Hermes Hierarchy Integration

Source Excerpt

*retired internal project's applied runtime mapping of the hierarchical-agents coordination layer onto the local Hermes install.*

Definition

Hermes Hierarchy Integration is the platform pattern that organizes persistent Hermes profiles into a structured runtime organization. It provides a shared org chart, IPC message bus, chain-aware delegation, per-profile memory stores, and generated handoff documentation.

Why It Matters

This integration provides the agent team with a robust transport and memory substrate for:

1. Directed delegation: Tasks move through named profiles rather than relying on ephemeral chat context.
2. Persistent coordination: Registry, IPC, and memory databases (SQLite) live in ~/.hermes/hierarchy/.
3. Structured surfaces: Profiles maintain updated documentation (e.g., HANDOFF.md, WORKFLOWS.md, CONTEXT.md).

Current Runtime Map

The live retired internal project hierarchy:

Hermes (technical root)
└── Julius (governance lead)
    ├── Cypher (PLAT)
    ├── Reacher (VAL)
    └── Octavius (KNOW)

This acts as a runtime adapter, ensuring operational authority (the hard quad) is maintained while leveraging the framework's coordination capabilities.

Implementation Details

• Bridge: Plugin-based bridge at ~/.hermes/plugins/hierarchy-bridge/.
• Gateway: Central management via ~/.hermes/hierarchy/hierarchy_gateway.py.
• Database: SQLite registry and state stores under ~/.hermes/hierarchy/.
• Consistency: Custom agent SOUL files are preserved; generated hierarchy documentation complements existing identities.

Applications in retired internal project

• Julius: Acts as the governance hub for routed work.
• Cypher: Captures platform handoffs and execution status in standardized workflow docs.
• Reacher: Returns validation results through the persistent message bus.
• Octavius: Curates hierarchy documentation, org chart state, and profile-specific memory databases.

Related Concepts

• concepts/governance-model — Operational separation of powers.
• concepts/nightly-learning-loop — Process for curating routing outcomes and identifying failure patterns.

*Last updated: 2026-05-10*