# AITBC Ecosystem Certification Criteria

## Overview

This document defines the certification criteria for AITBC ecosystem partners, SDK implementations, and integrations. Certification ensures quality, security, and compatibility across the AITBC ecosystem.

## Certification Tiers

### Bronze Certification (Free)
**Target**: Basic compatibility and security standards
**Valid for**: 1 year
**Requirements**:
- SDK conformance with core APIs
- Basic security practices
- Documentation completeness

### Silver Certification ($500/year)
**Target**: Production-ready implementations
**Valid for**: 1 year
**Requirements**:
- All Bronze requirements
- Performance benchmarks
- Advanced security practices
- Support commitments

### Gold Certification ($2,000/year)
**Target**: Enterprise-grade implementations
**Valid for**: 1 year
**Requirements**:
- All Silver requirements
- SLA commitments
- Independent security audit
- 24/7 support availability

## Detailed Criteria

### 1. SDK Conformance Requirements

#### Bronze Level
- **Core API Compatibility** (Required)
  - All public endpoints implemented
  - Request/response formats match specification
  - Error handling follows AITBC standards
  - Authentication methods supported (Bearer, OAuth2, HMAC)
  
- **Data Model Compliance** (Required)
  - Transaction models match specification
  - Field types and constraints enforced
  - Required fields validated
  - Optional fields handled gracefully

- **Async Support** (Required)
  - Non-blocking operations for I/O
  - Proper async/await implementation
  - Timeout handling
  - Error propagation in async context

#### Silver Level
- **Performance Benchmarks** (Required)
  - API response time < 100ms (95th percentile)
  - Concurrent request handling > 1000/second
  - Memory usage < 512MB for typical workload
  - CPU efficiency < 50% for sustained load

- **Rate Limiting** (Required)
  - Client-side rate limiting implementation
  - Backoff strategy on 429 responses
  - Configurable rate limits
  - Burst handling capability

- **Retry Logic** (Required)
  - Exponential backoff implementation
  - Idempotent operation handling
  - Retry configuration options
  - Circuit breaker pattern

#### Gold Level
- **Enterprise Features** (Required)
  - Multi-tenant support
  - Audit logging capabilities
  - Metrics and monitoring integration
  - Health check endpoints

- **Scalability** (Required)
  - Horizontal scaling support
  - Load balancer compatibility
  - Database connection pooling
  - Caching layer integration

### 2. Security Requirements

#### Bronze Level
- **Authentication** (Required)
  - Secure credential storage
  - No hardcoded secrets
  - API key rotation support
  - Token expiration handling

- **Transport Security** (Required)
  - TLS 1.2+ enforcement
  - Certificate validation
  - HTTPS-only in production
  - HSTS headers

- **Input Validation** (Required)
  - SQL injection prevention
  - XSS protection
  - Input sanitization
  - Parameter validation

#### Silver Level
- **Authorization** (Required)
  - Role-based access control
  - Principle of least privilege
  - Permission validation
  - Resource ownership checks

- **Data Protection** (Required)
  - Encryption at rest
  - PII handling compliance
  - Data retention policies
  - Secure backup procedures

- **Vulnerability Management** (Required)
  - Dependency scanning
  - Security patching process
  - CVE monitoring
  - Security incident response

#### Gold Level
- **Advanced Security** (Required)
  - Zero-trust architecture
  - End-to-end encryption
  - Hardware security module support
  - Penetration testing results

- **Compliance** (Required)
  - SOC 2 Type II compliance
  - GDPR compliance
  - ISO 27001 certification
  - Industry-specific compliance

### 3. Documentation Requirements

#### Bronze Level
- **API Documentation** (Required)
  - Complete endpoint documentation
  - Request/response examples
  - Error code reference
  - Authentication guide

- **Getting Started** (Required)
  - Installation instructions
  - Quick start guide
  - Basic usage examples
  - Configuration options

- **Code Examples** (Required)
  - Basic integration examples
  - Error handling examples
  - Authentication examples
  - Common use cases

#### Silver Level
- **Advanced Documentation** (Required)
  - Architecture overview
  - Performance tuning guide
  - Troubleshooting guide
  - Migration guide

- **SDK Reference** (Required)
  - Complete API reference
  - Class and method documentation
  - Parameter descriptions
  - Return value specifications

- **Integration Guides** (Required)
  - Framework-specific guides
  - Platform-specific instructions
  - Best practices guide
  - Common patterns

#### Gold Level
- **Enterprise Documentation** (Required)
  - Deployment guide
  - Monitoring setup
  - Security configuration
  - Compliance documentation

- **Support Documentation** (Required)
  - SLA documentation
  - Support procedures
  - Escalation process
  - Contact information

### 4. Testing Requirements

#### Bronze Level
- **Unit Tests** (Required)
  - >80% code coverage
  - Core functionality tested
  - Error conditions tested
  - Edge cases covered

- **Integration Tests** (Required)
  - API endpoint tests
  - Authentication flow tests
  - Error scenario tests
  - Basic workflow tests

#### Silver Level
- **Performance Tests** (Required)
  - Load testing results
  - Stress testing
  - Memory leak testing
  - Concurrency testing

- **Security Tests** (Required)
  - Authentication bypass tests
  - Authorization tests
  - Input validation tests
  - Dependency vulnerability scans

#### Gold Level
- **Comprehensive Tests** (Required)
  - Chaos engineering tests
  - Disaster recovery tests
  - Compliance validation
  - Third-party audit results

### 5. Support Requirements

#### Bronze Level
- **Basic Support** (Required)
  - Issue tracking system
  - Response time < 72 hours
  - Bug fix process
  - Community support

#### Silver Level
- **Professional Support** (Required)
  - Email support
  - Response time < 24 hours
  - Phone support option
  - Dedicated support contact

#### Gold Level
- **Enterprise Support** (Required)
  - 24/7 support availability
  - Response time < 1 hour
  - Dedicated account manager
  - On-site support option

## Certification Process

### 1. Self-Assessment
- Review criteria against implementation
- Complete self-assessment checklist
- Prepare documentation
- Run test suite locally

### 2. Submission
- Submit self-assessment results
- Provide test results
- Submit documentation
- Pay certification fee (if applicable)

### 3. Verification
- Automated test execution
- Documentation review
- Security scan
- Performance validation

### 4. Approval
- Review by certification board
- Issue certification
- Publish to registry
- Provide certification assets

### 5. Maintenance
- Annual re-certification
- Continuous monitoring
- Compliance checks
- Update documentation

## Testing Infrastructure

### Automated Test Suite
```python
# Example test structure
class BronzeCertificationTests:
    def test_api_compliance(self):
        """Test API endpoint compliance"""
        pass
    
    def test_authentication(self):
        """Test authentication methods"""
        pass
    
    def test_error_handling(self):
        """Test error handling standards"""
        pass

class SilverCertificationTests(BronzeCertificationTests):
    def test_performance_benchmarks(self):
        """Test performance requirements"""
        pass
    
    def test_security_practices(self):
        """Test security implementation"""
        pass

class GoldCertificationTests(SilverCertificationTests):
    def test_enterprise_features(self):
        """Test enterprise capabilities"""
        pass
    
    def test_compliance(self):
        """Test compliance requirements"""
        pass
```

### Test Categories
1. **Functional Tests**
   - API compliance
   - Data model validation
   - Error handling
   - Authentication flows

2. **Performance Tests**
   - Response time
   - Throughput
   - Resource usage
   - Scalability

3. **Security Tests**
   - Authentication
   - Authorization
   - Input validation
   - Vulnerability scanning

4. **Documentation Tests**
   - Completeness check
   - Accuracy validation
   - Example verification
   - Accessibility

## Certification Badges

### Badge Display
```html
<!-- Bronze Badge -->
<img src="https://cert.aitbc.io/badges/bronze.svg" 
     alt="AITBC Bronze Certified" />

<!-- Silver Badge -->
<img src="https://cert.aitbc.io/badges/silver.svg" 
     alt="AITBC Silver Certified" />

<!-- Gold Badge -->
<img src="https://cert.aitbc.io/badges/gold.svg" 
     alt="AITBC Gold Certified" />
```

### Badge Requirements
- Must link to certification page
- Must display current certification level
- Must show expiration date
- Must include verification ID

## Compliance Monitoring

### Continuous Monitoring
- Automated daily compliance checks
- Performance monitoring
- Security scanning
- Documentation validation

### Violation Handling
- 30-day grace period for violations
- Temporary suspension for critical issues
- Revocation for repeated violations
- Appeal process available

## Registry Integration

### Public Registry Information
- Company name and description
- Certification level and date
- Supported SDK versions
- Contact information
- Compliance status

### API Access
```python
# Example registry API
GET /api/v1/certified-partners
GET /api/v1/partner/{id}
GET /api/v1/certification/{id}/verify
```

## Version Compatibility

### SDK Version Support
- Certify against major versions
- Support for 2 previous major versions
- Migration path documentation
- Deprecation notice requirements

### Compatibility Matrix
| SDK Version | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Status |
|-------------|---------|---------|------|---------|
| 1.x         | ✓       | ✓       | ✓    | Current |
| 0.9.x       | ✓       | ✓       | ✗    | Deprecated |
| 0.8.x       | ✓       | ✗       | ✗    | End of Life |

## Appeals Process

### Appeal Categories
1. Technical disagreement
2. Documentation clarification
3. Security assessment dispute
4. Performance benchmark challenge

### Appeal Process
1. Submit appeal with evidence
2. Review by appeals committee
3. Response within 14 days
4. Final decision binding

## Certification Revocation

### Revocation Triggers
- Critical security vulnerability
- Compliance violation
- Misrepresentation
- Support failure

### Revocation Process
1. Notification of violation
2. 30-day cure period
3. Revocation notice
4. Public registry update
5. Appeal opportunity

## Fees and Pricing

### Certification Fees
- Bronze: Free
- Silver: $500/year
- Gold: $2,000/year

### Additional Services
- Expedited review: +$500
- On-site audit: $5,000
- Custom certification: Quote
- Re-certification: 50% of initial fee

## Contact Information

- **Certification Program**: certification@aitbc.io
- **Technical Support**: support@aitbc.io
- **Security Issues**: security@aitbc.io
- **Appeals**: appeals@aitbc.io

## Updates and Changes

### Criteria Updates
- Quarterly review cycle
- 30-day notice for changes
- Grandfathering provisions
- Transition period provided

### Version History
- v1.0: Initial certification criteria
- v1.1: Added security requirements
- v1.2: Enhanced performance benchmarks
- v2.0: Restructured tier system