Axis 2: Concepts
V7GUID — Version-7 GUID
V7GUID (also: Categorized UUIDv7 Identifier) is a classification scheme for identifiers in GitCover artifacts, based on RFC 4122-compliant UUID Version 7 (time-based, sortable), extended with a GitCover-specific class classification.
Structure
| Segment | Bits | Range | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| timestamp_ms | 48 | RFC 4122 UUIDv7 basis | Milliseconds since Unix Epoch (sortable) |
| version | 4 | RFC 4122 UUIDv7 basis | Fixed: 0111 (UUIDv7) |
| rand_a | 12 | RFC 4122 UUIDv7 basis | Deterministic vector for GitCover Tenant-/Doc-/Class-/Action-Dictionaries (defined in TOP's .gitcover repo) |
| variant | 2 | RFC 4122 UUIDv7 basis | Fixed: 10 (RFC 4122) |
| class | 14 | GitCover extension | GitCover class identifier (deterministically assigned) |
| rand_b | 48 | GitCover extension | Deterministic vector for GitCover Tenant-/Doc-/Class-/Action-Dictionaries (defined in TOP's .gitcover repo) |
Purpose: Deterministic, sortable linking of evidence in an evidence chain. Enables temporal/versioned reconstructability (GoBD: timeliness) without a central sequence database.
Full specification: The detailed V7GUID specification is part of patent application
10 2025 003 091.6.
Evidence Chains
An evidence chain links compliance artifacts via prev-hash references:
- Evidence B1 — V7GUID:
...-PERSON-..., SHA256:3f2a1c..., prev: — - Evidence B2 — V7GUID:
...-INVOICE-..., SHA256:7d4e2f..., prev:3f2a1c... - Evidence B3 — V7GUID:
...-PAYMENT-..., SHA256:1b8f90..., prev:7d4e2f...
Each evidence references the SHA-256 hash of its predecessor. The entire chain is thus cryptographically anchored and tamper-proof.
Metadata Schema (.v7g.md)
v7guid: "0197a3b2-f3c0-7b00-8001-000000000042"
class: INVOICE
sha256: "7d4e2f..."
prev_sha256: "3f2a1c..."
gpg_fingerprint: "ABCD1234..."
timestamp_iso: "2026-06-14T11:18:00+02:00"
gobd_periode: "FY2026"
Cryptographic Evidence Chain
The Cryptographic Evidence Chain combines three cryptographic primitives:
- Git Commit Hash — Immutability of the repository state
- GPG Signature — Identity of the actor (Who decided?)
- V7GUID — Deterministic addressing (What and When)
This creates a chain that is both cryptographically anchored and temporally sortable — the foundation for audit-proof compliance evidence.
Deterministic Branching
Deterministic branching enables binding evidence chains to Git repository structures. Through the combination of:
- Git repositories as compliance periods (e.g.,
FY2026) - V7GUID classes as document types (INVOICE, PAYMENT, PERSON)
- OPA policies as pre-receive hooks (validation before commit)
reproducible, auditable compliance structures emerge — without manual maintenance.
See also: The technical primitives (GPG, uuidV7, OSCAL) are detailed in Axis 4: Techniques.