hyperhive/docs/coordinator.md

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# hive-c0re coordinator internals
Architecture notes for the `hive-c0re` coordinator daemon's internal subsystems.
For the public API surface (dashboard, socket protocol) see `docs/conventions.md`
and `docs/persistence.md`.
---
## Rebuild queue
Every long-running container/meta operation (rebuild, meta-update, first-spawn)
goes through the global rebuild queue (`hive-c0re/src/rebuild_queue.rs`). A single
background worker drains it in FIFO order so two `nixos-container update` runs on
the same agent never overlap, and a fresh agent rebuild never races a meta-update's
lock bump.
### Why one queue
Before the rebuild queue landed, four independent call paths could fire
`auto_update::rebuild_agent` concurrently:
- Dashboard manual rebuild button
- `update-all` / `meta-update` cascade
- Approval handler (apply-commit / spawn)
- Startup auto-update sweep
Nothing serialised them. `nix-daemon` serialises the actual store ops, but the rest
of `rebuild_agent` (token sync, kick, rescan, lock-bump emit) interleaved
unpredictably. The single-worker queue gives operators a visible, ordered runway and
lets the UI render "what's about to happen" instead of "something might be happening
somewhere."
### Queue kinds
| Kind | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `Rebuild` | Single-agent rebuild. Covers manual, approval-driven, auto-update, and meta-update cascade variants — all funnel through the same path. |
| `MetaUpdate` | `nix flake update` on the meta flake. The worker runs the lock bump itself, then enqueues a cascade of `Rebuild` entries with `parent_id` set to the meta-update's id. |
| `Spawn` | First-deploy of a new agent (approval-driven). Same serialisation as `Rebuild` from the operator's POV. |
| `Destroy` | For future use (`destroy --purge` does real I/O). Variant exists so the wire shape doesn't change later; not currently routed through the queue. |
**Intentionally not queued** (sub-second ops; adding them adds dashboard noise
without serving the "one at a time" goal): `start`, `stop`, `restart`, `kill`.
### Dedup
Enqueueing `(kind, agent)` that already has a `Queued` entry returns the existing
entry's id and appends the new request as an "also requested by …" line. Running
entries do not dedup — a re-queue during a run is legitimate (something changed
since the current run started).
### Sources
| Source | Meaning |
|--------|---------|
| `Manual` | Operator clicked rebuild / update-all / meta-update on the dashboard, or any other direct human action (CLI, manager tool). |
| `AutoUpdate` | Fired by the startup sweep or a meta-update cascade. |
| `Approval` | Triggered by an operator-approved `ApprovalKind::{Spawn, ApplyCommit}`. |
### Cascade parent tracking
`MetaUpdate` entries fan out `Rebuild` children, each carrying
`parent_id = <meta_update_id>`. The dashboard groups children under their parent
in the queue panel so the operator sees the whole meta-update cascade as a tree,
not a flat list.
### Step labels
Each queue entry has a mutable `step: Option<String>` field that the worker updates
as it progresses through lifecycle phases (`"nix build"`, `"nixos-container stop"`,
`"nixos-container update"`, `"nixos-container start"`). The dashboard polls
`/api/state` and renders the current step beneath the running entry so the operator
can see which phase is taking time.
---
## Container view
`container_view.rs` maintains an in-memory snapshot of every nixos-container's
systemd service state. It is polled on coordinator startup and re-scanned after
every lifecycle operation (spawn, rebuild, kill) so the dashboard always reflects
the actual container status without a live `nixos-container list` call on each
render.
---
## Auto-update sweep
On startup, `auto_update.rs` rebuilds every known container unconditionally.
`nixos-container update` is a no-op at the nix level when nothing changed (same
store path), so the cost is low and avoids rev-marker staleness — all agents always
need an update pass when any meta commit lands. Each rebuild is enqueued as a
`Rebuild` entry with `source = AutoUpdate` and drains through the global queue.
## Meta flake
`meta.rs` owns the single coordinator-managed flake at `/var/lib/hyperhive/meta/`.
This flake consumes every agent's applied config repo as a flake input and exports
one `nixosConfiguration` per agent. Container lifecycle ops drive the lock file so
meta's git log is the system-wide deploy audit trail.
Key operations:
- **`sync_agents`** (idempotent) — render `flake.nix` for the current agent set,
init the repo on first call, relock if the rendered contents changed, commit.
Called by spawn / destroy / startup migration.
- **`prepare_deploy` + `finalize_deploy` / `abort_deploy`** — two-phase for the
`RequestApplyCommit` path so a failed `nixos-container update` leaves no orphan
commit in meta. Prepare writes the new lock without committing; finalize commits
with the deploy message; abort restores the lock.
- **`lock_update_hyperhive`** — one-shot for the auto-update path: bumps the
`hyperhive` input lock, commits, cascades agent rebuilds.
---
## See also
- `docs/approvals.md` — approval flow + scheduled prompts
- `docs/persistence.md` — SQLite schema, state-dir layout
- `docs/conventions.md` — wire protocol, recipient sentinels
- `docs/agent-hierarchy.md` — topology and parent/child relations