A flat namespace assigns identifiers without hierarchy, so names can be used across contexts without collision risk. UUIDs achieve this algorithmically, while decentralized data stores can provide other implementations. section 2.4.3
ACME identifiers
ACME could use UUIDs for customer accounts, Internet of Things devices, or service principals across multiple systems. The identifiers remain globally unique, but reveal nothing about ownership, origin, or trust, making discovery, debugging, governance, and policy administration harder. section 2.4.3
A flat namespace trades structural meaning for portability:
- Avoids collisions across organizational or system boundaries. section 2.4.3
- Requires surrounding governance and metadata because identifiers do not reveal control, provenance, or intended use. section 2.4.3
- Contrasts with hierarchical namespaces, whose paths support discovery but can encode stale organizational assumptions. section 2.4.3
