parallel-agents

name	parallel-agents
description	Use when multiple agents can work on independent tasks simultaneously
tags	["orchestration","parallel","performance"]

Parallel Agent Execution

Maximize efficiency by running independent agent tasks concurrently.

When to Use Parallelization

Parallelize when tasks are:

• Independent: No task depends on another's output
• Non-conflicting: Tasks won't modify the same files
• Separable: Work can be cleanly divided

Parallel Patterns

Pattern 1: Parallel Reviews

Multiple reviewers examine the same code:

                ┌─ Bug Reviewer ───────┐
Code to Review ─┼─ Security Reviewer ──┼─ Combined Findings
                └─ Performance Reviewer┘

Implementation:

# Launch all three in parallel (async mode)
delegate_task role="review" adapter="claude-code" wait=false message="Review for bugs..."
delegate_task role="review-security" adapter="gemini-cli" wait=false message="Security audit..."
delegate_task role="review-performance" adapter="codex-cli" wait=false message="Performance review..."

# Check status of each
check_task_status terminalId="..."

Pattern 2: Divide and Conquer

Split a large task into smaller independent pieces:

Large Codebase
    ├─ Agent 1: src/auth/
    ├─ Agent 2: src/api/
    └─ Agent 3: src/utils/

Implementation:

# Each agent works on a different directory
delegate_task role="implement" message="Refactor src/auth/..." wait=false
delegate_task role="implement" message="Refactor src/api/..." wait=false
delegate_task role="implement" message="Refactor src/utils/..." wait=false

Pattern 3: Parallel Research

Multiple agents research different aspects:

Question: "How should we implement caching?"
    ├─ Agent 1: Research Redis options
    ├─ Agent 2: Research in-memory caching
    └─ Agent 3: Research CDN caching

Implementation Guide

Step 1: Identify Independent Tasks

Ask yourself:

• Does Task B need Task A's output? → Sequential
• Can Task A and B modify the same file? → Sequential
• Are Task A and B completely separate? → Parallel

Step 2: Launch Tasks Asynchronously

Use wait=false to launch without blocking:

// Launch all tasks
const tasks = [
  { role: 'review', adapter: 'claude-code', message: '...' },
  { role: 'review-security', adapter: 'gemini-cli', message: '...' },
  { role: 'review-performance', adapter: 'codex-cli', message: '...' }
];

// All start in parallel
for (const task of tasks) {
  delegate_task({ ...task, wait: false });
}

Step 3: Collect Results

Poll for completion:

// Check each task status
for (const terminalId of terminalIds) {
  const status = await check_task_status({ terminalId });
  if (status === 'completed') {
    const output = await get_terminal_output({ terminalId });
    results.push(output);
  }
}

Step 4: Combine Findings

Merge outputs from all agents:

# All findings stored in shared memory
get_shared_findings taskId="review-session-123"

# Returns combined findings from all agents

Best Practices

1. Set Appropriate Timeouts

Different tasks need different timeouts:

# Quick review
delegate_task timeout="simple" ...  # 3 min

# Deep analysis
delegate_task timeout="complex" ...  # 30 min

2. Use Shared Memory

All parallel agents should write to shared memory:

share_finding taskId="common-task-id" type="bug" content="..."

3. Handle Failures Gracefully

Some agents may fail or timeout:

# Check status before using output
if (status === 'failed') {
  // Retry or skip
}

4. Avoid Resource Conflicts

Don't have parallel agents:

• Edit the same file
• Write to the same artifact key
• Depend on each other's output

Predefined Parallel Workflows

Use run_workflow with wait=false:

# Parallel code review (3 agents)
run_workflow workflow="code-review" wait=false message="Review src/..."

# Returns terminal IDs for all three agents

Performance Tips

1. Batch similar tasks: Group by agent type
2. Use lightweight agents first: Get quick wins early
3. Monitor resource usage: Don't overload the system
4. Cache results: Avoid re-running the same analysis

Example: Comprehensive Code Review

// 1. Launch parallel reviews
const reviews = await Promise.all([
  delegate_task({ role: 'review', adapter: 'claude-code', wait: false, message }),
  delegate_task({ role: 'review-security', adapter: 'gemini-cli', wait: false, message }),
  delegate_task({ role: 'review-performance', adapter: 'codex-cli', wait: false, message })
]);

// 2. Wait for all to complete
await Promise.all(reviews.map(r => waitForCompletion(r.terminalId)));

// 3. Collect findings
const findings = await get_shared_findings({ taskId: reviewTaskId });

// 4. Prioritize and fix
const critical = findings.filter(f => f.severity === 'critical');
for (const issue of critical) {
  await delegate_task({ role: 'fix', message: issue.content });
}