plan-forge

Unified System Architecture: Plan Forge + OpenBrain + OpenClaw

Purpose: Architecture reference for integrating Plan Forge, OpenBrain, and OpenClaw into a single automated development system.

Full version: planforge.software/manual/how-it-works.html

Last Updated: 2026-05-16

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Executive Summary

Project	Problem Solved	Analogy
Plan Forge	AI agents drift without guardrails	The blueprint — what to build, how, and when to stop
OpenBrain	Every AI session starts from zero	The memory — why we decided, what we learned, what failed
OpenClaw	AI is locked inside one tool/surface	The nervous system — always-on orchestration across every channel

Together they form a closed-loop system: describe a feature from any device → Plan Forge hardens into execution contract → Copilot builds it → OpenBrain captures every decision → OpenClaw notifies you on Slack/Telegram → fresh session reviews with full history.

Architecture (Simplified)

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                   UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM                     │
│                                                                  │
│  OpenClaw (orchestrator + reach)                                │
│    └── Routes requests from any channel, sends notifications     │
│                                                                  │
│  Plan Forge (methodology + guardrails)                          │
│    └── 7-step pipeline, instruction files, validation gates      │
│                                                                  │
│  Memory subsystem (v2.95.0)                                     │
│    ├── Anvil  ─── Δ-only write-through cache (L2 write path)    │
│    ├── Lattice ── Structural code index (callers, blast radius)  │
│    └── Hallmark ─ Provenance envelope on every L3 write          │
│                                                                  │
│  OpenBrain (memory + context)                                   │
│    └── Semantic search over prior decisions, cross-session       │
│        Supports Hallmark provenance (v0.7.0+)                   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Integration Points

Integration	How
Plan Forge → OpenBrain	Skills run search_thoughts before acting, capture_thought after completing — wrapped in Hallmark envelope
Plan Forge → OpenClaw	Orchestrator sends webhook notifications on slice completion/failure
Plan Forge Audit Loop	forge_tempering_drain iterates scan → triage → fix; findings route to bug registry or Crucible
OpenBrain → Copilot Memory	forge_sync_memories generates hints Copilot Memory auto-discovers
OpenClaw → Plan Forge	Routes “build this feature” requests → triggers forge_run_plan

Memory Layers

Layer	Scope	Persistence	Content
Copilot Memory	Repo	28 days (auto-expire)	Auto-discovered conventions
Plan Forge	Per-run	Permanent (.forge/runs/)	Slice results, gate outcomes, cost
Anvil cache	Per-repo	Until source changes	Δ-only content hashes (.forge/anvil/)
Lattice index	Per-repo	Until rebuild	Code structure — callers, blast radius (.forge/lattice/)
OpenBrain	Cross-project	Permanent (pgvector)	Architecture decisions, lessons learned — provenance-stamped (v0.7.0+)

Memory subsystem integration (v2.95.0)

Integration	How
Plan Forge → Anvil	Every captureMemory() call routes through Anvil for Δ-dedup before writing L2
Plan Forge → Lattice	Code-emitting tools notify Lattice; forge_run_plan queries forge_lattice_blast per slice
Plan Forge → Hallmark	Every L3 write via captureMemory() is wrapped in a Hallmark provenance envelope
Hallmark → OpenBrain	Capability negotiation via /health before first write; graceful fallback to bare thoughts
Anvil DLQ → Slag-Heap	Rejected L3 writes land in .forge/anvil/dlq/ for replay via forge_anvil_dlq_drain

Configuration

Plan Forge works standalone. OpenBrain and OpenClaw are optional enhancements:

// .forge.json
{
  "openbrain": {
    "enabled": true,
    "endpoint": "http://localhost:5200",
    "project": "my-project"
  },
  "notifications": {
    "enabled": true,
    "webhookUrl": "https://hooks.slack.com/...",
    "events": ["run-complete", "slice-failed", "review-passed"]
  },
  "audit": {
    "mode": "off",
    "maxRounds": 5,
    "autoThresholds": { "minFilesChanged": 5, "minDaysSinceLastDrain": 3, "requireFindings": true },
    "environments": ["dev", "staging"],
    "forbidProduction": true
  }
}

Audit Loop (v2.80+): The audit object controls automatic audit drain activation. Set mode to "auto" for threshold-gated runs or "always" for unconditional drains after plan completion. "off" (default) disables automatic drains. Use pforge audit-loop for manual one-shot runs regardless of config.

Full architecture details including deployment topology, workspace layout, security model, session management, notification flows, and worked examples are available in the Interactive Manual and preserved in git history (pre-v2.21).

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