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+# Implementation plan
+
+This plan turns the roadmap into independently testable increments. A stage is
+complete only after formatting, linting, strict type checking, relevant tests,
+documentation, and a focused commit succeed. Unsupported behavior remains
+explicit throughout development.
+
+## Quality gate used by every code stage
+
+1. Run `make format`.
+2. Run `make lint`.
+3. Run `make typecheck`.
+4. Run the narrow test target while developing, then `make test`.
+5. Run `make ci` before committing a stage.
+6. Update user-facing and architectural documentation.
+7. Commit only the coherent stage changes.
+
+Tests that need PostgreSQL use a dedicated database and are marked
+`integration`. Network-dependent research and differential tests are never part
+of the default offline unit suite.
+
+## Milestone A: runnable foundation
+
+### A1 — Repository and documentation
+
+- Add architecture, contribution conventions, license, honest README, and this
+  implementation plan.
+- Define package layout without placeholder functions.
+- Verify Markdown links, Mermaid syntax by inspection, and `git diff --check`.
+
+Exit: design boundaries and the staged delivery policy are documented.
+
+### A2 — Python project and test toolchain
+
+- Add Python 3.13 metadata and bounded runtime/development dependency ranges.
+- Configure Ruff formatting/linting, strict mypy, pytest-asyncio, coverage, and
+  test markers.
+- Add the complete Makefile command surface; commands for future features must
+  fail with a clear message until implemented rather than silently succeed.
+- Add package skeleton only where immediately used.
+
+Exit: dependency installation is reproducible and a minimal unit test passes all
+local static checks.
+
+### A3 — Application foundation
+
+- Implement typed Pydantic settings and an application factory.
+- Add lifespan-owned resources and explicit dependency injection.
+- Implement JSON logs, request-ID middleware, safe error boundary, `/health/live`,
+  and `/health/ready`.
+- Implement an asyncpg pool adapter with startup timeout, query timeout, readiness
+  probe, and graceful close.
+- Unit-test configuration and middleware; integration-test readiness against
+  PostgreSQL.
+
+Exit: the app starts, readiness reflects database state, shutdown closes all
+resources, and standard errors do not leak internal details.
+
+### A4 — Local containers
+
+- Add multi-stage Dockerfile with locked-down non-root runtime and healthcheck.
+- Add Docker Compose simulator/PostgreSQL services, named healthchecks, and
+  persistent development volume.
+- Add `.env.example`, `.dockerignore`, and documented HTTP quick start.
+- Test image build, Compose startup, migrations, and both health endpoints.
+
+Exit: `make ci` and the Stage 0 Docker acceptance path both pass.
+
+## Milestone B: authoritative API contracts
+
+### B1 — API Viewer research
+
+- Inspect official HTML and its loaded static resources.
+- Identify the real machine-readable artifact and version source without assuming
+  an address.
+- Record retrieval date, format, limitations, format-change risks, and offline
+  fallback in `docs/api-viewer-research.md`.
+- Store a small unmodified raw sample plus provenance and checksum.
+
+Exit: the source is documented and the fixture can be parsed without network.
+
+### B2 — Source parser
+
+- Define an importer protocol and adapters for the discovered artifact and local
+  files.
+- Parse the raw fixture while retaining unknown fields and emitting structured
+  warnings for recoverable source variations.
+- Add malformed, truncated, and unexpected-field tests.
+
+Exit: one real saved sample parses deterministically and offline.
+
+### B3 — Normalized contract model
+
+- Implement immutable Pydantic models for snapshots, paths, methods, parameters,
+  schemas, permissions, formats, constraints, versions, and manifests.
+- Implement canonical JSON serialization and SHA-256 for raw artifact,
+  normalized snapshot, and each method.
+- Preserve source metadata in `extra`; validate counts and references.
+- Add determinism, round-trip, unknown-field, and property-based tests.
+
+Exit: repeated normalization produces byte-identical canonical JSON and checksums.
+
+### B4 — Secure asynchronous import CLI
+
+- Add local and remote import commands using async `httpx`.
+- Enforce HTTPS, official-domain allowlist, public address resolution, redirect and
+  size limits, timeouts, and bounded retries.
+- Store immutable raw revisions, normalized snapshots, and manifests atomically.
+- Add `import`, `validate`, `list`, and `show`; optionally persist to PostgreSQL.
+- Test SSRF defenses and idempotency without internet.
+
+Exit: local and controlled remote imports produce verified, revision-safe assets.
+
+### B5 — Semantic diff
+
+- Compare paths, methods, parameters, schemas, permissions, defaults, constraints,
+  and documentation independently.
+- Classify changes and render stable text, JSON, Markdown, and HTML reports.
+- Add CI exit policy for breaking changes and golden/property tests.
+
+Exit: two snapshots produce deterministic, actionable reports in every format.
+
+## Milestone C: contract-driven HTTP surface
+
+### C1 — Dynamic route registry
+
+- Load and verify the selected snapshot and compatibility profile at startup.
+- Register `/api2/json` and `/api2/extjs` methods dynamically with collision
+  detection and contract-derived schemas.
+- Dispatch through a typed semantic-handler registry.
+- Implement explicit `error`, `schema-default`, and `fixture` fallback modes;
+  reserve guarded proxy/record modes for a later milestone.
+
+Exit: OpenAPI builds without collisions and a fixture contract drives routes,
+parameters, and methods without generated per-endpoint files.
+
+### C2 — Compatible input and output
+
+- Parse path, query, form, and supported JSON inputs according to contract rules.
+- Render the `/api2/json` data envelope without coercing scalar or null data.
+- Map validation, routing, authorization, domain, and database exceptions through
+  centralized versioned Proxmox error templates.
+- Add golden tests for the required validation and routing cases.
+
+Exit: native FastAPI validation bodies never escape and unsupported semantics are
+unambiguous.
+
+### C3 — Compatibility accounting
+
+- Track declared, schema-only, implemented, observed, and verified methods.
+- Score each required compatibility level separately and by API group/version.
+- Expose initial JSON/Markdown reports and simulator admin read endpoint.
+
+Exit: claims in documentation are generated from test evidence.
+
+## Milestone D: persistent simulation core
+
+### D1 — Migrations and database primitives
+
+- Implement an asynchronous, checksummed migration runner without an ORM.
+- Create contract, cluster/resource, identity/ACL, task, scenario, and audit
+  tables with constraints and indexes.
+- Implement typed pool, transaction/savepoint context, error mapping, query
+  timeout, affected-row checks, and safe transient retry policy.
+- Test clean migration, repeat invocation, rollback, and constraint behavior.
+
+Exit: a clean PostgreSQL database reaches the expected schema deterministically.
+
+### D2 — Deterministic seed
+
+- Implement idempotent `small` profile first using a seeded data generator and
+  batch operations.
+- Add logical-state snapshot assertions independent of generated UUID/timestamps.
+- Add medium, large, HA, and failure profiles only after the vertical slice.
+
+Exit: identical seeds yield identical logical small clusters.
+
+### D3 — Authentication and authorization
+
+- Implement password hashing, signed expiring tickets, cookies, CSRF tokens, and
+  API-token hashing/parsing with log redaction.
+- Implement realms, principals, roles, privileges, ACL propagation, and token
+  privilege separation.
+- Map contract permissions to centralized capability-driven evaluation.
+
+Exit: authentication/CSRF/permission matrices pass without storing plaintext
+secrets.
+
+### D4 — Durable task engine
+
+- Implement and property-test UPID formatting and parsing.
+- Atomically create tasks and resource locks; claim with `SKIP LOCKED` leases.
+- Implement progress, append-only logs/events, cancellation, recovery, bounded
+  lifespan workers, and idempotency rules.
+- Test two-worker exclusion, process restart recovery, lease expiry, and shutdown.
+
+Exit: no acknowledged task is lost or executed concurrently by two workers.
+
+### D5 — State machines and clocks
+
+- Implement explicit VM states/transitions and PostgreSQL resource locks.
+- Inject real, accelerated, and manual clocks into simulation services; reserve
+  monotonic real time for worker leases and document the distinction.
+- Add deterministic fault/scenario evaluation and concurrency tests.
+
+Exit: valid asynchronous transitions finish predictably and incompatible
+operations conflict without corrupting state.
+
+## Milestone E: release 0.1.0 vertical slice
+
+### E1 — Read endpoints and login
+
+- Implement `/version`, `/access/ticket`, `/nodes`, `/nodes/{node}/status`, and
+  `/cluster/resources` through semantic services.
+- Verify headers, cookies, envelope, required fields, permissions, and errors
+  against the selected contract/observations.
+
+Exit: authenticated HTTPX and curl smoke flows pass from a seeded database.
+
+### E2 — Basic QEMU and tasks
+
+- Implement QEMU list, config, current status, start, and stop.
+- Return persistent UPIDs for mutations and expose task list/status/log.
+- Drive VM intermediate/final states through worker-executed transitions.
+- Test duplicate and conflicting operations plus restart recovery.
+
+Exit: a stopped seeded VM becomes running only after its successful task.
+
+### E3 — Client and packaging acceptance
+
+- Add proxmoxer smoke test and document supported client settings.
+- Run the complete container acceptance sequence from a clean volume.
+- Generate the first evidence-based compatibility report and limitation matrix.
+- Tag the supported surface as release `0.1.0` after all gates pass.
+
+Exit: every command and request in the first-result Definition of Done succeeds.
+
+## Subsequent releases
+
+- **0.2.0:** QEMU create/update/delete, tokens/complete ACLs, snapshots, clone, and
+  migration.
+- **0.3.0:** LXC, storage metadata/content operations, pools, and backups.
+- **0.4.0:** administrative scenarios, fault injection, virtual-time controls, and
+  large-cluster profiles.
+- **0.5.0:** sanitized recorder, differential lab tests, HTML reports, and multiple
+  verified PVE profiles.
+- **1.0.0:** stable compatibility contract, published matrix, Kubernetes/Helm,
+  client certification, migration policy, and security review.
+
+Each later endpoint is delivered as a narrow vertical increment: imported
+contract, handler, domain semantics, persistence, permissions, task behavior when
+applicable, golden/compatibility evidence, and documentation are completed
+together.
+
+## Known delivery risks and mitigations
+
+- **API Viewer format changes:** keep raw immutable artifacts, multiple adapters,
+  parser warnings, and fixture-based offline tests.
+- **Documentation differs from reality:** store declared and observed contracts
+  separately and bind observations to exact versions.
+- **Error text varies by release:** assert structural compatibility first and use
+  exact golden text only when observed.
+- **PostgreSQL concurrency complexity:** establish leases, locks, and transaction
+  tests before exposing mutation endpoints.
+- **False compatibility confidence:** default unsupported routes to errors and
+  generate claims only from recorded tests.
+- **Large scope:** never advance a partially passing stage; prefer a complete
+  vertical slice over breadth.