9. Execution Boundary

Status: draft, matches packages/execution/src/boundary.ts.

9.1 Rule

A connector MUST be invoked only through the execution boundary, and only for a request with a valid ALLOW decision. Connectors MUST NOT make authorization decisions.

9.2 Checks, in order

Each refusal records an attempt with state REFUSED and a reason code. No connector is called for a refusal.

1. The request parses (REQUEST_MALFORMED) and the decision parses (DECISION_MALFORMED).
2. The decision's signing key is trusted (DECISION_KEY_UNKNOWN, DECISION_KEY_REVOKED).
3. The signature verifies (DECISION_SIGNATURE_INVALID).
4. The result is ALLOW (DECISION_NOT_ALLOW).
5. The digest recomputed from the request matches the decision (REQUEST_DIGEST_MISMATCH).
6. The authority and policy references match (DECISION_REF_MISMATCH).
7. The decision is not in the future (DECISION_IN_FUTURE) and not older than maxDecisionAgeSeconds (DECISION_STALE).
8. The authority is still in good standing at execution time (its reason code).
9. A referenced approval still holds (its reason code).
10. Idempotency: a completed action with the same key and digest returns the original result as DUPLICATE. The same key with different content is IDEMPOTENCY_CONFLICT. A key with an action in progress is EXECUTION_IN_PROGRESS.
11. The decision has not been consumed (DECISION_REPLAYED).
12. A connector is registered for the operation (CONNECTOR_NOT_FOUND).

9.3 Execution

The decision is consumed before the connector runs. The connector is called with the request and the idempotency key. Its outcome is recorded:

• SUCCEEDED with an external reference, when the connector reports success with a reference.
• FAILED with the connector's reason, when it reports failure.
• FAILED with CONNECTOR_ERROR, when it throws.
• TIMED_OUT with EXECUTION_TIMEOUT, when it does not answer within timeoutMs. The outcome is unknown and MUST NOT be recorded as success or failure.

9.4 Replay and retries

A decision authorizes at most one execution. A retry after failure requires a new decision, which requires a new evaluation at a later time, and reuses the idempotency key.

9.5 Records

Every attempt is recorded in order, including refusals. The journal records each attempt, each consumption and each completion.

9.6 Limits

JavaScript does not isolate an in-process caller from a connector's execute method. This is a deployment and code-review control. See section 19.