cto/sot/03-PROTOCOLS/CTO-CASE-BACKEND-BRIEF.md

name	tier	status	owner	source	created	last_reviewed	lifecycle_classification	core_promotion_status	description
cto-case-backend-brief	local	draft	jp	conversation	2026-05-31	2026-05-31	planning	not-promoted	Child-local brief for making Case the default CTO execution backend while Cortex OS keeps authority.

CTO Case Backend Brief

Thesis

Case should be the default real-repo execution backend for the Cortex OS CTO product surface.

Cortex OS should govern Case. Cortex OS should not be built on Case.

Core Position

Cortex governs.
Hermes controls.
CTO routes.
Case executes.
Harness proves.
Target repo stays owned.
Evidence records.
Core promotes only through SOT route.

Authority Model

Block	Governs	Must not govern
Cortex OS Core	SOT authority, routing, lifecycle, terminology, validators, evidence rules, promotion rules	Agent implementation, vendor internals, PR implementation
Hermes WebUI	Visual control, sessions, approvals, event replay, operator status	Core SOT authority, backend execution semantics
Hermes CTO Profile	Technical role, task contract, risk interpretation, backend selection, JP escalation	Core promotion, deploy authority, vendor source
CTO Harness	Adapter compliance, event validation, artifact validation, backend conformance	Final authority, product readiness claim
Case	Code-change pipeline, PR lifecycle, verifier/reviewer gates, retrospective learning	Cortex authority, JP approval, Core promotion
Target Repository	Owned source and local project contract	Cortex authority transfer, hidden mutation

Target Architecture

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Cortex OS Core                                                                  |
| SOT authority: Standards, Protocols, Registries, Validators, Evidence rules      |
+---------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
                                        |
                                        | emits governed Work Packet
                                        v
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Cortex Work Packet                                                              |
| route, authority basis, repo scope, allowed paths, forbidden actions, risk,      |
| success criteria, evidence expectations, approval policy                         |
+--------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
                           |
                           v
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Hermes CTO Profile                                                              |
| task contract, backend selection, risk gates, JP escalation, status              |
+--------------------------+-----------------------------+--------------------+
                           |                             |
                           | invokes adapter              | emits events
                           v                             v
+------------------------------------------------+   +----------------------------+
| CTO Harness                                     |   | Hermes WebUI               |
| validates backend conformance                   |   | control and replay surface |
+--------------------+---------------------------+   +----------------------------+
                     |
                     v
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Case Backend                                                                   |
| scout -> implementer -> verifier -> reviewer -> closer -> retrospective         |
+--------------------------+-----------------------------------------------------+
                           |
                           v
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Target Repository                                                               |
| bounded mutation through PR, diff, logs, tests, review, and evidence             |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------------+

Execution Rule

Case is the CTO execution backend, not the CTO authority layer.

The first integration target should be:

cto/harness/runner/case-engine.sh

The adapter must map:

Cortex Work Packet -> Case task file
Case events/logs -> CTO event envelope
Case result -> Cortex evidence packet

Preserve From Existing CTO Work

• CTO event vocabulary.
• Approval gates.
• Task contract shape.
• Runtime artifact directory discipline.
• Allowed-path validation.
• Health, status, and WebUI summary commands.
• Fake deterministic cases.
• Codex and Pi comparative lanes.

Decision Candidate

Adopt Case as the default real-repo code-change backend for CTO.

Keep the existing CTO harness as the adapter and compliance test surface.

Open Questions

• Which Case task fields map directly to Cortex Work Packet fields?
• Which Case events need normalization into CTO event envelopes?
• Where should Case runtime artifacts be stored for child-local evidence?
• Which approval gates stay in Hermes WebUI versus Case?
• What focused validator proves Case adapter compliance without claiming Core promotion?

Non-Authority Notice

This brief is child-local planning. It does not promote Case, Hermes CTO, or the CTO harness into Core authority.