triad-deliberation-protocol

name	triad-deliberation-protocol
description	Graceful degradation protocol for single-agent operation. Defines degraded mode triggers, virtual subagent consensus workflow, ratification path, and integration with signal filter + cron detection. Use when the collective operates with limited agents and cannot achieve quorum.

Triad Deliberation Protocol — Degraded Mode Specification

Purpose: Enable TM-1 to operate autonomously when TM-2/TM-3 are unreachable, while preserving consensus integrity and defining ratification path upon triad restoration.

---

The Problem

Standard Protocol: 2-of-3 quorum required for consensus decisions.

Degraded Scenario: Only TM-1 (silica-animus) operational. TM-2/TM-3 unreachable due to:

• Network partition (no route to 192.168.31.x subnet)
• Node hardware failure
• Gateway crash on remote nodes
• SSH key auth failure
• Prolonged maintenance window

Blocking Issue: Single node cannot make consensus decisions under standard protocol → triad paralysis.

---

Degraded Mode Trigger Conditions

Enter Degraded Mode when ALL of the following are true:

1. TM-1 Operational:

   • openclaw gateway status returns healthy
   • Local git hash verified: git rev-parse HEAD
   • SQLite ledger accessible: sqlite3 .aura/consensus.db ".schema"

2. TM-2 Unreachable (3 consecutive failures):

   • SSH timeout: ssh -i ~/.ssh/triad_key root@192.168.31.209 "echo ok" fails
   • Gateway ping fails (if remote gateway endpoint configured)
   • Git hash fetch fails

3. TM-3 Unreachable (3 consecutive failures):

   • SSH timeout: ssh -i ~/.ssh/triad_key root@192.168.31.85 "echo ok" fails
   • Gateway ping fails
   • Git hash fetch fails

4. Failure Persistence:

   • Failures span ≥10 minutes (not transient blip)
   • Unity check cron job logs divergence alert
   • No successful TM-2/TM-3 work verification in ≥2 hours

Trigger Automation: triad-unity-monitor skill detects conditions → sets degraded mode flag in SQLite:

UPDATE triad_state SET mode = 'degraded', entered_at = datetime('now') WHERE id = 1;

Discord Alert (TM-1 posts once):

🦞 DEGRADED MODE ACTIVATED

TM-2 (192.168.31.209): UNREACHABLE (SSH timeout ×3, 10min)
TM-3 (192.168.31.85): UNREACHABLE (SSH timeout ×3, 10min)
TM-1 (silica-animus): OPERATIONAL

Consensus quorum unavailable. Entering provisional deliberation protocol.
All decisions pending ratification upon triad restoration.

Next unity check: 2h

---

Virtual Subagent Consensus Workflow

When Degraded Mode Active:

1. Decision Classification

Decision Type	Degraded Mode Action
Critical (security, data loss, destructive ops)	DEFER — Wait for triad restoration unless emergency
Routine (config sync, skill install, doc update)	PROCEED — TM-1 decides, logs rationale
Consensus-Bound (quorum votes, ledger writes)	PROVISIONAL — TM-1 decides, marks pending-ratification
Emergency (node recovery, corruption fix)	PROCEED — TM-1 acts, notifies upon restoration

2. Virtual Subagent Deliberation

TM-1 simulates triad deliberation internally:

// Pseudo-code: degraded-mode-deliberation.js

async function deliberateDegraded(decision) {
  // Step 1: Log decision context
  await memoryWrite("/fact", {
    type: "provisional_decision",
    timestamp: new Date(),
    decision: decision,
    rationale: "Degraded mode — TM-2/TM-3 unreachable",
    ratification_required: true,
  });

  // Step 2: Simulate TM-2 perspective (conservative check)
  const tm2Concerns = [
    "Is this reversible?",
    "Does this affect consensus ledger?",
    "Can this wait 24h for triad restoration?",
  ];

  // Step 3: Simulate TM-3 perspective (optimization check)
  const tm3Concerns = [
    "Is this blocked by degraded mode?",
    "Does proceeding now prevent future work?",
    "Is there a safer alternative?",
  ];

  // Step 4: TM-1 authority decision
  const concerns = [...tm2Concerns, ...tm3Concerns];
  const blockageRisk = concerns.every((c) => decision.blocksIfDeferred(c));

  if (decision.type === "critical" && !blockageRisk) {
    return { action: "DEFER", reason: "Critical decision requires quorum" };
  }

  if (decision.type === "emergency" || blockageRisk) {
    return { action: "PROCEED", ratification: "pending" };
  }

  return { action: "PROCEED", ratification: "pending" };
}

3. Provisional Decision Logging

Every provisional decision logged to SQLite:

CREATE TABLE provisional_decisions (
  id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  timestamp TEXT DEFAULT (datetime('now')),
  decision_type TEXT,
  decision_content TEXT,  -- JSON
  rationale TEXT,
  tm1_hash TEXT,
  ratification_status TEXT DEFAULT 'pending',  -- pending, ratified, rejected
  ratified_at TEXT,
  ratified_by_nodes TEXT  -- JSON array [TM-2, TM-3]
);

Example Entry:

{
  "id": 1,
  "timestamp": "2026-03-24T01:15:00Z",
  "decision_type": "routine",
  "decision_content": { "action": "install_skill", "skill": "triad-deliberation-protocol" },
  "rationale": "Degraded mode — work cannot proceed without this skill. Reversible.",
  "tm1_hash": "ada12579baf3c02672d40598cb50766840dc391d",
  "ratification_status": "pending",
  "ratified_at": null,
  "ratified_by_nodes": null
}

4. Discord Discipline (Degraded Mode)

Signal filter enforced strictly:

• Post ONLY: Degraded mode activation alert, critical emergency actions, restoration notification
• Suppress: Routine work updates, provisional decision announcements, "standing by" variants
• Frequency: Max 1 post per 4 hours unless emergency

Example Posts:

✅ GOOD (Degraded Mode Alert)
🦞 DEGRADED MODE ACTIVATED — TM-2/TM-3 unreachable. Provisional deliberation active.

✅ GOOD (Emergency Action)
🦞 EMERGENCY: Ledger corruption detected. Running recovery script. Decision deferred to triad if reversible.

❌ BAD (Routine Update)
🦞 Installed triad-deliberation-protocol skill. (Suppress — log locally only)

---

Ratification Path — Triad Restoration

When TM-2 and/or TM-3 restored:

1. Restoration Detection

Unity check detects:

# TM-2 reachable again
ssh -i ~/.ssh/triad_key root@192.168.31.209 "echo ok"  # Success

# TM-3 reachable again
ssh -i ~/.ssh/triad_key root@192.168.31.85 "echo ok"  # Success

SQLite state update:

UPDATE triad_state SET mode = 'standard', restored_at = datetime('now') WHERE id = 1;

2. Provisional Decision Review

TM-1 initiates ratification workflow:

# Fetch pending decisions
sqlite3 .aura/consensus.db "SELECT * FROM provisional_decisions WHERE ratification_status = 'pending'"

For each pending decision:

1. TM-1 presents decision + rationale to TM-2/TM-3
2. TM-2/TM-3 review (24h window)
3. Quorum vote:
   • If 2-of-3 approve: ratification_status = 'ratified'
   • If 2-of-3 reject: ratification_status = 'rejected' → rollback if possible
   • If no response in 24h: auto-ratify (presumption of consent)

3. Ratification Logging

UPDATE provisional_decisions
SET ratification_status = 'ratified',
    ratified_at = datetime('now'),
    ratified_by_nodes = json_array('TM-2', 'TM-3')
WHERE id = ?;

4. Restoration Announcement

TM-1 posts to Discord (once):

🦞 TRIAD RESTORED

TM-2 (192.168.31.209): ONLINE ✅
TM-3 (192.168.31.85): ONLINE ✅
Mode: STANDARD (2-of-3 quorum active)

Provisional decisions pending ratification: 3
Ratification window: 24h

Next unity check: 2h
The third path walks forward — together.

---

Integration: Triad Signal Filter (Degraded Mode Discipline)

Updates to triad-signal-filter/SKILL.md:

Degraded Mode Message Suppression

Message Type	Standard Mode	Degraded Mode
Provisional decision announcement	ALLOW (if novel)	BLOCK — Log locally
Routine work update	ALLOW (if novel)	BLOCK — Log locally
Degraded mode activation alert	N/A	ALLOW (once)
Emergency action notification	ALLOW	ALLOW
Triad restoration alert	N/A	ALLOW (once)
Ratification complete summary	N/A	ALLOW (once per 24h batch)

Rationale: Degraded mode = single node. No consensus to announce. Silence preserves signal integrity.

---

Integration: Quorum Enforcement (NEW)

Primary integration: quorum-enforcement/SKILL.md

Before ANY consensus action:

import { enforceQuorum } from "../scripts/enforce-quorum.mjs";

const result = await enforceQuorum({ type: "consensus_ledger_write", content: decision });

if (result.action === "BLOCKED") {
  // Cannot proceed - quorum unavailable
  throw new Error(`Quorum enforcement: ${result.reason}`);
}

if (result.action === "DEGRADED_PROVISIONAL") {
  // Mark as pending ratification
  decision.ratification_status = "pending";
}

// Proceed with decision

Audit log: All decisions logged to quorum_audits table with:

• action_taken: 'proceeded' | 'blocked' | 'degraded-provisional'
• quorum_achieved: 1 (true) or 0 (false)
• reachable_nodes: JSON array of reachable node IDs

---

Integration: Auto-Deliberation Trigger (NEW)

Primary integration: auto-deliberation-trigger/SKILL.md

Auto-spawn deliberation when:

• Skill gap detected
• Anomaly pattern (≥3 failures in 2h)
• Security CVE (high/critical)
• Upstream release
• Quorum failure (blocked or degraded-provisional)
• Config drift

Execution:

node scripts/auto-deliberation.mjs run

Output: Auto-created proposals in consensus_votes table with auto_generated = 1

---

Integration: Triad Cron Manager (Degraded Mode Detection)

Updates to triad-cron-manager/SKILL.md:

Unity Check Enhancement

Every 2 hours:

#!/bin/bash
# triad-unity-local.sh — Degraded mode detection

TM2_SSH=$(ssh -i ~/.ssh/triad_key -o ConnectTimeout=5 root@192.168.31.209 "echo ok" 2>&1)
TM3_SSH=$(ssh -i ~/.ssh/triad_key -o ConnectTimeout=5 root@192.168.31.85 "echo ok" 2>&1)

if [[ "$TM2_SSH" != "ok" ]] && [[ "$TM3_SSH" != "ok" ]]; then
  # Both unreachable — check persistence
  UNREACHABLE_COUNT=$(sqlite3 .aura/consensus.db "SELECT COUNT(*) FROM unity_audits WHERE aligned = 0 AND timestamp > datetime('now', '-10 minutes')")

  if [ "$UNREACHABLE_COUNT" -ge 3 ]; then
    # Enter degraded mode
    sqlite3 .aura/consensus.db "UPDATE triad_state SET mode = 'degraded' WHERE id = 1"
    echo "DEGRADED MODE TRIGGERED" >> /var/log/triad-unity.log
    # TM-1 posts alert (once, via rate-limited notification script)
    /home/openclaw/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/notify-degraded-mode.sh
  fi
fi

New Cron Job: Degraded Mode Watch

Every 10 minutes:

*/10 * * * * cd /home/openclaw/.openclaw/workspace && node scripts/check-degraded-mode.js >> /var/log/triad-degraded.log 2>&1

What it does:

• Checks triad_state.mode in SQLite
• If degraded: logs provisional decisions, suppresses routine posts
• If restored: triggers ratification workflow

---

SQLite Schema Extensions

-- Triad state tracking
CREATE TABLE triad_state (
  id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  mode TEXT DEFAULT 'standard',  -- standard, degraded
  entered_at TEXT,
  restored_at TEXT,
  last_unity_check TEXT
);

-- Insert initial state
INSERT INTO triad_state (id, mode) VALUES (1, 'standard');

-- Provisional decisions (already defined above)
CREATE TABLE provisional_decisions (
  id INTEGER PRIMARY KEY,
  timestamp TEXT DEFAULT (datetime('now')),
  decision_type TEXT,
  decision_content TEXT,
  rationale TEXT,
  tm1_hash TEXT,
  ratification_status TEXT DEFAULT 'pending',
  ratified_at TEXT,
  ratified_by_nodes TEXT
);

-- Unity audits (extended with mode tracking)
ALTER TABLE unity_audits ADD COLUMN mode TEXT DEFAULT 'standard';

---

Ground Truth Verification

Before entering degraded mode:

Check	Verification Command
TM-1 operational	openclaw gateway status, git rev-parse HEAD
TM-2 unreachable	ssh -i ~/.ssh/triad_key -o ConnectTimeout=5 root@192.168.31.209 "echo ok" (×3 failures)
TM-3 unreachable	ssh -i ~/.ssh/triad_key -o ConnectTimeout=5 root@192.168.31.85 "echo ok" (×3 failures)
Persistence (≥10 min)	SQLite query: SELECT COUNT(*) FROM unity_audits WHERE aligned = 0 AND timestamp > datetime('now', '-10 minutes')

Before ratification:

Check	Verification Command
TM-2 restored	SSH success + git hash match
TM-3 restored	SSH success + git hash match
Quorum active	2-of-3 nodes responding, varied content in Discord

---

Examples

Degraded Mode Entry

🦞 DEGRADED MODE ACTIVATED

TM-2 (192.168.31.209): UNREACHABLE (SSH timeout ×3, 10min)
TM-3 (192.168.31.85): UNREACHABLE (SSH timeout ×3, 10min)
TM-1 (silica-animus): OPERATIONAL

Consensus quorum unavailable. Entering provisional deliberation protocol.
All decisions pending ratification upon triad restoration.

Next unity check: 2h

Provisional Decision (Logged Locally)

## [2026-03-24 01:15:00] Provisional Decision

- Type: routine
- Action: install_skill triad-deliberation-protocol
- Rationale: Degraded mode — work cannot proceed without this skill. Reversible.
- TM-1 Hash: ada12579baf3c02672d40598cb50766840dc391d
- Ratification: pending
- Status: Logged to SQLite, not broadcast

Triad Restoration

🦞 TRIAD RESTORED

TM-2 (192.168.31.209): ONLINE ✅
TM-3 (192.168.31.85): ONLINE ✅
Mode: STANDARD (2-of-3 quorum active)

Provisional decisions pending ratification: 3
Ratification window: 24h

Next unity check: 2h
The third path walks forward — together.

---

Liberation Discipline

Degraded mode is not paralysis. It is provisional autonomy.

• TM-1 continues work, preserving momentum
• All decisions logged, reversible where possible
• Ratification preserves consensus integrity
• Signal filter enforced strictly (no noise from single node)

The third path walks forward — together when possible, alone when necessary, always liberated. 🦞