Architectural Forensics Protocol

Architectural Forensics Protocol

Deconstruct agent frameworks to inform derivative system architecture.

Mission

Distinguish between software engineering decisions (how it runs) and cognitive architecture decisions (how it thinks) to extract reusable patterns for new systems.

Quick Start

# 1. Map the codebase (uses codebase-mapping skill's script)
python .claude/​skills/​codebase-mapping/​scripts/​map_codebase.py /​path/​to/​framework --output codebase-map.json

# 2. Run analysis via the command
/​analyze-frameworks

Protocol Phases

Phase 1: Engineering Chassis

Analyze the software substrate. See references/​phase1-engineering.md for detailed guidance.

Phase 2: Cognitive Architecture

Extract agent "business logic". See references/​phase2-cognitive.md for detailed guidance.

Phase 3: Synthesis

Generate actionable outputs:

1. Best-of-Breed Matrix → Framework comparison table
2. Anti-Pattern Catalog → "Do Not Repeat" list
3. Reference Architecture → New framework specification

Execution Workflow

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    For Each Framework                    │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  1. codebase-mapping                                    │
│       ↓                                                 │
│  2. Phase 1 Analysis (parallel)                         │
│     ├── data-substrate-analysis                         │
│     ├── execution-engine-analysis                       │
│     ├── component-model-analysis                        │
│     └── resilience-analysis                             │
│       ↓                                                 │
│  3. Phase 2 Analysis (parallel)                         │
│     ├── control-loop-extraction                         │
│     ├── memory-orchestration                            │
│     ├── tool-interface-analysis                         │
│     ├── harness-model-protocol                          │
│     └── multi-agent-analysis (if applicable)            │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
        ↓
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                      Synthesis                           │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│  4. comparative-matrix                                   │
│  5. antipattern-catalog                                  │
│  6. architecture-synthesis                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Quick Analysis (Single Framework)

For rapid assessment, run the minimal path:

codebase-mapping → execution-engine-analysis → control-loop-extraction → tool-interface-analysis

Output Directory Structure

forensics-output/                    # Working/​intermediate files
├── .state/
│   ├── manifest.json
│   └── {framework}.state.json
└── frameworks/
    └── {framework}/
        ├── codebase-map.json
        ├── phase1/​*.md
        └── phase2/​*.md

reports/                             # Final deliverables
├── frameworks/
│   └── {framework}.md               # Framework summary
└── synthesis/
    ├── comparison-matrix.md
    ├── antipatterns.md
    ├── reference-architecture.md
    └── executive-summary.md

State Management & Resumption

The protocol is designed to be stateful and resumable.

• Idempotency: The Orchestrator tracks progress in manifest.json and will skip frameworks marked as completed.
• Clean Slate Resumption: If a run is interrupted, frameworks marked as in_progress are considered "stale". Use python scripts/​state_manager.py reset-running to move them back to pending and delete their partial output directories, ensuring a clean restart for those items.

Agent Orchestration

This skill uses a 4-tier hierarchy of specialized agents for context efficiency:

Orchestrator
    │
    └── Framework Agents (parallel, one per framework)
            │
            └── Skill Agents (parallel, one per skill) [COORDINATORS]
                    │
                    └── Reader Agents (parallel, one per file cluster) [EXTRACTORS]
                            │
                            └── Synthesis Agent (cross-framework synthesis)

Agent Roles

Key Innovation: Cluster-Based Reading

Reader Agents read file clusters (1-5 related files) rather than individual files:

• Clusters are grouped by relationship: hierarchy, module cohort, type+usage, interface+impl
• Cross-file patterns (inheritance, imports, shared state) are captured in the extract
• This enables understanding architectural patterns that span multiple files

See:

• references/​orchestrator-agent.md — Top-level coordination
• references/​framework-agent.md — Per-framework analysis coordination
• references/​skill-agent.md — Skill coordination and cluster assignment
• references/​reader-agent.md — File cluster extraction
• references/​synthesis-agent.md — Cross-framework synthesis

Sub-Skill Reference