A file-based governance runtime whose closest architectural analog is Kubernetes, not other agent frameworks. Declarative JSON state, bash hooks as admission controllers, namespace-scoped ownership, periodic compaction. No external dependencies. No vector database. No graph engine. Just files, hooks, and rules.
The Covenant Framework governs agents the way Kubernetes governs containers: declarative state, event-driven hooks, admission control gates, namespace-scoped ownership, and periodic compaction.
| Kubernetes | → | Covenant Framework | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
| etcd | → | JSON registry files | 36 flat-file state stores on disk. No database. Agent registry, token logs, trust levels, skills, baselines. |
| Admission controllers | → | 12 bash hooks | Fire on four lifecycle events: PreToolUse, PostToolUse, SessionStart, SubagentStop. Each can WARN, BLOCK, or INFO. |
| Namespaces | → | Domains | Horizontal grouping by concern. Each domain owns file-path globs, maintains shared memory, and can enforce write boundaries. |
| Pod specs | → | Agent definitions (.md) | Declarative role templates defining mandate, tools, behavioral dispositions, and termination conditions. |
| ConfigMaps | → | orientation.json | Shared broadcast state readable by every agent. Current mandate, what to protect, known temptations. |
| Init containers | → | Genesis Phase | Seven-step bootstrap enforced by hook before the agent's first tool call. |
| Liveness probes | → | Health score + baselines | Performance tracked against baselines. 30% drift threshold flags degradation. |
| GC / compaction | → | Consolidation cycle | Stop-the-world pause. Distill exit reports, trim domain memory, update freshness, archive stale agents. |