L3-DVT-FMT-SELF
CRITICAL
COMMAND CONTROL
Level 3 · hardware
Self-Describing Format
Self-Describing Archival Format with Metadata
Self-describing archival format embedding metadata (schema, version, dependencies, context) within data so future readers can parse without external context.
Purpose
Self-describing archival format embedding metadata (schema, version, dependencies, context) within data so future readers can parse without external context.
Context
Child of L2-DVT-FMT within the Lunar Ark system
Principles
- ▸Embedded schema enables format auto-discovery
- ▸Versioning + backward-compat metadata
- ▸Provenance + dependency tracking
- ▸Universal symbols + diagrams for future intelligences
- ▸Per L0 directive 04 accessibility
Typical implementations
- ▸DIDL (Digital Item Declaration Language)
- ▸METS metadata standards
- ▸Self-describing data formats (Apache Parquet, ROS bag)
Lunar considerations
- ▸Per L0 prime directive 04: accessibility for future intelligences
- ▸Self-documenting design
- ▸Coordinated with L1-KMS Rosetta archive
Specifications
Functional
| primary function | Self-describing archival format embedding metadata (schema, version, dependencies, context) within data so future readers can parse without external context. |
| metadata overhead percent | 2 |
Physical
| mass kg | 0 |
| materials | Code on rad-hard NOR flash + schema in archive |
| vacuum compatibility | True |
Operational
| power consumption w | 0.5 |
| thermal range c | -40, 70 |
| lifetime years | 100 |
| mtbf hours | 500000 |
Interfaces
Provides
- Self-describing data stream
- Format schemas for future decoding
Requires
- Schema definitions
Cite this entry
Lunar Ark Codex. "Self-Describing Format" (L3-DVT-FMT-SELF). Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://lunarark.com/entry/L3-DVT-FMT-SELF
Licensed CC-BY-SA 4.0. You may reuse and adapt this entry with attribution, under the same licence.