Prescriptive Runs
Driven by a.lobsterX DAG. The Convex interpreter parses the YAML, resolves step dependencies via topological sort, determines which steps are ready, and dispatches them through the governance pipeline to Bridge to a gateway adapter. Each completed step triggers DAG re-evaluation to find the next ready set.
Delegated Runs
Agent-driven. A goal and guardrails are provided instead of a DAG. The agent decides what steps to take, can spawn child runs, and reports back when the goal is met. The Factory Manager agent uses this model. Guardrails enforce cost, duration, and handoff limits.Step Dispatch Flow
Interpreter identifies ready step -> governance pipeline (10 gates) -> if allowed: Bridge dispatches to adapter -> adapter executes on gateway -> callback to Convex -> interpreter advances DAG.
Run Hierarchy
Delegated runs can spawn child runs (both prescriptive and delegated). Parent-child relationships are tracked for observability and cost attribution up the chain.Failure Handling
Each step declares anon_failure strategy:
| Strategy | Behavior |
|---|---|
retry | Re-dispatch with exponential backoff |
skip | Mark skipped, continue DAG. Downstream dependents also skip. |
abort | Fail the entire run. All pending steps cancelled. |
manual | Create a HITL approval. Human decides whether to continue or abort. |
Run Status States
| Status | Description |
|---|---|
pending | Run created, not yet started |
running | Interpreter actively dispatching steps |
completed | All steps reached terminal state successfully |
failed | A step failed with abort policy |
cancelled | Operator or system cancelled the run |
paused | Waiting on a HITL approval gate |
In Burgundy: Monitor live execution in the run detail page. ->