Skip to content

Adapter System

Adapters are not the execution system of Forge.

They are the boundary layer that connects external intent to internal execution.


Core Separation

Forge is built on a strict separation:

  • Core execution → primitives, profiles, distributed compute
  • Adapter layer → input shaping, orchestration, output shaping

This separation is non-negotiable.


Where Execution Actually Happens

All canonical execution happens inside Forge core:

text
Web / API

Hub

Agents

Primitives + Profiles

Distributed Execution

Adapters do not execute compute.

They trigger and shape it.


Role of Adapters

Adapters exist to:

  • accept external input
  • normalize and validate it
  • map intent to primitive profiles
  • trigger execution through the core
  • process and return results

They are:

translation + orchestration boundaries


Adapter Position in the System

text
External System / User

      Adapter

Forge Core (Hub → Agents → Primitives)

   Distributed Execution

      Adapter

External System / User

Adapters sit outside the execution layer.


Relationship to Flows

Flows in Forge are not defined by adapters.

Flows are defined by:

  • primitive selection
  • profile composition
  • execution plans inside the core

Adapters may:

  • initiate flows
  • shape inputs to flows
  • coordinate multi-stage execution

But they do not define execution truth.


Adapter vs Flow

ConceptDefined ByResponsibility
FlowCore (primitives + profiles)Execution logic
AdapterEdge layerInput/output + orchestration

Adapter Responsibilities

Adapters are responsible for:

  • input validation and normalization
  • building execution requests
  • selecting primitives and profiles
  • coordinating execution stages (if needed)
  • aggregating results
  • shaping output

Adapters are not responsible for:

  • compute truth
  • execution semantics
  • distributed processing
  • primitive behavior

Interaction with Primitives

Adapters interact with primitives by building canonical execution requests:

text
Adapter → builds request → Core executes → Adapter receives result

Adapters must:

  • explicitly define primitive usage
  • preserve execution parameters
  • expose replay references

Multi-Stage Orchestration

Adapters may coordinate multi-stage execution.

Example:

text
Adapter
  → mc@1 (portfolio simulation)
  → graph@1 (contagion analysis)
  → aggregation

However:

  • each stage is still executed by primitives
  • the adapter only coordinates

State Handling

Adapters operate on state, but do not define system-wide state propagation.

They:

  • receive state
  • transform it
  • pass it into execution
  • reshape results

They do not:

  • manage global execution state
  • define distributed memory behavior

Determinism and Replay

Adapters must preserve:

  • execution inputs
  • primitive references
  • seeds (if applicable)

This ensures:

  • reproducibility
  • auditability
  • verification

Determinism is enforced by the core, not by adapters.


System Boundaries

Adapters must maintain a strict boundary between:

LayerRole
Adaptertranslation, orchestration
Coreexecution, computation

If this boundary collapses:

  • traceability breaks
  • execution becomes ambiguous
  • system integrity is lost

What the Adapter System Is

The adapter system is:

  • an interface layer
  • an orchestration layer
  • a translation layer

It is not:

  • an execution engine
  • a flow engine
  • a compute layer

Mental Model

Think of Forge as:

A core execution engine surrounded by adaptable boundaries.

Adapters shape how the world interacts with it.


Final Note

Adapters make Forge usable.

The core makes Forge correct.

Deterministic execution infrastructure for distributed compute.