Architecture Protocol

The Datacendia Cortex is a decision operating system designed for enterprises that require cryptographic proof of AI reasoning. It is not a chatbot, not a copilot, and not a prediction engine. It is an accountability layer that sits between raw data and defensible business decisions.

The system comprises eight interdependent pillars, each addressing a distinct enterprise requirement:

1. CendiaAgents — Cognitive engine (multi-agent deliberation)
2. CendiaEthics — Governance layer (policy enforcement)
3. CendiaGuard — Security layer (sovereignty protection)
4. CendiaLineage — Provenance layer (data lineage & truth)
5. CendiaHelm — Interface layer (command & control)
6. CendiaPredict — Forecasting layer (scenario simulation)
7. CendiaFlow — Execution layer (authorized actions)
8. CendiaHealth — Reliability layer (system monitoring)

Together, these pillars transform the Cortex from "software" into "infrastructure" — a foundational layer that enterprises can trust with their most consequential decisions.

2.1 Sovereignty Over Convenience

Every architectural decision prioritizes customer control over operational simplicity. The customer owns the infrastructure, the encryption keys, and the audit trail. Datacendia provides software; the customer provides sovereignty.

• Encryption keys never leave customer-controlled KMS/HSM
• Data never leaves customer infrastructure perimeter
• Air-gapped deployment is first-class, not an afterthought
• No telemetry, no call-home, no license phone-home in offline mode

2.2 Proof Over Trust

The system generates cryptographically signed evidence packets for every decision. When a regulator asks "why did you decide this?", the answer is not a verbal explanation — it is a tamper-evident artifact.

• Every decision produces a Decision Trace (inputs, reasoning, output)
• Traces are cryptographically hashed and chained (Merkle tree)
• Signatures use Ed25519 or RSA-PSS (customer choice)
• Export formats: JSON, PDF, XBRL (regulatory)

2.3 Dissent Over Consensus

The Council architecture institutionalizes disagreement. Multiple specialized agents debate each decision. Conflict is a feature, not a bug — it surfaces blind spots before they become liabilities.

• Minimum 4 agents per deliberation (configurable up to 14)
• RedTeam agent always active (adversarial by design)
• Consensus requires explicit agreement, not averaging
• Deadlocks escalate to human review with full context

2.4 Depth Over Wrappers

The Cortex is not a thin layer over third-party APIs. Each pillar contains proprietary logic that cannot be replicated by prompt engineering alone. The moat is architectural, not superficial.

3.1 CendiaAgents (The Cognitive Engine)

The orchestration layer where The Council lives.

3.2 CendiaEthics (The Conscience)

The governance layer that prevents liability before it occurs.

3.3 CendiaGuard (The Shield)

The security layer protecting sovereignty.

3.4 CendiaLineage (The Truth)

The memory and provenance layer.

3.5 CendiaHelm (The Interface)

The command and control layer.

3.6 CendiaPredict (The Foresight)

The forecasting and simulation layer.

3.7 CendiaFlow (The Hands)

The execution and automation layer.

3.8 CendiaHealth (The Pulse)

The system reliability layer.

Data flows through the Cortex in a strictly controlled sequence. No data bypasses the security and ethics gates.

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                        CUSTOMER PERIMETER                        │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                  │
│  ┌──────────┐    ┌──────────────┐    ┌──────────────────────┐   │
│  │  SOURCE  │───▶│  ANONYMIZER  │───▶│     DATA BROKER      │   │
│  │   DATA   │    │    CORTEX    │    │  (CendiaLineage)     │   │
│  └──────────┘    └──────────────┘    └──────────┬───────────┘   │
│                                                  │               │
│                                                  ▼               │
│                                       ┌──────────────────────┐   │
│                                       │    THE COUNCIL       │   │
│                                       │   (CendiaAgents)     │   │
│                                       │  ┌────┐ ┌────┐       │   │
│                                       │  │ A1 │ │ A2 │ ...   │   │
│                                       │  └────┘ └────┘       │   │
│                                       └──────────┬───────────┘   │
│                                                  │               │
│                                                  ▼               │
│  ┌──────────────┐    ┌──────────────┐    ┌──────────────────┐   │
│  │   WITNESS    │◀───│   SYNTHESIS  │◀───│   CENDIA VETO    │   │
│  │   LEDGER     │    │    ENGINE    │    │   (Ethics Gate)  │   │
│  └──────────────┘    └──────┬───────┘    └──────────────────┘   │
│                             │                                    │
│                             ▼                                    │
│                  ┌──────────────────────┐                        │
│                  │   DECISION OUTPUT    │                        │
│                  │  (Signed Evidence)   │                        │
│                  └──────────────────────┘                        │
│                                                                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
            

4.1 Ingestion Phase

Source data enters through the Anonymizer Cortex, which:

• Identifies and tags PII using configurable rules
• Strips or pseudonymizes sensitive fields before context window
• Logs all transformations to Decision DNA

4.2 Processing Phase

The Data Broker routes cleaned data to The Council, where:

• Multiple agents receive the same input simultaneously
• Each agent processes independently (no cross-contamination)
• RedTeam agent receives additional adversarial prompting

4.3 Synthesis Phase

Agent outputs flow to the Synthesis Engine, which:

• Identifies areas of agreement and disagreement
• Weights recommendations by agent confidence scores
• Generates unified recommendation with dissent log

4.4 Veto Phase

Before output, CendiaVeto evaluates the recommendation against:

• Configured risk policies (hard limits)
• Compliance Oracle rules (regulatory constraints)
• The Spectator assessment (reputational risk)

4.5 Output Phase

Approved recommendations are:

• Cryptographically signed (Ed25519 or RSA-PSS)
• Hashed and appended to the Witness ledger
• Formatted per Sovereign Response Generator templates
• Optionally executed via The Actuator (CendiaFlow)

The Council's deliberation follows a structured protocol designed to maximize disagreement visibility while converging on actionable recommendations.

5.1 Agent Configuration

5.2 Deliberation Rounds

Round 1: Independent Analysis

• Each agent receives identical input context
• Agents produce independent assessments (no visibility to others)
• Outputs include: recommendation, confidence, key evidence, risks identified

Round 2: Cross-Examination

• Agents receive summary of Round 1 positions (anonymized)
• Each agent responds to contrary positions
• RedTeam agent specifically targets majority consensus

Round 3: Final Position

• Agents issue final recommendations with updated confidence
• Explicit "agree" or "dissent" on emerging consensus
• Dissenting agents must provide specific objections

5.3 Deadlock Handling

If consensus_threshold is not met after max_rounds:

1. Synthesis Engine generates "split recommendation" output
2. All agent positions preserved in Decision Trace
3. Decision escalated to human reviewer with full context
4. Human must select a position or provide alternative
5. Human decision logged with identity and justification

6.1 Trust Boundaries

The Cortex operates within a single trust boundary: the customer perimeter. Datacendia software runs inside this boundary; Datacendia personnel operate outside it.

6.2 Encryption Standards

6.3 Authentication & Authorization

• Identity: SAML 2.0, OIDC, or local directory integration
• MFA: Required for all administrative access
• RBAC: Role-based access control with audit logging
• Session: Configurable timeout, secure cookie handling

6.4 Air-Gap Protocol

For air-gapped deployments, the system operates with zero outbound network connectivity:

• License validation: Offline cryptographic verification
• Model updates: Secure offline bundle transfer (USB, optical)
• Compliance updates: Manual Compliance Oracle refresh
• Telemetry: Disabled entirely (no stub, no placeholder)

7.1 Decision Trace Structure

Every deliberation produces a Decision Trace with the following components:

{
  "trace_id": "dt-2025-12-26-a1b2c3d4",
  "timestamp": "2025-12-26T14:32:17.000Z",
  "inputs": {
    "query": "Should we proceed with the acquisition?",
    "documents": ["doc-001", "doc-002", "doc-003"],
    "context_hash": "sha256:9f86d08..."
  },
  "agents": [
    {
      "agent_id": "analyst-001",
      "recommendation": "PROCEED",
      "confidence": 0.82,
      "key_evidence": ["revenue_projection.xlsx:row_47"],
      "risks": ["integration_complexity"]
    },
    {
      "agent_id": "redteam-001",
      "recommendation": "CAUTION",
      "confidence": 0.71,
      "dissent": "Regulatory approval timeline underestimated",
      "evidence": ["ftc_precedent_2024.pdf:page_12"]
    }
  ],
  "synthesis": {
    "recommendation": "PROCEED_WITH_CONDITIONS",
    "conditions": ["regulatory_contingency_clause"],
    "consensus_score": 0.73
  },
  "veto_status": "APPROVED",
  "signature": "ed25519:base64...",
  "ledger_hash": "sha256:3c9909a..."
}

7.2 Decision DNA Ledger

The Witness ledger is an append-only data structure with Merkle tree verification:

• Each Decision Trace is hashed and appended
• Each entry includes hash of previous entry (chain)
• Merkle root updated with each append
• Verification: Any entry can be proven against root

7.3 CendiaChronos Time-Travel

To prove why a decision was made at a specific point in time:

1. Specify target timestamp (T-1)
2. CendiaChronos reconstructs system state at T-1
3. Replays deliberation with historical context
4. Produces "Reconstruction Report" showing inputs available at T-1

This is critical for regulatory defense: proving the decision was reasonable given what was known at the time.

8.1 Hardware Requirements

8.2 Container Architecture

The Cortex deploys as a set of containerized services:

• cortex-core: Main application (CendiaAgents, CendiaEthics)
• cortex-guard: Security services (CendiaGuard, Decision DNA)
• cortex-lineage: Data services (CendiaLineage, CendiaChronos)
• cortex-health: Monitoring (CendiaHealth)
• cortex-inference: Model serving (GPU-bound)

Orchestration: Kubernetes (preferred) or Docker Compose (small deployments).

9.1 API Surface

The Cortex exposes a REST API for programmatic access:

POST /api/v1/deliberate
Authorization: Bearer {token}
Content-Type: application/json

{
  "query": "string",
  "documents": ["doc_id_1", "doc_id_2"],
  "agent_config": {
    "count": 8,
    "include_redteam": true
  },
  "output_format": "json" | "pdf"
}

9.2 Connector Mesh

Pre-built connectors for enterprise systems:

9.3 Webhook Events

The Cortex emits events for external consumption:

• deliberation.started — New deliberation initiated
• deliberation.completed — Deliberation finished (includes trace_id)
• veto.triggered — CendiaVeto blocked a recommendation
• escalation.required — Human review needed
• health.alert — System health warning

The following limitations are acknowledged and documented:

10.1 Technical Limits

10.2 Operational Limits

• Model drift: Models may degrade over time. CendiaHealth monitors, but cannot prevent drift — only detect it.
• Adversarial inputs: Malicious prompts may cause unexpected behavior. Input sanitization reduces but does not eliminate risk.
• Consensus deadlocks: Agents may fail to agree. System escalates to humans, but cannot force consensus.
• Regulatory lag: Compliance Oracle updates are periodic. New regulations may not be reflected immediately.

10.3 What The Cortex Does Not Do

• Does not make decisions autonomously (always produces recommendations for human action)
• Does not guarantee correctness (provides evidence, not truth)
• Does not replace human judgment (augments and documents it)
• Does not connect to external networks in air-gapped mode (by design)

SYSTEM STATUS: AIR-GAP READY · NO TRACKER PIXELS DETECTED