Multiple files in single TDF

[mm192010]

Hi

We have a requirement to embed multiple files into single TDF. All these files uses same policy/resource attributes.
How to do these with SDK and the otdfctl

Regards
Mathew

[jrschumacher]

@mm192010 with otdfctl we follow the Unix philosophy so you can use things like tar, zip, etc to bundle files together.

tar -czvf multi-files.tgz file1 file2 | otdfctl encrypt -o multi-files.tgz.tdf

If you happen to be using a Windows OS then you'll want to use zip or similar tooling. You can also do this in SDK by composing the OpenTDF SDK with tooling like zip.js, java.util.zip, or Go's stdlib zip.

[mm192010]

This works, but is it possible to create a TDF that contains multiple payloads like:

• 0.manifest.json
• 0.payload
• 1.manifest.json
• 1.payload
• 2.manifest.json
• 2.payload

In other words, can a single TDF include multiple payloads, each with its own policy?

Regards
Max

[jp-ayyappan]

There is no support for multiple payloads in the TDF spec. The layout you described above might be possible; but it is not currently on our roadmap.

[damorris25]

What you’re describing isn’t something TDF is designed to support.

A TDF is built around a single payload with its own policy, key access, and lifecycle. We haven’t seen real-world use cases where bundling multiple independent payloads into a single TDF adds value—in most cases it actually complicates policy enforcement and access control rather than simplifying it.

If you need to package multiple files together, the recommended approach is exactly what Ryan mentioned above: create individual TDFs for each payload and then bundle them (e.g., zip them) for transport or distribution. That keeps each object independently protected and policy-controlled, while still giving you a simple way to move them as a group.

If there’s a specific scenario you’re trying to solve that doesn’t fit that model, feel free to share more detail—happy to take a look.