20250712 FOUNDATION DEVELOPMENT ROADMAP

Documentation for 20250712_FOUNDATION_DEVELOPMENT_ROADMAP from the Foundation repository.

Foundation Development Roadmap

Overview

This document provides a detailed, actionable development roadmap for implementing the Foundation Layer prototype. It breaks down the implementation into specific tasks, defines success criteria, and provides implementation guidelines that bridge the architectural vision with concrete code.

Development Principles

1. Test-Driven Development

Red-Green-Refactor: Write failing tests first, make them pass, then optimize
Comprehensive Coverage: Target 95%+ line coverage with focus on edge cases
Integration Focus: Test component interactions extensively
Property-Based Testing: Use StreamData for behavioral guarantees

2. Supervision-First Architecture

No Orphan Processes: Every process must have a supervisor
Graceful Degradation: System continues operating when components fail
Resource Cleanup: Proper cleanup on process termination
Health Monitoring: Continuous health checks and alerts

3. Protocol-Based Design

Interface Contracts: Define clear behavioral contracts
Loose Coupling: Components interact through protocols, not implementations
Swappable Implementations: Support different backends for different environments
Version Compatibility: Maintain backward compatibility in protocol changes

Phase 1: Foundation Infrastructure (Weeks 1-2)

Week 1: Core Types and Basic Infrastructure

Task 1.1: Core Type Definitions

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/types.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/types/agent.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/types/variable.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/types/action.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/types/event.ex

Implementation Strategy:

# Start with basic structs, add validation later
defmodule ElixirML.Foundation.Types.Agent do
  @enforce_keys [:id, :name, :behavior]
  defstruct [
    # Core fields from technical spec
    # Add validation functions
    # Add helper functions for common operations
  ]
  
  def new(name, behavior, opts \\ []) do
    # Constructor with validation
  end
  
  def validate(%__MODULE__{} = agent) do
    # Comprehensive validation
  end
end

Tests to Write:

Struct creation and validation
Field constraints and defaults
Helper function behavior
Error cases and edge conditions

Success Criteria:

All type structs defined with proper enforcement
Validation functions working correctly
100% test coverage on type definitions
No compilation warnings

Task 1.2: Basic Agent Framework

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/agent.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/agent_behaviour.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/agent_server.ex

Implementation Strategy:

defmodule ElixirML.Foundation.Agent do
  @moduledoc """
  Core agent implementation with GenServer backend.
  """
  
  use GenServer
  alias ElixirML.Foundation.Types.Agent, as: AgentType
  
  # Client API
  def start_link(agent_config) do
    GenServer.start_link(__MODULE__, agent_config)
  end
  
  def execute_action(pid, action_name, params) do
    GenServer.call(pid, {:execute_action, action_name, params})
  end
  
  # Server callbacks
  def init(config) do
    # Initialize agent state
    # Call behavior init
    # Set up monitoring
  end
  
  def handle_call({:execute_action, action_name, params}, from, state) do
    # Validate action exists
    # Check capabilities
    # Execute action
    # Update state
  end
end

Tests to Write:

Agent lifecycle (start, stop, crash recovery)
Action execution with various scenarios
State management and persistence
Capability checking and enforcement

Success Criteria:

Basic agent can start and execute simple actions
Proper GenServer implementation with supervision
Error handling and recovery working
95%+ test coverage

Task 1.3: Application and Supervision Tree

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/application.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/supervisor.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/registry.ex

Implementation Strategy:

defmodule ElixirML.Foundation.Application do
  use Application
  
  def start(_type, _args) do
    children = [
      # Registry for process discovery
      {Registry, keys: :unique, name: ElixirML.Foundation.Registry},
      
      # Main supervisor
      ElixirML.Foundation.Supervisor,
      
      # Core services
      ElixirML.Foundation.EventBus,
      ElixirML.Foundation.ResourceManager
    ]
    
    Supervisor.start_link(children, strategy: :one_for_one)
  end
end

Tests to Write:

Application startup and shutdown
Supervisor restart strategies
Process registration and discovery
Service availability

Success Criteria:

Application starts cleanly
All core services available
Proper supervisor hierarchies
Clean shutdown handling

Week 2: Communication and Event System

Task 2.1: Event Bus Implementation

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/event_bus.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/event_store.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/cloud_events.ex

Implementation Strategy:

defmodule ElixirML.Foundation.EventBus do
  use GenServer
  
  # Topic-based publish/subscribe
  def subscribe(topic_pattern) do
    GenServer.call(__MODULE__, {:subscribe, topic_pattern, self()})
  end
  
  def publish(event) do
    GenServer.cast(__MODULE__, {:publish, event})
  end
  
  # CloudEvents compatibility
  def publish_cloud_event(source, type, data, opts \\ []) do
    event = ElixirML.Foundation.CloudEvents.new(source, type, data, opts)
    publish(event)
  end
end

Tests to Write:

Topic subscription and unsubscription
Event publishing and delivery
CloudEvents format compliance
Dead letter queue handling
Performance under load

Success Criteria:

Reliable event delivery
CloudEvents v1.0.2 compliance
Topic-based routing working
Performance targets met (10k events/sec)

Task 2.2: Signal System for Sensors

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/signal_router.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/signal_processor.ex

Implementation Strategy:

defmodule ElixirML.Foundation.SignalRouter do
  @moduledoc """
  Routes sensor signals to interested agents.
  """
  
  def route_signal(signal) do
    # Determine interested agents
    # Convert signal to events
    # Emit to event bus
  end
  
  def register_signal_handler(agent_id, signal_pattern, handler) do
    # Register agent interest in signal types
  end
end

Success Criteria:

Signals properly routed to interested agents
Signal-to-event conversion working
Pattern matching for signal routing
Integration with event bus

Phase 2: Resource Management (Weeks 3-4)

Week 3: Quota and Rate Limiting

Task 3.1: Resource Type System

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/resources/types.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/resources/quota_manager.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/resources/rate_limiter.ex

Implementation Strategy:

defmodule ElixirML.Foundation.Resources.QuotaManager do
  use GenServer
  
  # Token bucket algorithm for rate limiting
  def check_quota(resource, agent_id, amount) do
    GenServer.call(__MODULE__, {:check_quota, resource, agent_id, amount})
  end
  
  def consume_quota(resource, agent_id, amount) do
    GenServer.call(__MODULE__, {:consume, resource, agent_id, amount})
  end
  
  # Handle token replenishment
  def handle_info(:replenish_tokens, state) do
    # Replenish tokens for renewable resources
    # Schedule next replenishment
  end
end

Tests to Write:

Token bucket behavior
Quota enforcement
Resource replenishment
Multi-agent quota isolation
Edge cases (zero quotas, overflow)

Success Criteria:

Accurate quota tracking
Rate limiting enforcement
Token replenishment working
Sub-millisecond quota checks

Task 3.2: Circuit Breaker Implementation

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/resources/circuit_breaker.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/resources/health_monitor.ex

Implementation Strategy:

defmodule ElixirML.Foundation.Resources.CircuitBreaker do
  use GenServer
  
  # States: closed, open, half_open
  def execute(name, fun, timeout \\ 5000) do
    case get_state(name) do
      :closed -> execute_and_monitor(name, fun, timeout)
      :open -> {:error, :circuit_open}
      :half_open -> execute_probe(name, fun, timeout)
    end
  end
  
  defp execute_and_monitor(name, fun, timeout) do
    # Execute with monitoring
    # Update failure counts
    # Transition state if needed
  end
end

Success Criteria:

Circuit breaker state transitions
Failure threshold detection
Automatic recovery testing
Integration with resource management

Week 4: Cost Tracking and Resource Pools

Task 4.1: Cost Tracking System

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/resources/cost_tracker.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/resources/budget_manager.ex

Success Criteria:

Accurate cost calculation
Budget enforcement
Cost reporting and analytics
Integration with quota system

Task 4.2: Resource Pool Management

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/resources/pool_manager.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/resources/priority_scheduler.ex

Success Criteria:

Efficient resource pooling
Priority-based allocation
Pool health monitoring
Dynamic pool resizing

Phase 3: Skills and Sensors (Weeks 5-6)

Week 5: Skills System Implementation

Task 5.1: Skill Framework

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/skills/skill.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/skills/registry.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/skills/loader.ex

Implementation Strategy:

defmodule ElixirML.Foundation.Skills.Registry do
  use GenServer
  
  def register_skill(skill_module, config) do
    # Validate skill implementation
    # Check dependencies
    # Register in registry
  end
  
  def load_skill(agent_id, skill_id, config \\ %{}) do
    # Get skill from registry
    # Initialize skill state
    # Attach to agent
    # Wire up routes and actions
  end
end

Tests to Write:

Skill registration and validation
Dynamic skill loading/unloading
Dependency resolution
Route compilation and routing
Error handling for skill failures

Success Criteria:

Dynamic skill loading working
Skill dependency resolution
Route-based request handling
Skill state isolation

Task 5.2: Example Skills Implementation

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/skills/chat_skill.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/skills/database_skill.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/skills/web_skill.ex

Success Criteria:

Working chat skill with conversation management
Database skill with query capabilities
Web skill with HTTP client functionality
Integration tests for all skills

Week 6: Sensors Framework

Task 6.1: Sensor Base System

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/sensors/sensor.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/sensors/manager.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/sensors/supervisor.ex

Implementation Strategy:

defmodule ElixirML.Foundation.Sensors.Manager do
  use GenServer
  
  def register_sensor(sensor_module, config) do
    # Validate sensor implementation
    # Initialize sensor
    # Start under supervision
    # Begin detection loop
  end
  
  def handle_info(:detection_cycle, state) do
    # Run detection on all sensors
    # Process generated signals
    # Schedule next cycle
  end
end

Success Criteria:

Sensor registration and lifecycle
Signal generation and routing
Configurable detection intervals
Error handling and recovery

Task 6.2: Built-in Sensors

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/sensors/cron_sensor.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/sensors/heartbeat_sensor.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/sensors/file_watcher_sensor.ex

Success Criteria:

Cron sensor with cron expression parsing
Heartbeat sensor with timeout detection
File watcher with file system events
All sensors generating proper signals

Phase 4: Directives and Enhanced Actions (Weeks 7-8)

Week 7: Directives System

Task 7.1: Directive Processing

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/directives/processor.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/directives/validator.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/directives/audit.ex

Success Criteria:

Safe directive validation and execution
Rollback capabilities for failed directives
Complete audit trail generation
Directive chain execution

Task 7.2: Directive Types Implementation

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/directives/agent.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/directives/server.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/directives/chain.ex

Success Criteria:

Agent state modification directives
Server control directives
Transactional directive chains
Error handling and recovery

Week 8: Enhanced Actions

Task 8.1: Action Framework Enhancement

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/actions/enhanced.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/actions/runner.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/actions/middleware.ex

Success Criteria:

Schema-based parameter validation
Workflow instruction execution
Middleware pipeline processing
Retry and timeout handling

Task 8.2: Actions as Tools

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/actions/tools.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/actions/catalog.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/actions/workflows.ex

Success Criteria:

JSON Schema generation for tools
Tool catalog management
LLM function calling integration
Complex workflow execution

Phase 5: Native DSPy Signatures (Weeks 9-10)

Week 9: Signature Syntax Implementation

Task 9.1: Macro System

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/signature.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/signature/dsl.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/signature/compiler.ex

Implementation Strategy:

defmodule ElixirML.Foundation.Signature.DSL do
  defmacro signature(name, do: block) do
    # Parse signature definition
    # Extract input/output specifications
    # Generate compile-time metadata
  end
  
  defmacro input(spec) do
    # Parse input specification
    # Extract type and constraints
    # Add to signature metadata
  end
  
  defmacro output(spec) do
    # Parse output specification
    # Generate validation code
  end
end

Success Criteria:

Python-like syntax parsing
Type specification extraction
Compile-time validation generation
Runtime type checking

Task 9.2: Type System Implementation

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/signature/types.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/signature/validators.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/signature/converters.ex

Success Criteria:

ML-specific type support
Container type handling (List, Dict, Optional)
Type conversion and validation
Compile-time optimization

Week 10: Integration and Optimization

Task 10.1: Signature Compilation

Files to Create:

lib/elixir_ml/foundation/signature/optimizer.ex
lib/elixir_ml/foundation/signature/schema_generator.ex

Success Criteria:

Optimized validation function generation
Schema caching for performance
Field accessor optimization
Integration with existing systems

Task 10.2: DSPy Integration Examples

Files to Create:

examples/signature_examples.ex
examples/dspy_integration.ex

Success Criteria:

Working signature examples
DSPy compatibility demonstration
Performance benchmarks
Documentation and tutorials

Phase 6: Integration Testing and Documentation (Week 11)

Week 11: End-to-End Integration

Task 11.1: Integration Test Suite

Files to Create:

test/integration/multi_agent_test.exs
test/integration/skills_integration_test.exs
test/integration/resource_management_test.exs

Test Scenarios:

Multi-agent coordination workflows
Skill loading and interaction across agents
Resource exhaustion and recovery
Signal propagation and action execution
State persistence and recovery

Success Criteria:

All integration tests passing
Performance targets met
Resource cleanup verified
Error recovery demonstrated

Task 11.2: Performance Testing

Files to Create:

test/performance/load_test.exs
test/performance/stress_test.exs
test/performance/benchmark.exs

Performance Targets:

1000+ active agents
10,000+ events/second
<100ms message latency
<50MB memory per agent

Success Criteria:

Performance targets achieved
Stress test scenarios passed
Memory usage within limits
Latency requirements met

Task 11.3: Documentation and Examples

Files to Create:

docs/getting_started.md
docs/architecture_guide.md
docs/api_reference.md
examples/complete_workflow.ex

Success Criteria:

Complete API documentation
Architecture guides written
Working examples provided
Tutorial walkthroughs created

Success Metrics and Quality Gates

Code Quality Requirements

Test Coverage: Minimum 95% line coverage
Documentation: All public APIs documented
Performance: All targets met under load
Security: Capability checks and input validation

Delivery Requirements

No Breaking Changes: Backward compatibility maintained
Clean Builds: No compilation warnings or errors
Passing Tests: All tests must pass before commit
Code Review: All changes reviewed and approved

Production Readiness

Supervision: All processes properly supervised
Monitoring: Health checks and metrics available
Error Handling: Graceful error recovery
Resource Management: Proper cleanup and limits

Risk Mitigation Strategies

Technical Risks

Integration Complexity: Incremental integration with comprehensive testing
Performance Issues: Early performance testing and optimization
Memory Leaks: Comprehensive resource cleanup testing
Race Conditions: Careful concurrency design and testing

Schedule Risks

Scope Creep: Strict adherence to phase boundaries
Dependency Delays: Parallel development where possible
Testing Bottlenecks: Test-driven development approach
Documentation Lag: Documentation written with implementation

This roadmap provides the detailed guidance needed to implement the complete Foundation Layer prototype according to the unified vision.