-messaging-requirements}}. Matrix represents everything either as Events, per earlier in this
section, or as Ephemeral Data Units (EDUs) {{MxEDU}} when the data doesn't need to be persisted to the room.
This structure of having everything being a genericised event or EDU allows Matrix to represent nearly every
messaging feature as a content format problem. Servers additionally do not generally need to do much processing
of events in order for the clients to operate, and can even be purely store & forward-like nodes for clients.
The interface between client and server (also called the Client-Server API) is out of scope for this document.
The Matrix Client-Server API {{MxClientServerApi}} may be a good reference for building a Matrix-native client
or server implementation.
In Matrix, the following is how some common features would be represented:
| Feature | Representation |
| ------- | -------------- |
| Direct/Private Messages, 1:1 chats | A room with 2 users in it |
| Message history | Natural consequence of Matrix's room algorithms. Stored on the server. |
| Text messages | Timeline events |
| Multimedia (images, video, etc) | Timeline events |
| Message edits | Timeline events |
| Redaction/Removal | Timeline events |
| Reactions | Timeline events |
| Replies & rich markup | Timeline events |
| VoIP | Timeline events & WebRTC |
| Threads | Timeline events |
| Encryption | Timeline events containing an encrypted plaintext event payload |
| Typing notifications | EDUs |
| Read receipts | EDUs |
| Presence/online status | EDUs |
| Invites/membership | State events |
| Room name, topic, etc | State events |
{: #table-feature-matrix title="Examples of IM features mapped to Matrix"}
Note: some features have not been included for brevity. The features in the table above should represent
enough of a baseline to determine whether another feature would be a timeline event, state event, EDU, or
something else.
In Matrix's content format, updated and defined by MSC1767 {{MSC1767}}, fallbacks to rich text are common
to ensure clients can particpate as best as realistically possible when encountering features they don't
support. For example, a client which doesn't support polls might represent that poll simply as a text message
and users can react to it (or simply reply with more text) to "vote".
# Users and Devices
Each user, identified by `@localpart:example.org`, can have any number of "devices" associated with them.
Typically linked to a logged-in session, a device has an opaque ID to identify it and usually holds
applicable encryption keys for end-to-end encryption.
Multiple algorithms for encryption are supported, though the Matrix specification currently uses its own
Olm and Megolm algorithms for encryption. For increased interoperability, Matrix would adopt MLS
{{?I-D.ietf-mls-protocol}} instead, likely with minor changes to support decentralized environments
{{DMLS}}.
# Room Version `I.1`
The room version grammar {{MxRoomVersionGrammar}} reserves versions consisting solely of `0-9` and `.`
for the Matrix protocol itself. For purposes of MIMI, a reservation of versions starting with `I.` and
consisting otherwise of `0-9` and `.` is introduced.
The first version under this reservation would be `I.1`, described as follows.
`I.1` is based upon Matrix's Room Version 10 {{MxRoomVersion10}}, and MSC1767 {{MSC1767}} is incorporated
to provide better content format primitives. Note that while the Matrix specification references clients
and HTTP/JSON APIs, neither of these details are strictly relevant for this document.
# Federation API
In order to replicate a room across other homeservers, an API must exist to federate accordingly. This
document defines a transport-agnostic API for federation in Matrix.
Matrix aims for a "Multilateral" federation described by {{!I-D.rosenberg-mimi-taxonomy}}, where servers
can implement their own non-standard checks on requests to ensure their server is operating safely. For
example, while this document describes an "invite API", a server might choose to block invites from a
particular server or user for any reason it feels is reasonable (preventing the receiving server from
participating in the room).
The major APIs needed for federation are as follows. Note that where Matrix specification already exists,
transport details in that specification are out of scope of this document.
* A way to invite users to a room (when their server isn't already participating in the room). This is
specified by Matrix already {{MxInviteApi}}.
* A way to join a room the server doesn't yet already participate in. This is specified by Matrix already
{{MxJoinApi}}.
* A way to knock or request an invite to a room (when the server isn't already participating in the room).
This is specified by Matrix already {{MxKnockApi}}.
* A way to reject invites when the server isn't already participating in the room. This is specified by
Matrix already {{MxLeaveApi}}.
* A way to retrieve individual and missing events from other participating servers, subject to history
visbility and authorization. This is specified by Matrix already {{MxEventsApi}} {{MxBackfillApi}}.
* A way to send events to another server. Matrix currently describes this as a transport-level detail
in the form of transactions {{MxTransactionApi}}.
Note that the membership APIs above only apply when the server isn't already participating in the room. If
the server is already participating, the server can simply generate an appropriate membership event for the
user and send it to the other participating servers directly - it does not need to handshake a valid event
with a resident server.
Matrix defines many more federation APIs such as to-device messaging, ephemeral event handling (typing
notifications, presence, etc), and encryption-specific APIs, however these are out of scope of this document.
# Identity
Matrix relies on identifiers being user IDs (`@user:example.org`), however in the wider scope of MIMI it
is expected that a user might be trying to message a phone number instead of knowing the user ID. This
document does not define how an identifier like a phone number is resolved to a user ID, but expects that
a process exists to do so.
Such a service might resolve `+1 555 123 4567` to `@15551234567:example.org`, for example.
# End-to-end Encryption
Encryption of events generally happens at the Content Format level, with key exchange happening over a
transport-level concern. Matrix currently uses a dedicated set of APIs for key exchange, though with
the adoption of MLS by MIMI there are expected changes {{MxDevicesApi}} {{MxEncryptionApi}} {{MxToDeviceApi}}.
# Security Considerations
Not formally specified in this version of the document, Matrix has several threat model considerations
to ensure feature development does not make these threats easier to achieve. They are currently specified
in v1.6 of the Matrix specification under Section 6 of the Appendices. {{MxSecurityThreatModel}}
# IANA Considerations
This document has no IANA actions.
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