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+---
+domain: infotech
+repo: wise-validator
+updated: "2026-06-22"
+---
+
+# INTENT
+
+> wise-validator is the Coulomb **meta-framework for validation** — e2e test
+> orchestration, health checks, and structured pass/fail reporting — while
+> **consuming** sand-boxer for isolated execution environments. This file is
+> preliminary; refine as the validation boundary is implemented.
+
+---
+
+## Why it exists
+
+Custodian repos need a consistent way to prove that real stacks work: compose
+services up, health endpoints ready, tests executed, results reported — without
+every domain reinventing remote SSH scripts, port polling, and State Hub events.
+
+Today that story is split awkwardly in `the-custodian/e2e-framework/`: provision
+and teardown live beside test orchestration and reporting in one package. sand-boxer
+is extracting the **establishment** half. wise-validator owns the **validation**
+half.
+
+The industry validates agent and service work through overlapping but incompatible
+paths: repo-local pytest, CI compose jobs, Blitzy-style environment validation,
+hosted sandbox test runners, and ad hoc health probes. Coulomb needs **one
+validation vocabulary** that any repo, agent harness, or automation can invoke —
+without owning sandboxes, agent gateways, or code generation.
+
+wise-validator exists to be that layer: **unified validation orchestration**
+with extensions for probe types, test runners, and reporters — environments
+requested from sand-boxer, not provisioned here.
+
+sand-boxer establishes the box. wise-validator **proves what runs inside it.**
+
+---
+
+## The governing principle
+
+wise-validator is the **validation orchestration service** — contracts, health
+semantics, test execution, pass/fail interpretation, and result emission.
+Nothing more.
+
+It answers:
+
+1. **What is being validated?** Repo `e2e/e2e.yml` (or successor contract),
+   health probe sets, validation profile selection.
+2. **When is the environment ready?** Health polling rules, timeouts, partial
+   failure semantics.
+3. **How are tests run?** Test command dispatch, output capture, exit code
+   interpretation.
+4. **Did it pass?** Aggregate pass/fail, duration, error surfaces.
+5. **Who needs to know?** State Hub progress, CI artifacts, activity-core hooks.
+6. **Where does it run?** By requesting sand-boxer — not by provisioning hosts.
+
+It must **not** become the sandbox provisioner, the agent harness, the code
+generator, the scheduler, work-state authority, tunnel/CA owner, or production
+deployer on Railiance01.
+
+---
+
+## Coulomb sibling boundaries
+
+### sand-boxer — sandbox establishment
+
+**sand-boxer owns:** Profiles, extensions, provision/teardown, placement,
+lifecycle registration.
+
+**wise-validator owns:** Requesting `profile.compose-e2e` (or successors),
+running validation **inside** the returned environment, releasing the sandbox
+when the validation workflow completes (via sand-boxer `destroy`).
+
+```text
+wise-validator                         sand-boxer
+──────────────                         ──────────
+resolve e2e.yml + validation profile → POST /v1/sandboxes
+health-wait + test_command in env    ← sandbox_id + reachability
+POST result to State Hub / CI        → destroy (per cleanup policy)
+```
+
+sand-boxer smoke tests may prove an environment exists; wise-validator owns
+whether that environment **passes validation**.
+
+### glas-harness — agent harness
+
+**glas-harness owns:** Agent sessions, tools, memory, channels, sandbox policy
+for agent tool execution.
+
+**wise-validator does not** run agent gateways. An agent may **trigger** a
+validation run (e.g. after a coding session); wise-validator executes the
+validation workflow as `atm` automation.
+
+### snuggle-inventor — code generation
+
+**snuggle-inventor owns:** Code generation, tech specs, PR output, human review.
+
+**wise-validator does not** judge generated code quality beyond configured test
+and health contracts. snuggle-inventor (or CI) may invoke wise-validator after
+generation; wise-validator runs the repo's declared tests, not semantic code review.
+
+### Boundary diagram
+
+```
+  activity-core / CI / glas-harness (trigger)
+                    │
+                    ▼
+             wise-validator
+             (validate)
+                    │
+        request ────┼──── report
+                    ▼
+              sand-boxer          state-hub / CI
+           (establish env)        (results)
+```
+
+### Existing Custodian repos
+
+| Concern | Owner |
+|---------|--------|
+| Workstream, task, progress state | `state-hub` |
+| Cron and orchestration | `activity-core` |
+| SSH reverse tunnels | `ops-bridge` |
+| SSH certificate issuance | `ops-warden` |
+| Canon and agent instruction canon | `the-custodian` |
+| Capability federation hub | `reuse-surface` |
+| Agent runtime | **glas-harness** |
+| Production on Railiance01 | `railiance-apps` / domain repos |
+
+wise-validator **consumes** sand-boxer and emits to State Hub; it does not
+subsume those authorities.
+
+---
+
+## What it is
+
+wise-validator is a **meta-framework** with four pillars (preliminary):
+
+### 1. Unified validation API
+
+One surface for validation runs:
+
+```bash
+# Conceptual CLI (v0)
+validate run --repo /path/to/repo
+validate run --repo /path/to/repo --workstream-id <uuid>
+validate health --probe-set <id> --target <url>
+validate report <run-id>
+```
+
+**HTTP** (parallel to CLI): `POST /v1/validations`, `GET /v1/validations/{id}`.
+
+Consumers: `activity-core` instructions, CI hooks, glas-harness tool triggers,
+human operators (`adm`).
+
+### 2. Validation contract catalog
+
+Per-repo contract — successor to `e2e/e2e.yml`:
+
+| Field | Owner |
+|-------|--------|
+| `name`, `compose_file`, `test_command` | Repo declares; wise-validator interprets |
+| `health_checks[]` (name, url, timeout) | wise-validator polling semantics |
+| `timeout`, `cleanup`, `env` | wise-validator orchestration rules |
+| Host / SSH / compose project naming | **sand-boxer** via profile inputs |
+
+**Validation profiles** (wise-validator catalog, distinct from sand-boxer sandbox
+profiles):
+
+| Validation profile | sand-boxer profile | Use |
+|--------------------|-------------------|-----|
+| `validation.compose-e2e` | `profile.compose-e2e` | Cross-repo stack e2e |
+| `validation.health-only` | `profile.health-probe` (future) | Liveness without full e2e |
+| `validation.smoke` | `profile.agent-dev` (future) | Post-deploy smoke |
+
+### 3. Extension platform
+
+Extensions delegate validation mechanics:
+
+| Extension class | Examples |
+|-----------------|----------|
+| **Health probe** | HTTP GET, TCP connect, exec-in-sandbox curl |
+| **Test runner** | pytest, shell, `uv run`, custom command wrapper |
+| **Reporter** | State Hub progress, GitHub check, JSON artifact |
+| **Contract parser** | `e2e.yml` v1, future schema versions |
+
+Extensions run **inside or against** a sand-boxer-established environment; they
+do not call `docker compose` on hosts directly (except via sandbox reachability).
+
+### 4. Result model and observability
+
+Structured run results (successor to `RunResult`):
+
+- `run_id`, `repo`, `sandbox_id`, `passed`, `exit_code`, `duration_s`
+- Captured stdout/stderr (bounded)
+- Per health check outcomes
+- `event_type: validation_result` (or migrated `e2e_result`) to State Hub
+- Actor attribution: `atm` for automations, `adm` for manual, `agt` when
+  agent-triggered
+
+---
+
+## What it is not
+
+| Concern | Owner |
+|---------|--------|
+| Sandbox provision, compose up/down on host | **sand-boxer** |
+| Agent gateway, tools, memory | **glas-harness** |
+| Code generation, tech specs | **snuggle-inventor** |
+| When validation is scheduled | `activity-core` |
+| Task/workstream state | `state-hub` (wise-validator emits events only) |
+| Tunnels | `ops-bridge` |
+| Certs | `ops-warden` |
+
+Embedding `sandbox.provision()` in wise-validator recreates the monolith
+sand-boxer is splitting apart.
+
+---
+
+## Lineage
+
+wise-validator replaces the **validation half** of `the-custodian/e2e-framework/`:
+
+| Module today | Future owner |
+|--------------|--------------|
+| `schema.py` — `e2e.yml` parse/validate | **wise-validator** |
+| `runner.py` — health-wait, test_command, pass/fail | **wise-validator** (against sand-boxer env) |
+| `reporter.py` — State Hub progress | **wise-validator** |
+| `sandbox.py` — SSH provision/teardown | **sand-boxer** `ext.compose-ssh` |
+| `cli.py` — monolithic entry | Split: `sandbox` CLI (sand-boxer), `validate` CLI (wise-validator) |
+| `make e2e REPO=…` | Shim → wise-validator (+ sand-boxer); deprecate direct framework |
+
+Reference runbook: `the-custodian/e2e-framework/RUNBOOK.md`  
+sand-boxer research: `sand-boxer/research/` (sandbox patterns only)
+
+### Agent-first use case
+
+README positions wise-validator as **agent-first** validation: agents and
+automations need fast, declarative proof that a change works in a real stack —
+not laptop-only pytest. That does not make wise-validator an agent harness;
+glas-harness may trigger runs, wise-validator executes them deterministically as
+`atm`.
+
+---
+
+## Intended users
+
+- **Deterministic automations (`atm`)** — activity-core, CI, scheduled health jobs
+- **Human operators (`adm`)** — manual e2e runs, probe debugging
+- **LLM agents (`agt`)** — trigger validation via glas-harness; wise-validator
+  runs the contract, not open-ended agent reasoning
+- **Domain repos** — declare `e2e/e2e.yml`; do not fork validation infrastructure
+- **Extension authors** — probe, runner, reporter plugins
+
+---
+
+## Design principles
+
+- **Validation meta-framework, not monolith** — one API; extensions for probes and reporters
+- **sand-boxer for environments** — never embed provisioners or host SSH lifecycle
+- **Contract in repo, orchestration in platform** — `e2e/e2e.yml` stays opt-in per repo
+- **Health before tests** — explicit polling; fail fast with actionable errors
+- **Cleanup is policy** — honor `cleanup: always | on_success | never`; default teardown via sand-boxer
+- **Observable results** — every run emits structured pass/fail to State Hub when reachable
+- **Agent-first, automation-grade** — deterministic, idempotent, no LLM in the validation path
+- **Registry-first reuse** — register validation capabilities in `registry/`
+- **Backward compatible migration** — `e2e.yml` v1 compatible with CUST-WP-0028 convention
+
+---
+
+## sand-boxer consumption contract (preliminary)
+
+A standard `validation.compose-e2e` run:
+
+1. Load and validate `e2e/e2e.yml` from repo root
+2. Call sand-boxer `create` with:
+   - `profile: profile.compose-e2e`
+   - `inputs: { repo_ref, compose_file, env }`
+   - `consumer: { harness: wise-validator, actor: atm, run_id }`
+3. Wait for sand-boxer `ready`
+4. Ensure compose stack is up **inside sandbox** (coordination with sand-boxer
+   extension contract — may be extension-owned step or validator-owned via
+   reachability; document in integration spec)
+5. Poll `health_checks` until pass or timeout
+6. Run `test_command`; capture output and exit code
+7. Apply `cleanup` policy → sand-boxer `destroy` when required
+8. Emit `validation_result` to State Hub (optional `workstream_id`)
+
+Open questions (for first workplan):
+
+- Who runs `docker compose up` — sand-boxer extension at provision, or
+  wise-validator as first orchestration step inside ready sandbox?
+- Reporter event type: keep `e2e_result` or migrate to `validation_result`?
+
+Track in `docs/integrations/sand-boxer.md` (wise-validator or sand-boxer repo).
+
+---
+
+## Near-term outcomes (preliminary)
+
+1. **This charter** — `INTENT.md` aligned with sand-boxer sibling boundaries
+2. **Extract `schema.py`** — `e2e.yml` v1 as canonical contract
+3. **sand-boxer integration** — consume `profile.compose-e2e` when sand-boxer
+   SAND-WP-0002 delivers API v0
+4. **`validate run` CLI** — health-wait + test + report without embedded provision
+5. **Reporter** — State Hub progress (port `reporter.py` behavior)
+6. **Registry entry** — e.g. `capability.validation.compose-e2e`
+7. **`the-custodian` shim** — `make e2e` delegates to wise-validator + sand-boxer
+8. **Runbook** — operator docs successor to e2e-framework RUNBOOK
+
+Planned sand-boxer follow-on: **SAND-WP-0003** (wise-validator extraction).
+
+---
+
+## Maturity target
+
+A mature wise-validator is Coulomb's **default proof layer**:
+
+- Any repo with `e2e/` can run cross-host validation without `the-custodian` checkout
+- activity-core fires validation after deployments or agent work
+- CI and glas-harness share the same validation API and result schema
+- Health probes reuse the same extension model as full e2e runs
+- sand-boxer teardown is reliable because wise-validator always releases environments
+
+sand-boxer establishes the box. glas-harness runs the agent. snuggle-inventor
+writes the code. **wise-validator proves it works.**
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