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+
+# OpenTelemetry Collector
+
+**Status**: [Development](../document-status.md)
+
+The goal of this document is for users to be able to easily switch between
+OpenTelemetry Collector Distros while also ensuring that components produced by
+the OpenTelemetry Collector SIG are able to work with any vendor who claims
+support for an OpenTelemetry Collector.
+
+- An OpenTelemetry Collector _MUST_ accept an [OpenTelemetry Collector configuration
+  file](#opentelemetry-collector-configuration-file).
+- An OpenTelemetry Collector _MUST_ be able to include additional compatible
+  [Collector components](#opentelemetry-collector-components) that
+  the user wishes to include.
+
+## OpenTelemetry Collector configuration file
+
+An OpenTelemetry Collector configuration file is defined as YAML and _MUST_ support
+the following [minimum structure](https://pkg.go.dev/go.opentelemetry.io/collector/otelcol#Config):
+
+```yaml
+receivers:
+processors:
+exporters:
+connectors:
+extensions:
+service:
+  telemetry:
+  pipelines:
+```
+
+## OpenTelemetry Collector components
+
+For a library to be considered an OpenTelemetry Collector component, it _MUST_
+implement a [Component interface](https://pkg.go.dev/go.opentelemetry.io/collector/component#Component)
+defined by the OpenTelemetry Collector SIG.
+
+Components require a unique identfier as a `type` string to be included in an OpenTelemetry
+Collector. It is possible that multiple components use the same identifier, in which
+case the two components cannot be used simultaneously in a single OpenTelemetry Collector. In
+order to resolve this, the clashing components must use a different identifier.
+
+### Compatibility requirements
+
+A component is defined as compatible with an OpenTelemetry Collector when its dependencies are
+source- and version-compatible with the Component interfaces of that Collector.
+
+For example, a Collector derived from version tag v0.100.0 of the [OpenTelemetry Collector](https://github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector) _MUST_ support all components that
+are version-compatible with the Golang Component API defined in the `github.com/open-telemetry/opentelemetry-collector/component` module found in that repository for that version tag.
+
+## OpenTelemetry Collector Distribution
+
+An OpenTelemetry Collector Distribution (Distro) is a compiled instance
+of an OpenTelemetry Collector with a specific set of components and features. A
+Distribution author _MUST_ provide users with tools and/or documentation for adding
+their own components to the Distribution's components. Note that the resulting
+binary from updating a Distribution to include new components
+is a different Distribution.