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# `src/multi_agent_conductor.py` & `src/dag_engine.py` — MMA Engine
[Top](../Readme.md) | [Architecture](guide_architecture.md) | [Testing](guide_testing.md) | [MMA (concepts)](guide_mma.md)
---
## Overview
The MMA (Multi-Model Architecture) engine orchestrates **parallel AI worker execution** for implementing multi-ticket tracks. Two files:
- **`src/multi_agent_conductor.py`** (~28KB) — the high-level orchestrator, worker pool, ticket dispatch
- **`src/dag_engine.py`** (~10KB) — the DAG resolution, cycle detection, topological sort
Together they implement a **non-blocking execution engine** with thread-safe state management, configurable concurrency, and programmable execution modes (Auto-Queue vs Step Mode).
---
## Architecture
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ User: "Implement Track X" │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
│ controller.dispatch_mma_track(track_id)
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ MultiAgentConductor │
│ - Loads track from conductor/ directory │
│ - Builds TrackDAG from ticket dependencies │
│ - Detects cycles │
│ - Starts WorkerPool │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
│ enqueues ready tickets
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ WorkerPool │
│ - Configurable concurrency (default 4) │
│ - Threads pull ready tickets, spawn workers │
│ - Workers call mma_exec.py with sub-prompt │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
│ per ticket
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ mma_exec.py (tier3-worker / tier4-qa) │
│ - Stateless Tier 3 or Tier 4 sub-agent │
│ - TDD cycle: red → green → refactor │
│ - Commits per task │
└─────────────────┬───────────────────────────────┘
│ completes
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Conductor: │
│ - Records ticket result │
│ - Updates DAG (downstream tickets unblocked) │
│ - Emits events to controller.event_queue │
│ - Writes logs to logs/mma_delegation.log │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```
---
## The `TrackDAG` (in `src/dag_engine.py`)
The actual `TrackDAG` is a **flat list of `Ticket` references with an `O(1)` id→ticket map**, not a graph with separate node/edge dicts. The graph structure is implicit in each `Ticket.depends_on: list[str]`.
### Data Structure
```python
class TrackDAG:
"""Directed acyclic graph of tickets in a track."""
def __init__(self, tickets: list[Ticket]):
self.tickets = tickets # list[Ticket] (the source of truth)
self.ticket_map = {t.id: t for t in tickets} # dict[str, Ticket] (O(1) lookup)
```
The `Ticket` dataclass itself is defined in `src/models.py` (see [guide_models.md](guide_models.md)). It carries the dependencies and status directly — there is no separate `TicketNode` wrapper, no `edges` dict, no `reverse_edges` dict. Adjacency lists are computed on demand inside `cascade_blocks()` and `topological_sort()`.
### Public Methods (actual signatures from `src/dag_engine.py:41-163`)
| Method | Returns | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| `cascade_blocks()` | `None` | BFS-propagate `blocked` status from currently-blocked tickets to transitive `todo` dependents (mutates tickets in place) |
| `is_ticket_ready(t)` | `bool` | True if all `t.depends_on` exist in `ticket_map` AND have `status == 'completed'` |
| `get_ready_tasks()` | `list[Ticket]` | All `todo` tickets whose dependencies are all `completed` (and whose status hasn't been blocked by `cascade_blocks()`) |
| `has_cycle()` | `bool` | Iterative DFS cycle detection (returns True/False — NOT a list of cycles) |
| `topological_sort()` | `list[str]` (ticket IDs in dep-first order) | Kahn's algorithm (BFS + in-degree counter); raises `ValueError("Dependency cycle detected")` if `len(result) < len(self.tickets)` after the BFS drain |
### `has_cycle()` — Iterative DFS
Implements iterative DFS to avoid recursion overhead. The `path` set is the iterative equivalent of the recursion stack:
```python
def has_cycle(self) -> bool:
with get_monitor().scope("dag_has_cycle"):
visited = set()
for start_ticket in self.tickets:
if start_ticket.id in visited:
continue
stack = [(start_ticket.id, False)] # (id, is_backtracking)
path = set()
while stack:
node_id, is_backtracking = stack.pop()
if is_backtracking:
path.remove(node_id)
continue
if node_id in path: return True
if node_id in visited: continue
visited.add(node_id)
path.add(node_id)
stack.append((node_id, True))
ticket = self.ticket_map.get(node_id)
if ticket:
for neighbor_id in ticket.depends_on:
stack.append((neighbor_id, False))
return False
```
### `topological_sort()` — Kahn's Algorithm
BFS-based topological sort. The cycle detection is implicit: after the BFS drain, if not every ticket was emitted, a cycle exists.
```python
def topological_sort(self) -> list[str]:
with get_monitor().scope("dag_topological_sort"):
in_degree = {t.id: len(t.depends_on) for t in self.tickets}
dependents = {t.id: [] for t in self.tickets}
for t in self.tickets:
for dep_id in t.depends_on:
if dep_id in dependents:
dependents[dep_id].append(t.id)
queue = [t.id for t in self.tickets if in_degree[t.id] == 0]
result = []
idx = 0
while idx < len(queue):
u = queue[idx]
idx += 1
result.append(u)
for v_id in dependents.get(u, []):
in_degree[v_id] -= 1
if in_degree[v_id] == 0:
queue.append(v_id)
if len(result) < len(self.tickets):
raise ValueError("Dependency cycle detected")
return result
```
### `get_executable_tickets(track)` (free function, `src/dag_engine.py:165-173`)
```python
def get_executable_tickets(track: "Track") -> list[Ticket]:
"""Convenience: returns the ready-to-execute tickets of a Track.
Free function (instead of Track.get_executable_tickets) so that
src/models.py does not need to import TrackDAG at module level,
breaking the models<->dag_engine circular dependency.
"""
return TrackDAG(track.tickets).get_ready_tasks()
```
### Thread Safety
`TrackDAG` is **NOT thread-safe**. Callers must synchronize access if used from multiple threads (per the module docstring at `src/dag_engine.py:20-22`). The `ConductorEngine` is currently the only caller; the WorkerPool reads from `self.engine` under the ConductorEngine's own lock discipline.
---
## The `ExecutionEngine`
The execution engine handles **state machine transitions** between Auto-Queue and Step Mode.
### Execution Modes
```python
class ExecutionMode(Enum):
AUTO_QUEUE = "auto_queue" # Autonomous worker spawning
STEP_MODE = "step_mode" # Explicit manual approval per transition
```
### `ExecutionEngine.tick()`
The main loop, called by the conductor at a configurable interval (default 100ms):
```python
class ExecutionEngine:
def __init__(self, dag: TrackDAG, mode: ExecutionMode = ExecutionMode.AUTO_QUEUE):
self.dag = dag
self.mode = mode
self.pending_approval: list[str] = [] # Ticket IDs awaiting approval in Step Mode
def tick(self) -> list[str]:
"""Returns list of ticket IDs to dispatch in this tick."""
if self.mode == ExecutionMode.AUTO_QUEUE:
return self.dag.ready_tickets()
elif self.mode == ExecutionMode.STEP_MODE:
# Only return one ticket at a time, requiring explicit approval
if self.pending_approval:
return self.pending_approval[:1]
ready = self.dag.ready_tickets()
if ready:
self.pending_approval = ready[:1]
return self.pending_approval
```
### Programmable Transitions
```python
def set_mode(self, mode: ExecutionMode) -> None:
self.mode = mode
if mode == ExecutionMode.AUTO_QUEUE:
self.pending_approval.clear()
def approve_next(self) -> str | None:
"""Returns the approved ticket ID, or None if nothing pending."""
if not self.pending_approval:
return None
return self.pending_approval.pop(0)
def reject_next(self) -> str | None:
"""Returns the rejected ticket ID, marking it BLOCKED."""
if not self.pending_approval:
return None
tid = self.pending_approval.pop(0)
self.dag.nodes[tid].status = "blocked"
return tid
```
These are exposed to the GUI as "Step Mode" controls and to the Hook API as `set_execution_mode` / `approve_ticket` / `reject_ticket`.
---
## The `MultiAgentConductor` (in `src/multi_agent_conductor.py`)
### `__init__(self, controller: AppController)`
```python
class MultiAgentConductor:
def __init__(self, controller: AppController):
self.controller = controller
self.dag_engine: ExecutionEngine | None = None
self.worker_pool: WorkerPool | None = None
self.current_track: Track | None = None
self.tier_assignments: dict[str, str] = {} # ticket_id -> "tier3-worker"
self.persona_overrides: dict[str, str] = {} # ticket_id -> persona_name
self._stop_event = threading.Event()
self._dispatch_thread: threading.Thread | None = None
```
### `load_track(track_id: str) -> Track`
Reads `conductor/tracks/<track_id>/plan.md` and parses the ticket list:
```python
def load_track(self, track_id: str) -> Track:
track_dir = self.controller.paths.tracks_dir / track_id
plan_path = track_dir / "plan.md"
tickets = parse_plan_md(plan_path) # Returns list[dict]
track = Track(id=track_id, tickets=tickets, plan_path=plan_path)
return track
```
The track is then passed to the DAG engine:
```python
def start(self, track: Track, mode: ExecutionMode = ExecutionMode.AUTO_QUEUE) -> None:
self.current_track = track
self.dag_engine = ExecutionEngine(TrackDAG(track.tickets), mode)
self.worker_pool = WorkerPool(max_concurrency=self.controller.app_state.max_concurrency)
self.worker_pool.start()
self._dispatch_thread = threading.Thread(target=self._dispatch_loop, daemon=True)
self._dispatch_thread.start()
```
### `_dispatch_loop` (Background Thread)
```python
def _dispatch_loop(self) -> None:
while not self._stop_event.is_set():
ready = self.dag_engine.tick()
for ticket_id in ready:
if self.worker_pool.has_capacity():
self._spawn_worker(ticket_id)
time.sleep(0.1) # 100ms tick
```
The loop runs in a daemon thread. The main thread can call `self.stop()` to break out.
### `_spawn_worker(ticket_id: str)`
Spawns a worker via `mma_exec.py`:
```python
def _spawn_worker(self, ticket_id: str) -> None:
ticket = self.current_track.get_ticket(ticket_id)
role = self.tier_assignments.get(ticket_id, "tier3-worker")
persona = self.persona_overrides.get(ticket_id)
prompt = self._build_worker_prompt(ticket, persona)
context = self._gather_context(ticket)
future = self.worker_pool.submit(role, prompt, context)
future.add_done_callback(lambda f: self._on_worker_done(ticket_id, f))
```
The `WorkerPool` is a `ThreadPoolExecutor`-backed pool with a semaphore for concurrency control.
### `_on_worker_done(ticket_id, future)`
Called when a worker finishes (success or failure):
```python
def _on_worker_done(self, ticket_id: str, future: Future) -> None:
try:
result = future.result()
self.dag_engine.dag.mark_done(ticket_id)
self.dag_engine.dag.nodes[ticket_id].result = result
self._emit_event(MMA_TICKET_COMPLETED, ticket_id, result)
except Exception as e:
self.dag_engine.dag.nodes[ticket_id].status = "blocked"
self.dag_engine.dag.nodes[ticket_id].error = str(e)
self._emit_event(MMA_TICKET_FAILED, ticket_id, str(e))
# Re-evaluate downstream blocking
for downstream in self.dag_engine.dag.reverse_edges[ticket_id]:
self.dag_engine.dag.mark_done(downstream)
```
### `_emit_event(type, *args)`
Pushes an event to the controller's `event_queue` for the GUI to consume:
```python
def _emit_event(self, event_type: str, *args) -> None:
self.controller.event_queue.put(Event(type=event_type, args=args, timestamp=time.time()))
```
The GUI polls `controller.event_queue.get_all()` once per frame and dispatches to render functions.
---
## The `WorkerPool`
A thin wrapper around `ThreadPoolExecutor` with concurrency limiting:
```python
class WorkerPool:
def __init__(self, max_concurrency: int = 4):
self.max_concurrency = max_concurrency
self.semaphore = threading.Semaphore(max_concurrency)
self.executor = ThreadPoolExecutor(max_workers=max_concurrency)
self.active_workers: set[str] = set() # ticket_ids currently running
def submit(self, role: str, prompt: str, context: dict) -> Future:
"""Submit a worker task. Returns a Future for the result."""
def _wrapped():
with self.semaphore:
self.active_workers.add(context["ticket_id"])
try:
return run_mma_worker(role, prompt, context)
finally:
self.active_workers.discard(context["ticket_id"])
return self.executor.submit(_wrapped)
def has_capacity(self) -> bool:
return len(self.active_workers) < self.max_concurrency
def stop(self, wait: bool = True) -> None:
self.executor.shutdown(wait=wait)
```
### `run_mma_worker`
Invokes `mma_exec.py` as a subprocess (not in-process) to enforce **Context Amnesia** — the sub-agent has zero state from the parent:
```python
def run_mma_worker(role: str, prompt: str, context: dict) -> dict:
"""Spawn a fresh tier3-worker sub-agent for the ticket."""
cmd = [
sys.executable, "scripts/mma_exec.py",
"--role", role,
"--ticket-id", context["ticket_id"],
]
# Pipe prompt via stdin
proc = subprocess.Popen(cmd, stdin=subprocess.PIPE, stdout=subprocess.PIPE, stderr=subprocess.PIPE)
payload = json.dumps({"prompt": prompt, "context": context}).encode("utf-8")
stdout, stderr = proc.communicate(payload, timeout=600)
if proc.returncode != 0:
raise RuntimeError(f"Worker failed: {stderr.decode('utf-8')}")
return json.loads(stdout.decode("utf-8"))
```
This is the **Token Firewall** in action: each worker is a fresh subprocess with a clean context window, receiving only the prompt and the relevant context slice.
---
## Track Loading
Tracks live in the project's `conductor/tracks/` directory:
```
conductor/tracks/
├── 2026-05-20_initial_setup/
│ ├── plan.md # Ticket list with dependencies
│ ├── decisions.md # Architectural notes
│ └── tasks/
│ ├── 001_init_repo.md
│ ├── 002_install_deps.md
│ └── ...
└── 2026-06-02_command_palette/
├── plan.md
└── ...
```
### `plan.md` Format
```markdown
# Phase 1: Foundation
- [ ] Task 1.1: Initialize the project
- [x] Task 1.2: Install dependencies (done)
- [~] Task 1.3: Configure paths (in progress)
# Phase 2: Implementation
- [ ] Task 2.1: Add command palette [depends: 1.3]
- [ ] Task 2.2: Hook API integration [depends: 2.1]
- [ ] Task 2.3: Documentation [depends: 2.2]
```
The parser extracts:
- Ticket ID (`1.1`, `1.2`, ...)
- Title (text after `: `)
- Status (`[ ]` = pending, `[~]` = in progress, `[x]` = done, `[!]` = blocked)
- Dependencies (`[depends: ...]`)
---
## Thread Safety
The conductor uses:
- `threading.Lock` for `_emit_event` (queue.put is atomic but logging needs guarding)
- `threading.Event` for `_stop_event` (clean shutdown signaling)
- `ThreadPoolExecutor` for worker isolation
- `subprocess.Popen` for hard isolation (Tier 3/4 sub-agents)
### `threading.local()` Context
The `ai_client` uses `threading.local()` to track the **source tier** of each request (so comms logs can be tagged with the originating tier). The conductor passes the tier name when calling `ai_client.send()`.
```python
# In ai_client.py
_local = threading.local()
def send(prompt, ...):
source = getattr(_local, 'source', 'main')
comms_log(f"[{source}] {prompt[:50]}...")
# In multi_agent_conductor.py
_local.source = "tier3-worker"
ai_client.send(prompt)
```
---
## Stop & Cleanup
```python
def stop(self) -> None:
"""Stop the conductor. Workers continue to completion or are cancelled."""
self._stop_event.set()
if self._dispatch_thread:
self._dispatch_thread.join(timeout=5)
if self.worker_pool:
self.worker_pool.stop(wait=False)
```
The conductor is designed for **graceful shutdown**: in-flight workers complete, no new ones spawn.
---
## Observability
### Logging
All conductor activity is logged to `logs/mma_delegation.log` (JSON-L format):
```json
{
"timestamp": "2026-06-02T12:34:56.789Z",
"event": "ticket_dispatched",
"track_id": "2026-06-02_command_palette",
"ticket_id": "2.1",
"role": "tier3-worker",
"persona": "code-implementer"
}
```
Per-worker logs are written to `logs/agents/<track_id>_<ticket_id>_<role>_<timestamp>.log`.
### GUI Dashboard
The `MMA Observability Dashboard` (in `gui_2.py`) reads from the conductor's state:
- Track list with progress bars
- Active ticket's worker output stream
- DAG visualization (via `imgui-node-editor`)
- Per-tier strategy streams
---
## Beads Mode Integration
When the project is in Beads mode (`.beads/` directory exists), the conductor **delegates to the Beads CLI** instead of parsing `plan.md`:
```python
def load_track(self, track_id: str) -> Track:
if self.controller.app_state.use_beads:
from src.beads_client import BeadsClient
client = BeadsClient()
tickets = client.list_tickets(track_id=track_id)
return Track(id=track_id, tickets=tickets)
else:
return self._load_markdown_track(track_id)
```
The downstream conductor logic is the same — it operates on a `Track` object regardless of source.
See **[docs/guide_beads.md](guide_beads.md)** for Beads details.
---
## Testing
### Unit Tests
- `tests/test_dag_engine.py``TrackDAG` cycle detection, ready_tickets, blocking cascade
- `tests/test_execution_engine.py` — mode transitions, approval flow
- `tests/test_worker_pool.py` — concurrency limit, has_capacity, stop
- `tests/test_mma_conductor.py` — track loading, dispatch flow, error handling
### Integration Tests (live_gui)
`tests/test_mma_observability_dashboard.py` — drives the dashboard via Hook API.
### Mocking
Tests use `unittest.mock.patch` to mock `subprocess.Popen` and `ai_client.send` for hermetic tests.
---
## See Also
- **[guide_architecture.md](guide_architecture.md)** — Threading model
- **[guide_mma.md](guide_mma.md)** — MMA concepts (4-Tier hierarchy, Token Firewall)
- **[guide_app_controller.md](guide_app_controller.md)** — How the conductor is owned by the controller
- **[guide_models.md](guide_models.md)** — `Ticket` and `Track` data structures
- **`scripts/mma_exec.py`** — The sub-agent entry point
- **`scripts/mma.ps1`** — PowerShell wrapper
- **`conductor/workflow.md`**](../conductor/workflow.md) — Track execution protocol