Rule Scenarios

Rules are grouped by Scenario, the situations in which their constraints may matter. The compiler uses scenario for NEW mutations and scenario_id for Scenario identity. Rule search returns scenarios, each Rule's scenario_id, and scenario_selection.

Each Scenario is a directory directly under the user's Rule library:

text

viking://user/<user_id>/memories/rules/
└── file-operations/
    ├── abstract.md
    ├── confirm-delete.md
    └── preserve-backups.md

abstract.md contains Scenario metadata and a short description:

markdown

---
schema: openviking.rule.scenario/v1
scenario_id: file-operations
name: File operations
description: Constraints for creating, modifying, and deleting files.
updated_at: "2026-10-21T00:00:00+00:00"
---

# File operations

Constraints for creating, modifying, and deleting files.

The other Markdown files contain complete Rule records, including atomic_id, scenario_id, revision, status, content, applicability, exceptions, and evidence. abstract is reserved as a file name. The storage system's generated .abstract.md and .overview.md are separate internal summaries.

Scenario retrieval searches only */abstract.md; Rule files cannot occupy the Scenario candidate limit. After selecting Scenarios, the service reads their direct Rule files. Membership comes from the directory, so no rule_uris list is needed. Paused and archived Rules remain in their Scenario until lifecycle cleanup removes expired archived Rules. Rule search uses active Rules; compilation considers active and paused Rules. Archived Rules are logically deleted and appear in neither path.

Rule status is active, paused, or archived. PAUSE suspends an active Rule without scheduling removal. ARCHIVE marks a Rule for cleanup after 30 days by default, using archived_at; repeating it does not reset that timestamp. RESTORE reactivates a paused Rule. Archived Rules cannot be restored through Rule compilation. Updating a Rule preserves its current lifecycle status. Replaced Rules become archived. Lifecycle actions require explicit user instructions. ARCHIVE specifically requires explicit deletion, discard, or recycle-bin intent in the user's instruction. Requests to pause, disable, deactivate, retire, stop applying, or stop using a Rule use PAUSE.

Jev judges Scenario irrelevance and Rule applicability. When Jev is unconfigured, unavailable, fails, or returns invalid results, the affected candidates pass without VLM judgment. A failed Rule judgment passes all candidate Rules with score 1.0, judge=pass, and a warning; this is a pass score, not an estimated probability. Agents still check applicability and exceptions before enforcing a Rule. Rule compilation continues to use the compiler VLM; the VLM rule_matcher setting is removed.

Rule Scenarios ​

Rule Scenarios