Holonic Compound Architecture (HCA) v0.1 - Certification Requirements
This document provides detailed conformance criteria for HCA implementations. Engineering teams can use this to certify their systems at various HCA conformance levels.
- Conformance Overview
- Level 1: Minimal HCA
- Level 2: Standard HCA
- Level 3: Full HCA
- Test Scenarios
- Certification Process
- Conformance Badges
HCA conformance levels allow:
- Incremental adoption: Start with Level 1, evolve to Level 3
- Interoperability claims: Systems at same level can integrate
- Quality assurance: Verified behavior expectations
- Clear communication: Teams understand implementation completeness
| Level | Name | Key Requirement | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minimal | Holons + Delegation + Review | Proof of concept |
| 2 | Standard | + Full compound loop + Negotiation | Production pilot |
| 3 | Full | + Knowledge base + Cross-task learning | Production system |
Each level includes all requirements from previous levels:
Level 3: Full HCA
│
├── Includes all Level 2 requirements
│
└── Level 2: Standard HCA
│
├── Includes all Level 1 requirements
│
└── Level 1: Minimal HCA
Level 1 establishes the foundational holonic structure with basic task flow.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L1-ID-01 | Each holon MUST have a unique identifier | Check: No duplicate IDs in system |
| L1-ID-02 | Holon ID MUST be stable across restarts | Check: ID persists after holon restart |
| L1-ID-03 | Holon ID MUST be addressable | Check: Messages can be routed by ID |
Test: Create two holons, verify unique IDs. Restart holon, verify same ID.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L1-ST-01 | Holons MUST maintain internal state | Check: State persists across messages |
| L1-ST-02 | State MUST include current lifecycle phase | Check: State reflects Ready/Working/etc. |
| L1-ST-03 | State MUST be queryable | Check: Status endpoint returns state |
Test: Assign task, query state during execution, verify Working state.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L1-CAP-01 | Holons MUST declare capabilities via Holon Card | Check: Card endpoint exists |
| L1-CAP-02 | Capabilities MUST include supported tools | Check: tools array populated |
| L1-CAP-03 | Capabilities MUST include can_delegate flag | Check: Delegation status declared |
Test: Retrieve Holon Card, verify required fields present.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L1-HIE-01 | System MUST have exactly one root holon | Check: Single root exists |
| L1-HIE-02 | Non-root holons MUST have parent reference | Check: parent field non-null |
| L1-HIE-03 | Authority relationships MUST NOT cycle | Check: No A→B→A authority |
Test: Traverse holarchy from leaves to root, verify tree structure.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L1-DEL-01 | Parent MUST be able to delegate to child | Check: Delegation succeeds |
| L1-DEL-02 | Delegation MUST include task specification | Check: goal field present |
| L1-DEL-03 | Delegation MUST include constraints | Check: budget field present |
| L1-DEL-04 | Child MUST acknowledge delegation | Check: Response received |
Test: Root delegates to domain, domain delegates to leaf, verify flow.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L1-ART-01 | Work MUST produce versioned artifacts | Check: Artifact has version |
| L1-ART-02 | Artifacts MUST be addressable | Check: Artifact retrievable by ID |
| L1-ART-03 | Artifacts MUST include metadata | Check: task_id, holon_id present |
Test: Execute task, retrieve artifact, verify structure.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L1-REV-01 | Artifacts MUST be reviewed before acceptance | Check: Review phase occurs |
| L1-REV-02 | Review MUST produce a verdict | Check: Verdict returned |
| L1-REV-03 | Verdict MUST include pass/fail/partial | Check: result field present |
Test: Complete task, verify review occurred, verify verdict structure.
level_1_test:
name: "Basic Holonic Flow"
steps:
- action: "Create root holon"
verify: "Unique ID assigned"
- action: "Create domain holon with parent=root"
verify: "Parent reference correct"
- action: "Create leaf holon with parent=domain"
verify: "Three-level holarchy exists"
- action: "Submit task to root"
verify: "Task accepted"
- action: "Observe delegation to domain"
verify: "Delegation message sent"
- action: "Observe delegation to leaf"
verify: "Delegation message sent"
- action: "Leaf executes and produces artifact"
verify: "Artifact has ID, version, metadata"
- action: "Review occurs"
verify: "Verdict returned"
- action: "Result flows up to root"
verify: "Root has final result"
pass_criteria: "All 9 verifications pass"Level 2 adds the complete compound loop with iteration and negotiation.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L2-PLN-01 | PLAN phase MUST precede WORK | Check: State transition observed |
| L2-PLN-02 | PLAN MUST analyze task specification | Check: Plan references task goal |
| L2-PLN-03 | PLAN MUST allocate budget | Check: Budget allocation recorded |
Test: Start task, verify Planning state before Working state.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L2-EVL-01 | Producer and reviewer MUST be different holons | Check: Different IDs |
| L2-EVL-02 | Evaluator MUST receive artifacts | Check: Artifacts in review request |
| L2-EVL-03 | Evaluator MUST check acceptance criteria | Check: Criteria in verdict |
Test: Execute task, verify producer_holon != evaluator_holon.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L2-ITR-01 | Failed review MUST trigger revision if retries remain | Check: REVISE occurs |
| L2-ITR-02 | Iteration count MUST be tracked | Check: iteration field increments |
| L2-ITR-03 | Max retries MUST be enforced | Check: Escalation after limit |
| L2-ITR-04 | Budget exhaustion MUST trigger escalation | Check: Budget check enforced |
Test: Provide task that fails review, verify retry occurs, verify escalation after limit.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L2-NEG-01 | Child MUST be able to accept task | Check: Accept response works |
| L2-NEG-02 | Child MUST be able to reject task | Check: Reject response works |
| L2-NEG-03 | Child MUST be able to counter-propose | Check: Counter response works |
| L2-NEG-04 | Parent MUST respond to counter | Check: Parent reply received |
| L2-NEG-05 | Rejection MUST include reason | Check: reason field present |
Test: Delegate task with impossible constraints, verify counter-proposal flow.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L2-ESC-01 | Escalation MUST include attempted actions | Check: attempts array present |
| L2-ESC-02 | Escalation MUST include reason | Check: reason field present |
| L2-ESC-03 | Escalation MUST include evidence | Check: Evidence attached |
| L2-ESC-04 | Parent MUST receive and process escalation | Check: Parent state updated |
Test: Force escalation, verify payload contains required fields.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L2-FSM-01 | Task states MUST follow defined transitions | Check: No invalid transitions |
| L2-FSM-02 | Holon states MUST follow defined transitions | Check: No invalid transitions |
| L2-FSM-03 | State changes MUST be observable | Check: Status endpoint reflects changes |
Test: Execute complete task lifecycle, verify all state transitions valid.
level_2_test:
name: "Complete Compound Loop"
prerequisites: "Level 1 certified"
steps:
- action: "Delegate task with retry budget of 3"
verify: "Task accepted with constraints"
- action: "Observe PLAN phase"
verify: "Planning state, knowledge query (optional)"
- action: "Observe WORK phase"
verify: "Working state, artifacts produced"
- action: "Observe REVIEW phase"
verify: "Different evaluator, verdict returned"
- action: "Force review failure (first attempt)"
verify: "REVISE triggered, iteration=2"
- action: "Force review failure (second attempt)"
verify: "REVISE triggered, iteration=3"
- action: "Force review failure (third attempt)"
verify: "ESCALATE triggered (retries exhausted)"
- action: "Verify escalation payload"
verify: "Contains attempts, reason, evidence"
- action: "Test negotiation: reject task"
verify: "Rejection with reason accepted"
- action: "Test negotiation: counter-propose"
verify: "Counter triggers parent response"
pass_criteria: "All 10 verifications pass"Level 3 adds the knowledge base and cross-task learning.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L3-CMP-01 | COMPOUND phase MUST occur after task completion | Check: State transition observed |
| L3-CMP-02 | COMPOUND MUST extract lessons | Check: Lesson generated |
| L3-CMP-03 | COMPOUND MUST occur for both success and failure | Check: Lessons from failed tasks |
Test: Complete task (success), verify lesson extracted. Fail task, verify lesson extracted.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L3-LES-01 | Lessons MUST have unique ID | Check: ID present |
| L3-LES-02 | Lessons MUST be classified (pattern/antipattern) | Check: type field valid |
| L3-LES-03 | Lessons MUST include source task reference | Check: task_id present |
| L3-LES-04 | Lessons MUST include searchable tags | Check: tags array present |
Test: Extract lesson, verify all required fields.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L3-KBS-01 | Lessons MUST be persisted | Check: Lesson survives restart |
| L3-KBS-02 | Knowledge base MUST be shared across holons | Check: Any holon can query |
| L3-KBS-03 | Knowledge base MUST support versioning | Check: Lesson versions tracked |
Test: Store lesson, restart system, verify lesson retrievable.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L3-KBQ-01 | PLAN phase MUST query knowledge base | Check: Query observed during PLAN |
| L3-KBQ-02 | Queries MUST support domain filtering | Check: Domain filter works |
| L3-KBQ-03 | Queries MUST support tag filtering | Check: Tag filter works |
| L3-KBQ-04 | Results MUST be ranked by relevance | Check: Ranking present |
Test: Create lessons with tags, query with filter, verify filtered results.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L3-CTL-01 | Lessons from Task A MUST be available to Task B | Check: Query returns prior lessons |
| L3-CTL-02 | Plans MUST incorporate relevant lessons | Check: Plan references lessons |
| L3-CTL-03 | System performance MUST improve over time | Check: Metric improvement |
Test: Execute similar tasks sequentially, verify second task references first task's lessons.
| ID | Requirement | Verification |
|---|---|---|
| L3-KBC-01 | All completed tasks MUST contribute lessons | Check: Every task creates lesson |
| L3-KBC-02 | Contributions MUST use hca/knowledge/contribute | Check: Message observed |
| L3-KBC-03 | Contributions MUST be acknowledged | Check: ACK received |
Test: Complete 5 tasks, verify 5 lessons created.
level_3_test:
name: "Compound Learning System"
prerequisites: "Level 2 certified"
steps:
- action: "Execute Task A (authentication feature)"
verify: "Task completes successfully"
- action: "Observe COMPOUND phase for Task A"
verify: "Lesson extracted and stored"
- action: "Verify lesson structure"
verify: "ID, type, source, tags present"
- action: "Execute Task B (similar auth feature)"
verify: "Task accepted"
- action: "Observe PLAN phase for Task B"
verify: "Knowledge query includes auth tags"
- action: "Verify Task A lesson returned"
verify: "Prior lesson in query results"
- action: "Verify plan incorporates lesson"
verify: "Plan references Task A lesson"
- action: "Complete Task B"
verify: "Task B lesson stored"
- action: "Execute Task C (fails)"
verify: "Task escalates"
- action: "Verify antipattern lesson created"
verify: "Lesson type = antipattern"
- action: "Query knowledge base across holons"
verify: "Any holon can retrieve lessons"
- action: "Restart system, verify persistence"
verify: "All lessons survive restart"
pass_criteria: "All 12 verifications pass"Given: HCA system at target conformance level
When: Standard task is submitted
Then: Task flows through PLAN→WORK→REVIEW→ACCEPT→COMPOUND
And: All state transitions are valid
And: Artifacts are properly versioned
And: Lessons are extracted (Level 3)
Given: HCA system at Level 2+
When: Task fails review with retries remaining
Then: REVISE phase occurs
And: Iteration counter increments
And: PLAN phase re-executes with feedback
Given: HCA system at Level 2+
When: Task fails review with no retries
Then: Escalation triggered
And: Parent receives escalation with evidence
And: Parent takes appropriate action
Given: HCA system at Level 2+
When: Child cannot accept constraints
Then: Counter-proposal sent
And: Parent responds (accept/reject/reassign)
And: Final resolution reached
Given: HCA system at Level 3
When: Multiple similar tasks executed
Then: Later tasks query earlier lessons
And: Plans incorporate relevant learnings
And: Measurable improvement observed
Organizations MAY self-certify by:
- Running all test scenarios for target level
- Documenting results with evidence
- Publishing conformance claim with level
When available, third-party certification involves:
- Submitting implementation for testing
- Automated test suite execution
- Manual review of edge cases
- Certificate issuance upon pass
{
"conformance_claim": {
"system_name": "MyAgentSystem",
"system_version": "1.2.3",
"hca_spec_version": "0.1.0",
"conformance_level": 2,
"certification_type": "self",
"certification_date": "2026-01-15",
"test_results": {
"level_1_tests": "23/23 passed",
"level_2_tests": "18/18 passed"
},
"contact": "engineering@example.com"
}
}Systems MAY display conformance badges:
Level 1: Minimal HCA
[]
Level 2: Standard HCA
[]
Level 3: Full HCA
[]
| Badge | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Level 1 | All L1-* requirements pass |
| Level 2 | All L1-* and L2-* requirements pass |
| Level 3 | All L1-, L2-, and L3-* requirements pass |
- Self-certification only
- Test scenarios defined
- No automated test suite
- Automated test suite
- Reference implementation
- Third-party certification program
- Complete certification program
- Accredited test labs
- Annual recertification
This document is part of the Holonic Compound Architecture (HCA) Specification v0.1