The Engine is an additive server stack that will ultimately replace the legacy Flask app under Data/Server. It is safe to run the Engine entrypoint (Data/Engine/bootstrapper.py) side-by-side with the legacy server while we migrate functionality feature-by-feature.

Architectural roles

The Engine is organized around explicit dependency layers so each concern stays testable and replaceable:

Configuration (Data/Engine/config/) parses environment variables into immutable settings objects that the bootstrapper hands to factories and integrations.
Builders (Data/Engine/builders/) transform external inputs (HTTP headers, JSON payloads, scheduled job definitions) into validated immutable records that services can trust.
Domain models (Data/Engine/domain/) house pure value objects, enums, and error types with no I/O so services can express intent without depending on Flask or SQLite.
Repositories (Data/Engine/repositories/) encapsulate all SQLite access and expose protocol methods that return domain models. They are injected into services through the container so persistence can be swapped or mocked.
Services (Data/Engine/services/) host business logic such as device authentication, enrollment, job scheduling, GitHub artifact lookups, and real-time agent coordination. Services depend only on repositories, integrations, and builders.
Integrations (Data/Engine/integrations/) wrap external systems (GitHub today) and keep HTTP/token handling outside the services that consume them.
Interfaces (Data/Engine/interfaces/) provide thin HTTP/Socket.IO adapters that translate requests to builder/service calls and serialize responses. They contain no business rules of their own.

The runtime factory (Data/Engine/runtime.py) wires these layers together and attaches the resulting container to the Flask app created in Data/Engine/server.py.

Environment configuration

The Engine mirrors the legacy defaults so it can boot without additional configuration. These environment variables are read by Data/Engine/config/environment.py:

Variable	Purpose	Default
`BOREALIS_ROOT`	Overrides automatic project root detection. Useful when running from a packaged location.	Directory two levels above `Data/Engine/`
`BOREALIS_DATABASE_PATH`	Path to the SQLite database.	`<project_root>/database.db`
`BOREALIS_ENGINE_AUTO_MIGRATE`	Run Engine-managed schema migrations during bootstrap (`true`/`false`).	`true`
`BOREALIS_STATIC_ROOT`	Directory that serves static assets for the SPA.	First existing path among `Data/Server/web-interface/build`, `Data/Server/WebUI/build`, `Data/WebUI/build`
`BOREALIS_CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS`	Comma-delimited list of origins granted CORS access. Use `*` for all origins.	`*`
`BOREALIS_FLASK_SECRET_KEY`	Secret key for Flask session signing.	`change-me`
`BOREALIS_DEBUG`	Enables debug logging, disables secure-cookie requirements, and allows Werkzeug debug mode.	`false`
`BOREALIS_HOST`	Bind address for the HTTP/Socket.IO server.	`127.0.0.1`
`BOREALIS_PORT`	Bind port for the HTTP/Socket.IO server.	`5000`
`BOREALIS_REPO`	Default GitHub repository (`owner/name`) for artifact lookups.	`bunny-lab-io/Borealis`
`BOREALIS_REPO_BRANCH`	Default branch tracked by the Engine GitHub integration.	`main`
`BOREALIS_REPO_HASH_REFRESH`	Seconds between default repository head refresh attempts (clamped 30-3600).	`60`
`BOREALIS_CACHE_DIR`	Directory used to persist Engine cache files (GitHub repo head cache).	`<project_root>/Data/Engine/cache`

Logging expectations

Data/Engine/config/logging.py configures a timed rotating file handler that writes to Logs/Server/engine.log. Each entry follows the <timestamp>-engine-<message> format required by the project logging policy. The handler is attached to both the Engine logger (borealis.engine) and the root logger so that third-party frameworks share the same log destination.

Bootstrapping flow

Data/Engine/bootstrapper.py loads the environment, configures logging, prepares the SQLite connection factory, optionally applies schema migrations, and builds the Flask application via Data/Engine/server.py.
A service container is assembled (Data/Engine/services/container.py) that wires repositories, JWT/DPoP helpers, and Engine services (device auth, token refresh, enrollment). The container is stored on the Flask app for interface modules to consume.
HTTP and Socket.IO interfaces register against the new service container. The resulting runtime object exposes the Flask app, resolved settings, optional Socket.IO server, and the configured database connection factory. bootstrapper.main() runs the appropriate server based on whether Socket.IO is present.

As migration continues, services, repositories, interfaces, and integrations will live under their respective subpackages while maintaining isolation from the legacy server.

HTTP interfaces

The Engine now exposes working HTTP routes alongside the remaining scaffolding:

Data/Engine/interfaces/http/health.py implements GET /health for liveness probes.
Data/Engine/interfaces/http/tokens.py ports the refresh-token endpoint (POST /api/agent/token/refresh) using the Engine TokenService and request builders.
Data/Engine/interfaces/http/enrollment.py handles the enrollment handshake (/api/agent/enroll/request and /api/agent/enroll/poll) with rate limiting, nonce protection, and repository-backed approvals.
The admin and agent blueprints remain placeholders until their services migrate.

WebSocket interfaces

Step 9 introduces real-time handlers backed by the new service container:

Data/Engine/services/realtime/agent_registry.py manages connected-agent state, last-seen persistence, collector updates, and screenshot caches without sharing globals with the legacy server.
Data/Engine/interfaces/ws/agents/events.py ports the agent namespace, handling connect/disconnect logging, heartbeat reconciliation, screenshot relays, macro status broadcasts, and provisioning lookups through the realtime service.
Data/Engine/interfaces/ws/job_management/events.py now forwards scheduler updates and responds to job status requests, keeping WebSocket clients informed as new runs are simulated.

The WebSocket factory (Data/Engine/interfaces/ws/__init__.py) now accepts the Engine service container so namespaces can resolve dependencies just like their HTTP counterparts.

Authentication services

Step 6 introduces the first real Engine services:

Data/Engine/builders/device_auth.py normalizes headers for access-token authentication and token refresh payloads.
Data/Engine/builders/device_enrollment.py prepares enrollment payloads and nonce proof challenges for future migration steps.
Data/Engine/services/auth/device_auth_service.py ports the legacy DeviceAuthManager into a repository-driven service that emits DeviceAuthContext instances from the new domain layer.
Data/Engine/services/auth/token_service.py issues refreshed access tokens while enforcing DPoP bindings and repository lookups.

Interfaces now consume these services via the shared container, keeping business logic inside the Engine service layer while HTTP modules remain thin request/response translators.

SQLite repositories

Step 7 ports the first persistence adapters into the Engine:

Data/Engine/repositories/sqlite/device_repository.py exposes SQLiteDeviceRepository, mirroring the legacy device lookups and automatic record recovery used during authentication.
Data/Engine/repositories/sqlite/token_repository.py provides SQLiteRefreshTokenRepository for refresh-token validation, DPoP binding management, and usage timestamps.
Data/Engine/repositories/sqlite/enrollment_repository.py surfaces enrollment install-code counters and device approval records so future services can operate without touching raw SQL.

Each repository accepts the shared SQLiteConnectionFactory, keeping all SQL execution confined to the Engine layer while services depend only on protocol interfaces.

Job scheduling services

Step 10 migrates the foundational job scheduler into the Engine:

Data/Engine/builders/job_fabricator.py transforms stored job definitions into immutable manifests, decoding scripts, resolving environment variables, and preparing execution metadata.
Data/Engine/repositories/sqlite/job_repository.py encapsulates scheduled job persistence, run history, and status tracking in SQLite.
Data/Engine/services/jobs/scheduler_service.py runs the background evaluation loop, emits Socket.IO lifecycle events, and exposes CRUD helpers for the HTTP and WebSocket interfaces.
Data/Engine/interfaces/http/job_management.py mirrors the legacy REST surface for creating, updating, toggling, and inspecting scheduled jobs and their run history.

The scheduler service starts automatically from Data/Engine/bootstrapper.py once the Engine runtime builds the service container, ensuring a no-op scheduling loop executes independently of the legacy server.

GitHub integration

Step 11 migrates the GitHub artifact provider into the Engine:

Data/Engine/integrations/github/artifact_provider.py caches branch head lookups, verifies API tokens, and optionally refreshes the default repository in the background.
Data/Engine/repositories/sqlite/github_repository.py persists the GitHub API token so HTTP handlers do not speak to SQLite directly.
Data/Engine/services/github/github_service.py coordinates token caching, verification, and repo head lookups for both HTTP and background refresh flows.
Data/Engine/interfaces/http/github.py exposes /api/repo/current_hash and /api/github/token through the Engine stack while keeping business logic in the service layer.

The service container now wires github_service, giving other interfaces and background jobs a clean entry point for GitHub functionality.

Final parity checklist

Step 12 tracks the final integration work required before switching over to the Engine entrypoint. Use the detailed playbook in Data/Engine/STAGING_GUIDE.md to coordinate each staging run:

Stand up the Engine in a staging environment and exercise enrollment, token refresh, scheduler operations, and the agent real-time channel side-by-side with the legacy server.
Capture any behavioural differences uncovered during staging using the divergence table in the staging guide and file them for follow-up fixes before the cut-over.
When satisfied with parity, coordinate the entrypoint swap (point production tooling at Data/Engine/bootstrapper.py) and plan the deprecation of Data/Server.

Performing unit tests

Targeted unit tests cover the most important domain, builder, repository, and migration behaviours without requiring Flask or external services. Run them with the standard library test runner:

python -m unittest discover Data/Engine/tests

The suite currently validates:

Domain normalization helpers for GUIDs, fingerprints, and authentication failures.
Device authentication and refresh-token builders, including error handling for malformed requests.
SQLite schema migrations to ensure the Engine can provision required tables in a fresh database.

Successful execution prints a summary similar to:

.............
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ran 13 tests in <N>.<M>s

OK

Additional tests should follow the same pattern and live under Data/Engine/tests/ so this command remains the single entry point for Engine unit verification.

README.md Unescape Escape

Borealis Engine Overview