# Overview

Complete technical specifications, standards, and quick references for the vCon MCP Server.

## Overview

This reference section provides authoritative technical documentation for:

* **IETF vCon Specifications** - Complete standard definitions
* **Database Schema** - PostgreSQL table structures and relationships
* **MCP Protocol** - Model Context Protocol integration details
* **API Standards** - Tool, resource, and prompt specifications
* **Compliance Matrices** - Regulatory framework mappings
* **Quick References** - Fast lookup guides for common tasks

***

## Essential References

### 🎯 Quick Start References

| Document                                                                                        | Purpose                              | Time   | Audience       |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------ | -------------- |
| [Quick Reference](/reference/quick_reference.md)                                                | Critical field corrections checklist | 5 min  | All developers |
| [Glossary](/reference/glossary.md)                                                              | Terms and definitions                | -      | All users      |
| [CLI Reference](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/cli-reference.md) | Command-line tool usage              | 10 min | Developers     |

### 📋 Specification References

| Document                                                                                      | Purpose                                     | Time   | Audience     |
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ------ | ------------ |
| [IETF vCon Core](/reference/vcon-spec.md)                                                     | Complete vCon specification                 | 45 min | Implementers |
| [MCP Protocol](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/mcp-protocol.md) | Model Context Protocol details              | 30 min | Integrators  |
| [Agent database schema](/reference/agent_database_schema.md)                                  | Full PostgreSQL schema (matches migrations) | 25 min | DBAs, agents |
| [Corrected schema (IETF)](/reference/corrected_schema.md)                                     | IETF-oriented DDL narrative                 | 20 min | DBAs         |
| [Search tools](/guide/search.md)                                                              | MCP search tools and behavior               | 15 min | Developers   |

### 🔧 Implementation References

| Document                                                                                                | Purpose                            | Time   | Audience         |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | ------ | ---------------- |
| [Implementation Corrections](/reference/implementation_corrections.md)                                  | Known issues and fixes             | 15 min | Developers       |
| [Migration Guide](/reference/migration_guide.md)                                                        | Upgrading existing implementations | 30 min | Migrators        |
| [Compliance Matrix](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/compliance-matrix.md) | Regulatory requirements mapping    | 20 min | Compliance teams |

### 📚 Feature References

| Document                                                                                                    | Purpose                      | Time   | Audience             |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | ------ | -------------------- |
| [Open Source Features](/reference/features.md)                                                              | Core functionality reference | 30 min | All users            |
| [Enterprise Features](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/enterprise-features.md) | Proprietary capabilities     | 30 min | Enterprise customers |
| [Plugin Architecture](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/plugin-architecture.md) | Extension system design      | 20 min | Plugin developers    |

***

## By Use Case

### 🎯 "I'm implementing vCon for the first time"

1. **Start here:** [Quick Reference](/reference/quick_reference.md) - Know what to avoid
2. **Read:** [IETF vCon Core](/reference/vcon-spec.md) - Understand the standard
3. **Reference:** [Agent database schema](/reference/agent_database_schema.md) - Implement storage
4. **Verify:** [Implementation Corrections](/reference/implementation_corrections.md) - Check for issues

### 🔄 "I'm migrating existing vCon code"

1. **Audit:** [Implementation Corrections](/reference/implementation_corrections.md) - Identify issues
2. **Plan:** [Migration Guide](/reference/migration_guide.md) - Follow migration steps
3. **Verify:** [Quick Reference](/reference/quick_reference.md) - Confirm compliance
4. **Test:** [Testing Reference](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/testing-reference.md) - Run compliance tests

### 🔍 "I'm reviewing vCon code"

1. **Quick check:** [Quick Reference](/reference/quick_reference.md) - Fast verification
2. **Deep check:** [Implementation Corrections](/reference/implementation_corrections.md) - Known issues
3. **Schema check:** [Agent database schema](/reference/agent_database_schema.md) - Database compliance
4. **Standards check:** [vCon Spec](/reference/vcon-spec.md) - Spec adherence

### 🛠️ "I'm integrating with MCP"

1. **Protocol:** [MCP Protocol](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/mcp-protocol.md) - Understanding MCP
2. **Tools:** [../api/tools.md](/api-reference/tools.md) - Available tools
3. **Resources:** [../api/resources.md](/api-reference/resources.md) - Resource URIs
4. **Prompts:** [../api/prompts.md](/api-reference/prompts.md) - Query templates

### 📊 "I need compliance documentation"

1. **Overview:** [Compliance Matrix](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/compliance-matrix.md) - All regulations
2. **GDPR:** GDPR-specific mappings
3. **CCPA:** CCPA-specific mappings
4. **HIPAA:** HIPAA-specific mappings

***

## Reference Categories

### 📖 Standards & Specifications

#### IETF vCon Standard

* [**vCon Core Specification**](/reference/vcon-spec.md) - Complete IETF draft reference
  * Main vCon object structure
  * Party, Dialog, Analysis, Attachment objects
  * Required vs optional fields
  * Encoding options
  * Extensions and must\_support
* [**vCon Data Types**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/vcon-data-types.md) - Type definitions and validation
  * TypeScript interfaces
  * Zod schemas
  * Validation rules
  * Example objects

#### MCP Protocol

* [**MCP Protocol Reference**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/mcp-protocol.md) - Complete MCP documentation
  * Server capabilities
  * Tool invocation
  * Resource access
  * Prompt templates
  * Error handling
* [**MCP Integration Guide**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/mcp-integration.md) - How to integrate with MCP clients
  * Claude Desktop setup
  * Custom client development
  * Protocol compliance
  * Testing tools

### 🗄️ Database & Storage

* [**Agent database schema**](/reference/agent_database_schema.md) - Deployed PostgreSQL schema (authoritative for agents)
  * Core and operational tables, MVs, tenant columns, RLS summary
  * Pointers to migrations for RPC signatures
* [**Corrected schema**](/reference/corrected_schema.md) - IETF-oriented DDL (not the full catalog)
* [**Search tools**](/guide/search.md) - MCP search tools
  * Keyword, semantic, hybrid, tags
* **Migrations** under `supabase/migrations/` - Source of truth for `search_vcons_*` SQL functions and index definitions

### 🔧 Implementation Guides

* [**Implementation Corrections**](/reference/implementation_corrections.md) - Known issues and fixes
* [**Migration Guide**](/reference/migration_guide.md) - Upgrading from older versions
* [**Testing Reference**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/testing-reference.md) - Compliance and validation tests
* [**Error Reference**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/error-reference.md) - Error codes and handling

### 📋 Quick References

* [**Quick Reference**](/reference/quick_reference.md) - Critical corrections checklist
* [**CLI Reference**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/cli-reference.md) - Command-line tools
* [**Glossary**](/reference/glossary.md) - Terms and definitions
* [**FAQ**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/faq.md) - Frequently asked questions

### ✅ Compliance & Standards

* [**Compliance Matrix**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/compliance-matrix.md) - All regulatory frameworks
* [**GDPR Compliance**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/gdpr-compliance.md) - GDPR-specific details
* [**CCPA Compliance**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/ccpa-compliance.md) - CCPA-specific details
* [**HIPAA Compliance**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/hipaa-compliance.md) - HIPAA-specific details
* [**Security Standards**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/security-standards.md) - Security best practices

### 🎨 Feature References

* [**Open Source Features**](/reference/features.md) - Core functionality
* [**Enterprise Features**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/enterprise-features.md) - Proprietary features
* [**Plugin Architecture**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/plugin-architecture.md) - Extension system
* [**Roadmap**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/roadmap.md) - Future features and plans

***

## Critical Corrections Summary

This implementation fixes 7 critical issues found in many vCon implementations:

1. ✅ **Analysis Schema Field** - Uses `schema` not `schema_version` (Section 4.5.6)
2. ✅ **Analysis Vendor Requirement** - `vendor` is required, not optional (Section 4.5.5)
3. ✅ **Analysis Body Type** - `body` is string type, not object (Section 4.5.7)
4. ✅ **Party UUID Field** - Added per spec Section 4.2.12
5. ✅ **Encoding Defaults** - No default values, explicit only
6. ✅ **Dialog Type Constraints** - Must be one of 4 valid types (Section 4.3.1)
7. ✅ **Dialog New Fields** - Added `session_id`, `application`, `message_id`

**See** [**Quick Reference**](/reference/quick_reference.md) **for detailed checklist.**

***

## Specification Sources

### Primary Sources

* **IETF vCon Core:** `draft-ietf-vcon-vcon-core-02`
  * Location: `../background_docs/draft-ietf-vcon-vcon-core-02.txt`
  * Working Group: <https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/vcon/>
* **IETF vCon Privacy Primer:** `draft-ietf-vcon-privacy-primer-00`
  * Location: `../background_docs/draft-ietf-vcon-privacy-primer-00.txt`
* **vCon Consent (Draft):** `draft-howe-vcon-consent-00`
  * Location: `../background_docs/draft-howe-vcon-consent-00.txt`

### Related Standards

* **SCITT Architecture:** `draft-ietf-scitt-architecture-15`
  * For transparency service integration
  * Location: `../background_docs/draft-ietf-scitt-architecture-15.txt`
* **AI Preferences Vocabulary:** `draft-ietf-aipref-vocab-01`
  * For AI-related metadata
  * Location: `../background_docs/draft-ietf-aipref-vocab-01.txt`

***

## Version Information

### Current Version

* **Server Version:** 1.2.0
* **vCon Spec Version:** 0.4.0 (draft-ietf-vcon-vcon-core-02)
* **Schema Version:** 1.2.0
* **Last Updated:** April 2026

### Version History

See [Changelog](/reference/changelog.md) for complete version history.

### Compatibility

* **Node.js:** 18.x or higher
* **PostgreSQL:** 15.x or higher
* **Supabase:** Latest stable
* **MCP SDK:** 0.4.x

***

## Contributing to Reference Docs

### Reporting Issues

Found an error in the reference documentation?

1. Check if it's already in [Implementation Corrections](/reference/implementation_corrections.md)
2. Open an issue on GitHub with:
   * Document name and section
   * Expected vs actual content
   * IETF spec reference (if applicable)

### Submitting Updates

To update reference documentation:

1. Verify against IETF spec
2. Update relevant markdown file
3. Update cross-references
4. Submit pull request with changes

See [Contributing Guide](/development/contributing.md) for details.

***

## Additional Resources

### Documentation

* [**User Guides**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/guide/README.md) - How to use the server
* [**API Reference**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/api/README.md) - Complete API documentation
* [**Developer Guides**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/development/README.md) - Building and extending
* [**Examples**](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/examples/README.md) - Code examples and tutorials

### External Links

* **IETF vCon Working Group:** <https://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/vcon/>
* **MCP Protocol:** <https://modelcontextprotocol.io/>
* **Supabase Docs:** <https://supabase.com/docs>
* **pgvector:** <https://github.com/pgvector/pgvector>

### Community

* **GitHub:** <https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp>
* **Issues:** Report bugs and request features
* **Discussions:** Ask questions and share ideas

***

## Quick Navigation

### By Role

**Developers:** [Quick Reference](/reference/quick_reference.md) → [vCon Spec](/reference/vcon-spec.md) → [Agent database schema](/reference/agent_database_schema.md) → [API Docs](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/api/README.md)

**DBAs:** [Agent database schema](/reference/agent_database_schema.md) → [Search tools](/guide/search.md) → [Performance Tuning](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/performance.md)

**Integrators:** [MCP Protocol](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/mcp-protocol.md) → [API Reference](/api-reference/tools.md) → [Integration Guide](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/mcp-integration.md)

**Compliance Teams:** [Compliance Matrix](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/compliance-matrix.md) → [GDPR](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/gdpr-compliance.md) → [CCPA](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/ccpa-compliance.md)

### By Task

**Setting up:** [Quick Start](/guide/getting-started.md) → [Agent database schema](/reference/agent_database_schema.md) → [Testing](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/testing-reference.md)

**Migrating:** [Implementation Corrections](/reference/implementation_corrections.md) → [Migration Guide](/reference/migration_guide.md) → [Testing](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/testing-reference.md)

**Extending:** [Plugin Architecture](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/plugin-architecture.md) → [Custom Tools](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/development/custom-tools.md) → [API Reference](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/api/README.md)

**Troubleshooting:** [Error Reference](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/error-reference.md) → [FAQ](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/faq.md) → [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/issues)

***

**Need help?** Check the [FAQ](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/blob/main/docs/reference/faq.md) or ask in [GitHub Discussions](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/discussions).

**Found an issue?** Report it in [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/vcon-dev/vcon-mcp/issues) with the `documentation` label.

***

*Reference documentation is the authoritative source for implementation details. When in doubt, consult the IETF specifications.*


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