| name | orchestrator |
| description | Automated multi-agent orchestrator that spawns CLI subagents in parallel, coordinates via Serena Memory, and monitors progress |
Orchestrator - Automated Multi-Agent Coordinator
When to use
- Complex feature requires multiple specialized agents working in parallel
- User wants automated execution without manually spawning agents
- Full-stack implementation spanning backend, frontend, mobile, and QA
- User says "run automatically", "run in parallel", or similar automation requests
When NOT to use
- Simple single-domain task -> use the specific agent directly
- User wants manual control via Agent Manager UI -> use workflow-guide
- Quick bug fixes or minor changes
Important
This skill orchestrates CLI subagents via gemini -p "..." --yolo. It uses Serena Memory as a shared state bus. Each subagent runs as an independent process.
Configuration
| Setting | Default | Description |
|---|
| MAX_PARALLEL | 3 | Max concurrent subagents |
| MAX_RETRIES | 2 | Retry attempts per failed task |
| POLL_INTERVAL | 30s | Status check interval |
| MAX_TURNS (impl) | 20 | Turn limit for backend/frontend/mobile |
| MAX_TURNS (review) | 15 | Turn limit for qa/debug |
| MAX_TURNS (plan) | 10 | Turn limit for pm |
Workflow Phases
PHASE 1 - Plan: Analyze request -> decompose tasks -> generate session ID
PHASE 2 - Setup: write_memory("orchestrator-session.md") + write_memory("task-board.md")
PHASE 3 - Execute: Spawn agents by priority tier (never exceed MAX_PARALLEL)
PHASE 4 - Monitor: Poll every POLL_INTERVAL; handle completed/failed/crashed agents
PHASE 4.5 - Verify: Run ../_shared/verify.sh {agent-type} {workspace} per completed agent
PHASE 5 - Collect: Read all result-{agent}.md, compile summary, cleanup progress files
See resources/subagent-prompt-template.md for prompt construction.
See resources/memory-schema.md for memory file formats.
Memory File Ownership
| File | Owner | Others |
|---|
orchestrator-session.md | orchestrator | read-only |
task-board.md | orchestrator | read-only |
progress-{agent}.md | that agent | orchestrator reads |
result-{agent}.md | that agent | orchestrator reads |
Verification Gate (PHASE 4.5)
After each agent completes, run automated verification before accepting the result:
bash .agent/skills/_shared/verify.sh {agent-type} {workspace}
- PASS (exit 0): Accept result, advance to next task
- FAIL (exit 1): Treat as failure → enter Retry Logic with verify output as error context
- This is mandatory. Never skip verification even if the agent reports success.
Retry Logic
- 1st retry: Wait 30s, re-spawn with error context (include verify.sh output)
- 2nd retry: Wait 60s, add "Try a different approach"
- Final failure: Report to user, ask whether to continue or abort
References
- Prompt template:
resources/subagent-prompt-template.md
- Memory schema:
resources/memory-schema.md
- Config:
config/cli-config.yaml
- Scripts:
scripts/spawn-agent.sh, scripts/parallel-run.sh
- Task templates:
templates/
- Skill routing:
../_shared/skill-routing.md
- Verification:
../_shared/verify.sh
- API contracts:
../_shared/api-contracts/
- Context loading:
../_shared/context-loading.md
- Difficulty guide:
../_shared/difficulty-guide.md
- Reasoning templates:
../_shared/reasoning-templates.md
- Clarification protocol:
../_shared/clarification-protocol.md
- Context budget:
../_shared/context-budget.md
- Lessons learned:
../_shared/lessons-learned.md
