Terminology

Use these terms consistently in workflows, documentation, issues, and reviews.

Term	Meaning
Workflow	One versioned declarative YAML document and its compiled graph.
Task	One ordered graph node that invokes an action or agent.
Action	A typed runtime operation selected directly by a task.
Process mode	Bounded direct execution with the agentctl host identity. It is not a sandbox.
Container mode	Explicit process-action isolation in a local digest-pinned Docker/Podman image with the fixed agentctl container contract.
Isolation	An operating-system or container authority boundary. Policy and allowlists alone are not isolation.
Agent	A bounded provider-backed executor for one task.
Role	A named agent task with explicit provider, tool visibility, limits, and output contract.
Handoff	A typed durable task output consumed by an explicitly dependent role task.
Tool	A strict capability contract that an agent may request.
Provider	A native model API adapter behind provider-neutral contracts.
Stream event	One bounded, redacted provider progress record ordered within a task attempt.
Effect	A durably identified operation that observes or changes state outside pure computation.
Run	One durable execution, check, replay, repair, or fork record.
Attempt	One bounded execution attempt for a task.
Resume	Continue the same non-terminal run using durable progress.
Recorded replay	Create a new record from terminal stored results without calling executors.
Retry	Start another bounded attempt for a task after a definitive retry-safe failure.
Repair	Create a linked run from a terminal source, reuse compatible successful tasks outside selected boundaries, and execute the roots and descendants from a target workflow.
Fork	Create a child run that intentionally permits fresh effects.
Rerun	Informal term. Prefer repair for boundary selection or fork for a broader fresh execution.
Disposition	Whether a successful task was freshly executed, source-linked reused, or copied as recorded replay evidence.
Approval	A durable operator decision required before an effect may continue.
Checkpoint	A versioned, checksummed snapshot used for recovery.
Working memory	One run-local JSON object changed by explicit memory actions.
Long-term memory	Namespaced SQLite values shared across runs and managed by retention.
Pack	A local versioned manifest and reviewed reusable content with integrity checking.

Do not use resume, replay, retry, repair, and fork interchangeably. None of them means exactly-once execution.

Canonical source: docs/reference/TERMINOLOGY.md. Verified against agentctl commit 2aeaa88fba71162206b5f08f5bda4f0150247e4f.