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FORGE Gatekeeper

The FORGE Gatekeeper enforces stage-gated execution by validating entry/exit conditions and producing the Verification & Traceability Matrix (VTM) for compliance auditing.

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Quick Reference

PropertyValue
DomainOrchestration
FORGE StageCross-cutting (all stages)
Version1.0.0
Primary OutputVTM (Verification & Traceability Matrix)

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Overview

The FORGE Gatekeeper is automatically invoked by other agents at stage transitions. Manual invocation is typically only needed for audits or VTM generation.
The Gatekeeper ensures that:
  • All entry gates are satisfied before stage execution
  • All exit gates are met before stage completion
  • Agent outputs conform to their defined schemas
  • Full traceability from requirements to deliverables

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Core Capabilities

Gate Validation

Verify entry/exit conditions for each FORGE stage

VTM Production

Generate comprehensive verification matrix

Compliance Audit

Check agent outputs against schemas

Traceability

Track requirements through to deliverables

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When Gatekeeper is Invoked

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Automatic Invocation

The Gatekeeper is called automatically:
  1. By Factory Orchestrator at each stage transition
  2. By individual agents before producing final output
  3. In CI/CD pipelines during validation

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Manual Invocation

Manually invoke the Gatekeeper to:
  • Generate VTM for documentation
  • Audit existing implementations
  • Validate compliance before deployment
  • Troubleshoot failed gate transitions

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Usage Example

Use the FORGE Gatekeeper to:
1. Validate all Stage 2 exit gates are satisfied
2. Generate VTM showing agent compliance
3. Identify any blockers preventing Stage 3 entry
Gatekeeper will:
  • Check each Stage 2 agent completed
  • Verify all exit conditions met
  • Generate validation report
  • Update VTM with results
  • List any blocking issues

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Primary Output: VTM

The Verification & Traceability Matrix is the source of truth for agent validation: 
# Verification & Traceability Matrix (VTM)

**Generated**: 2026-03-10
**Total Agents**: 20
**Validation Status**: ✅ PASSED (225 checks, 0 failures)

## Agent Verification Matrix

| Agent | Version | Stage | Frontmatter | FORGE | Veritas | Status |
|-------|---------|-------|-------------|-------|---------|--------|
| Factory Orchestrator | 1.0.0 | 0 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Pass |
| Workflow Architect | 1.0.0 | 2 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Pass |
| Hono Backend | 1.0.0 | 3 | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ Pass |
...

## FORGE Stage Coverage

| Stage | Name | Agents | Coverage |
|-------|------|--------|----------|
| 0 | Planning | 1 | ✅ Complete |
| 2 | Implementation | 4 | ✅ Complete |
...

## Traceability: Requirements to Agents

| Requirement | Implementing Agent(s) |
|-------------|----------------------|
| REQ-001: n8n workflow design | Workflow Architect |
| REQ-002: API development | Hono Backend |
...
View Full VTM Example

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Validation Checks

The Gatekeeper performs 11 checks per agent:
1

Structure Validation

  • YAML frontmatter present
  • Required sections exist (Identity, Core Capabilities, FORGE Gates)
2

Metadata Validation

  • name, version, domain fields present
  • Valid domain value
3

FORGE Configuration

  • forge.stage defined
  • forge.entry_gate list present
  • forge.exit_gate list present
4

Veritas Integration

  • veritas.consumes configured
  • Prompt IDs match format (vrt-xxxxxxxx)
  • veritas.produces has valid category
5

Output Schema

  • Output types defined
  • Schemas referenced correctly
Total: 11 checks × 20 agents = 225 validation checks

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Gate Validation Process

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           STAGE TRANSITION REQUEST              │
│      (Agent wants to move Stage N → N+1)        │
└────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┘
                 │
                 ▼
     ┌───────────────────────────┐
     │   Check Entry Gates       │
     │   for Stage N+1           │
     └───────────┬───────────────┘
                 │
         ┌───────┴───────┐
         │ All Satisfied?│
         └───────┬───────┘
                 │
        ┌────────┴────────┐
        │ YES             │ NO
        │                 │
        ▼                 ▼
┌──────────────┐   ┌──────────────┐
│  Approve     │   │   Block      │
│  Transition  │   │  + Report    │
└──────────────┘   └──────────────┘

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Integration Points

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Control Plane API

EndpointPurpose
/api/validationSubmit gate validation results
/api/vtmRetrieve/update VTM

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Veritas Integration

Consumes:
  • vrt-gate001: Gate validation patterns
  • vrt-audit01: Compliance audit templates
Produces:
  • Validation task prompts (for manual gate reviews)

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CLI Validation

Run the Gatekeeper validation locally: 
cd so1-agents
./scripts/validate-agents.sh

# Output:
# Validating 20 agents...
# ✓ factory-orchestrator.md (11 checks)
# ✓ workflow-architect.md (11 checks)
# ...
# Results: 225 checks, 0 failures, 0 warnings

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Strict Mode

./scripts/validate-agents.sh --strict
# Treats warnings as errors

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Common Gate Failures

FailureCauseResolution
Entry gate not metPrerequisites missingComplete dependent stages first
Exit gate not metDeliverables incompleteFinish all required outputs
Schema validation failedOutput doesn’t match schemaFix output format
Missing decision recordSignificant choice not loggedAdd ADR-format decision

FORGE Stages

Stage-gated execution model

Factory Orchestrator

Master coordinator agent

Full VTM

Complete verification matrix

Agent Definition

View source markdown