Credential Pipeline

The credential pipeline handles authentication for both local-process agents and K8s agents. It uses a three-layer model:

sources: named credential origins under auth_origins
resolvers: runtime helper commands under runtime_auth_resolvers
bindings: delivery rules that tell a host adapter how to consume credentials

The names are easy to read as peers, but they are not peers in time:

Layer	Main question	Runs where	Common local-process shape
`sources`	”What credential origin exists?”	Orchestrator before spawn, or agent runtime depending on scope	Often omitted entirely
`resolvers`	”What helper command should the adapter call later?”	Inside the agent environment at runtime	`bedrock-auth-helper`
`bindings`	”How does this adapter expect to receive auth?”	Adapter projection / spawn wiring	`claude_api_key_helper` or `bearer_env`

At a Glance

Where config lives

fracta.yaml has two auth layers:

Location	Purpose	Typical contents
`auth.credentials.profiles.<name>`	Reusable credential profile	`auth_origins`, `runtime_auth_resolvers`, `env`, `assertions`, `default_binding`
`agents.agent_runtimes.<name>`	Runtime entry that selects a profile	`adapter`, `auth_profile`, optional `auth_binding` override

Typical flow:

Define a reusable profile under auth.credentials.profiles.
Point a runtime at it with auth_profile.
Override auth_binding on the runtime only when the same profile needs a different delivery shape for a different adapter.

How to read the names

Auth config mixes three different kinds of names:

Kind	What it is	Examples	Who interprets it
Schema keywords	Fixed field names and enum values from Fracta’s config schema	`auth_profile`, `auth_origins`, `default_binding`, `secret_env`, `bearer_env`, `secret_ref`	Fracta
Local labels	User-defined identifiers that other fields in the same config refer to	`opencode_bedrock`, `seeded_token`, `bedrock_helper`	Fracta, by matching references
External names	Names that must match real env vars, K8s Secrets, Secret keys, or runtime-specific variables	`AWS_BEARER_TOKEN_BEDROCK`, `AWS_REGION`, `fracta-auth`, `bearer-token`	Kubernetes, the runtime, or both

Reference fields are what connect the local labels:

Field	Refers to
`auth_profile`	A profile name under `auth.credentials.profiles.<name>`
`auth_origin`	A source name under `auth_origins.<name>`
`runtime_auth_resolver`	A resolver name under `runtime_auth_resolvers.<name>`

ASCII relationship diagram:

SCHEMA KEYWORDS / ENUMS
  agents.agent_runtimes
  auth_profile
  auth_origins
  default_binding
  auth_origin
  type: secret_env
  type: bearer_env
  secret_ref

LOCAL LABELS (defined here, then referenced elsewhere)
  opencode_bedrock
  seeded_token

EXTERNAL NAMES (must match real runtime/K8s objects)
  AWS_BEARER_TOKEN_BEDROCK
  AWS_REGION
  fracta-auth
  bearer-token

RELATIONSHIPS

  agents.agent_runtimes.opencode.auth_profile
      |
      v
  profiles.opencode_bedrock
      |
      +--> auth_origins.seeded_token
      |         |
      |         +--> type: secret_env
      |         +--> env_name: AWS_BEARER_TOKEN_BEDROCK
      |         \--> secret_ref.name/key
      |                |
      |                +--> fracta-auth
      |                \--> bearer-token
      |
      \--> default_binding
                |
                +--> type: bearer_env
                +--> auth_origin: seeded_token
                \--> env_name: AWS_BEARER_TOKEN_BEDROCK

RESULT
   Fracta resolves local labels (`opencode_bedrock`, `seeded_token`)
  and projects the external token into the runtime env var
  `AWS_BEARER_TOKEN_BEDROCK`.

Annotated example:

agents:
  agent_runtimes:
    opencode:
      adapter: opencode                    # schema value
      auth_profile: opencode_bedrock      # local label -> profile name below

auth:
  credentials:
    profiles:
      opencode_bedrock:                   # local label
        auth_origins:
          seeded_token:                   # local label
            type: secret_env              # schema enum
            scope: any                    # schema enum
            env_name: AWS_BEARER_TOKEN_BEDROCK   # external env var name
            secret_ref:                   # schema field
              name: fracta-auth             # external K8s Secret name
              key: bearer-token           # external key inside that Secret
        env:
          AWS_REGION: "ap-southeast-2"    # external env var name
        default_binding:
          type: bearer_env                # schema enum
          auth_origin: seeded_token       # local label -> source name above
          env_name: AWS_BEARER_TOKEN_BEDROCK   # external env var name

Practical rule:

If changing the name requires changing a matching reference elsewhere in fracta.yaml, it is probably a local label.
If changing the name requires changing a real Secret, env var, or runtime expectation outside fracta.yaml, it is probably an external name.
If the name comes from the config schema itself, it is a schema keyword and should not be renamed.

Binding types

Bindings answer: “how do credentials reach the runtime?”

Binding Type	How it works	Typical use case	Notes
`claude_api_key_helper`	Writes Claude’s `apiKeyHelper` setting plus env into `user-settings.json`	Claude + Bedrock bearer tokens with refresh/TTL	Claude-specific projection
`bearer_env`	Injects a token directly as an env var	OpenAI API keys, Anthropic direct keys, Bedrock bearer env vars	Supports source-based, resolver-based, or env passthrough shapes
`token_file`	Mounts credential data as a file	K8s file-mounted secrets	Uses a materialized source with a configured `path`

Credential source types

Sources answer: “where does the credential come from?”

Source Type	What it does	Common scope	Typical use case
`http_header_token`	Makes an HTTP request and extracts a token from a response header	`agent_runtime`	Bedrock/corporate proxy token fetch
`command_output`	Runs a local command and uses stdout as the credential	`host_edge` or `any`	`bedrock-auth-helper` for host-side or local-process token fetch. Use `scope: any` for local-process mode so the token materializes at spawn time in all topologies. The `command` field must be a YAML array (e.g. `["bedrock-auth-helper"]`), not a string.
`secret_env`	References a pre-existing K8s Secret key as an env var	`any`	Static API keys in Kubernetes

Quick examples

Claude with refreshable Bedrock auth:

auth:
  credentials:
    profiles:
      bedrock:
        runtime_auth_resolvers:
          bedrock_token:
            type: command
            command: bedrock-auth-helper
            ttl_ms: 60000
        env:
          CLAUDE_CODE_USE_BEDROCK: "1"
          CLAUDE_CODE_SKIP_BEDROCK_AUTH: "1"
          AWS_REGION: "ap-southeast-2"
        default_binding:
          type: claude_api_key_helper
          runtime_auth_resolver: bedrock_token

agents:
  agent_runtimes:
    claude:
      adapter: claude
      auth_profile: bedrock

Codex or OpenAI-style direct API key:

auth:
  credentials:
    profiles:
      openai:
        env:
          OPENAI_API_KEY: "${OPENAI_API_KEY}"
        default_binding:
          type: bearer_env
          env_name: OPENAI_API_KEY

agents:
  agent_runtimes:
    codex:
      adapter: codex
      auth_profile: openai

K8s Secret-backed API key:

auth:
  credentials:
    profiles:
      openai_secret:
        auth_origins:
          api_key:
            type: secret_env
            scope: any
            env_name: OPENAI_API_KEY
            secret_ref:
              name: openai-api
              key: api-key
        default_binding:
          type: bearer_env
          auth_origin: api_key
          env_name: OPENAI_API_KEY

Architecture

Three Layers

Sources

Sources describe credential origins. In YAML, they live under auth_origins. Each source has a scope that determines when it is available:

Scope	Meaning	Example
`agent_runtime`	Only available to the agent/runtime helper after spawn	corporate proxy HEAD request
`host_edge`	Prepared on the host before spawning	`bedrock-auth-helper` in host-orchestrated K8s
`any`	Available in any topology	Pre-existing K8s Secret

Source types:

Type	Description	Important fields
`http_header_token`	Extract token from an HTTP response header	`request`, `extract`, `scope`
`command_output`	Run a command and use stdout as the credential	`command`, `scope`, optional `delivery`, optional `path`
`secret_env`	Reference a pre-existing K8s Secret	`env_name`, `secret_ref`, `scope`

Resolvers

A resolver is a runtime helper command. The primary example is fetch-bedrock-token:

Try corporate proxy HEAD request (source: proxy)
If that fails, read mounted fallback file (source: host_fallback)

In local-process mode, a resolver can also stand alone with no sources block at all. Example: Claude can call bedrock-auth-helper directly as its apiKeyHelper. order is deprecated. If a helper command needs fallback logic, the command should own it internally rather than duplicating it in config.

Bindings

Bindings describe how a host adapter consumes credentials:

Binding Type	Adapter Action	Required fields
`claude_api_key_helper`	Write `apiKeyHelper` to `~/.claude/settings.json` (Claude)	`runtime_auth_resolver`
`bearer_env`	Inject token as environment variable	`env_name`, plus optionally `auth_origin` or `runtime_auth_resolver`
`token_file`	Mount token as a file	`auth_origin`

bearer_env has three valid shapes:

source + env_name: inject a materialized source into an env var
resolver + env_name: inject the first materialized source that the helper uses
env_name only: plain env passthrough, where the value already exists in host/profile env

Execution Flow

Source Phase Annotation

When the planner builds a credential plan, each source is annotated with an execution phase based on its scope and the current topology:

Scope / Topology	`host_edge`	`in_cluster`
`host_edge`	prepare_now	unavailable
`agent_runtime`	runtime_only	runtime_only
`any`	prepare_now	prepare_now

Cross-Boundary Staging

When the orchestrator runs in-cluster (Topology B), host-edge credentials must be staged across the CP API boundary:

Staging Rules

Scenario	Result
Remote + `dispatch=queued` + staging needed	Stage via CP API, attach refs
Remote + `dispatch=direct` + staging needed	Error: requires queued
Remote + `mode=stream` + staging needed	Error: stream incompatible
Remote + dispatch omitted + staging needed	Error: requires explicit queued
Remote + no staging needed	Pass through
Local + direct	Orchestrator handles in-process
Local + queued + required host_edge	Error: use direct or remote mode

Config Reference

Minimal local-process profile (Claude on host)

auth:
  credentials:
    profiles:
      bedrock:
        # No auth_origins: nothing needs pre-materialization in local mode.
        runtime_auth_resolvers:
          bedrock_token:
            type: command
            command: bedrock-auth-helper
            ttl_ms: 60000
        env:
          CLAUDE_CODE_USE_BEDROCK: "1"
          CLAUDE_CODE_SKIP_BEDROCK_AUTH: "1"
          AWS_REGION: "ap-southeast-2"
        assertions:
          require_env: [AWS_REGION]
        default_binding:
          type: claude_api_key_helper
          runtime_auth_resolver: bedrock_token

Env passthrough profile (OpenAI/Codex-style)

auth:
  credentials:
    profiles:
      openai:
        assertions:
          require_env: [OPENAI_API_KEY]
        default_binding:
          type: bearer_env
          env_name: OPENAI_API_KEY

This binding does not need a source or resolver. It simply states that the adapter expects OPENAI_API_KEY to already be present in the merged env.

Full credential profile (K8s host-orchestrator)

auth:
  credentials:
    profiles:
      bedrock:
        auth_origins:
          proxy:
            type: http_header_token
            scope: agent_runtime
            request:
              method: HEAD
              url: https://ai-developer-tooling-llm-proxy-bedrock-runtime.platform.corp-internal.example.com
              headers:
                X-AWS-Region: "${AWS_REGION}"
            extract:
              header: x-bedrock-token
          host_fallback:
            type: command_output
            scope: host_edge
            command: ["bedrock-auth-helper"]
            delivery: file_mount
            path: /var/run/fracta-auth/bedrock-token
            required: false
        runtime_auth_resolvers:
          bedrock_helper:
            type: command
            command: /usr/local/bin/fetch-bedrock-token
            ttl_ms: 60000
            # Deprecated: kept only for backward compatibility.
            order: [proxy, host_fallback]
        env:
          CLAUDE_CODE_USE_BEDROCK: "1"
          CLAUDE_CODE_SKIP_BEDROCK_AUTH: "1"
          AWS_REGION: "ap-southeast-2"
        assertions:
          require_env: [AWS_REGION]
          forbid_env: [CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE]
        default_binding:
          type: claude_api_key_helper
          runtime_auth_resolver: bedrock_helper

In-cluster profile (no host_fallback — pods self-auth via the credentials proxy)

auth:
  credentials:
    profiles:
      bedrock:
        auth_origins:
          proxy:
            type: http_header_token
            scope: agent_runtime
            request:
              method: HEAD
              url: https://ai-developer-tooling-llm-proxy-bedrock-runtime.platform.corp-internal.example.com
              headers:
                X-AWS-Region: "${AWS_REGION}"
            extract:
              header: x-bedrock-token
        runtime_auth_resolvers:
          bedrock_helper:
            type: command
            command: /usr/local/bin/fetch-bedrock-token
            ttl_ms: 60000
            # Deprecated: kept only for backward compatibility.
            order: [proxy]
        env:
          CLAUDE_CODE_USE_BEDROCK: "1"
          CLAUDE_CODE_SKIP_BEDROCK_AUTH: "1"
          AWS_REGION: "ap-southeast-2"
        assertions:
          require_env: [AWS_REGION]
          forbid_env: [CLAUDE_CODE_SIMPLE]
        default_binding:
          type: claude_api_key_helper
          runtime_auth_resolver: bedrock_helper

Host binding override (non-Claude adapter)

hosts:
  future_host:
    adapter: future
    auth_profile: bedrock
    auth_binding:
      type: bearer_env
      auth_origin: host_fallback
      env_name: FUTURE_API_TOKEN

`order` Deprecation

resolvers.<name>.order is deprecated. Use this rule going forward:

If the helper is an opaque command, fallback order belongs inside the command.
New configs should omit order.
Existing configs may keep order temporarily for backward compatibility.

Assertions

Assertions are declarative config-driven validation rules. They run against the final merged environment (host env + profile env + binding-derived env) before credentials are materialized. No Claude/Bedrock-specific logic is hardcoded in Go.

Assertion	Meaning
`require_env: [KEY]`	Fail if `KEY` is not in the merged env
`forbid_env: [KEY]`	Fail if `KEY` IS in the merged env
`require_source: [name]`	Fail if the named source is not available for the topology
`warn_if_missing_env: [KEY]`	Warn (non-fatal) if `KEY` is missing

Diagnostics

`fracta auth diagnose`

fracta auth diagnose --host-type claude --config path/to/fracta.yaml

Runs the credential pipeline in dry-run mode and prints:

Credential origins with scope and execution phase
Runtime helper command, TTL, and deprecated source order when present
Binding type and target
Assertion results (pass/fail)
Final merged environment variables

Pod helper debug mode

Set FRACTA_CREDENTIALS_DEBUG=1 in the credential profile env to enable verbose stderr logging in fetch-bedrock-token:

[credentials.helper] trying proxy HEAD url=... region=ap-southeast-2
[credentials.helper] proxy: status=ok token_present=true

Structured log events

All credential operations emit structured logs via fractalog.Component("credentials"):

Event	When
`credentials.plan.build`	Plan construction starts
`credentials.plan.source`	Each source annotated with phase
`credentials.plan.complete`	Plan ready with phase counts
`credentials.source.prepare`	Host-edge source being materialized
`credentials.source.success` / `.fail`	Source preparation result
`credentials.assertion.pass` / `.fail`	Assertion evaluation
`credentials.stage.success` / `.fail`	Cross-boundary staging
`credentials.rehydrate.success` / `.fail`	Worker rehydration
`credentials.binding.project`	Adapter projection
`credentials.spawn.materialized`	Final spawn handoff

Config File Locations

After fracta init --scaffold <mode>, the per-mode config files live under your project root:

File	Mode	Description
`fracta.yaml` (project root)	All modes	Operator-edited config; `runtime.backend` distinguishes modes
`deployment/configs/controlplane.yaml`	Docker Compose	Server-side controlplane config (mounted into the controlplane container)
`deployment/configs/gateway.yaml`	Docker Compose	Server-side gateway config
`deployment/k8s/manifests/fracta-controlplane.yaml`	Kubernetes	Controlplane ConfigMap + Deployment
`deployment/k8s/manifests/fracta-gateway.yaml`	Kubernetes	Gateway ConfigMap + Deployment

Known Limitations

~~auth_profile nested under kubernetes~~ — Fixed: auth_profile and auth_binding now live at agents.agent_runtimes.<name>.* directly, not under agents.agent_runtimes.<name>.kubernetes.*.
K8sCredentialStager is not yet implemented — staging uses InMemoryCredentialStager (same-process) or RemoteCredentialStager (CP API HTTP). A K8s Secret-backed stager would be needed for multi-process production deployments without a CP API.
No end-to-end integration test covering the full remote staging → CP API → worker rehydration path.

Introduction

Getting Started

Swarm

Strategies

Patterns

Guides

Reference

Operations

Development

Contributing

Credential Pipeline

At a Glance

Where config lives

How to read the names

Binding types

Credential source types

Quick examples

Architecture

Three Layers

Sources

Resolvers

Bindings

Execution Flow

Source Phase Annotation

Cross-Boundary Staging

Staging Rules

Config Reference

Minimal local-process profile (Claude on host)

Env passthrough profile (OpenAI/Codex-style)

Full credential profile (K8s host-orchestrator)

In-cluster profile (no host_fallback — pods self-auth via the credentials proxy)

Host binding override (non-Claude adapter)

`order` Deprecation

Assertions

Diagnostics

`fracta auth diagnose`

Pod helper debug mode

Structured log events

Config File Locations

Known Limitations

​At a Glance

​Where config lives

​How to read the names

​Binding types

​Credential source types

​Quick examples

​Architecture

​Three Layers

​Sources

​Resolvers

​Bindings

​Execution Flow

​Source Phase Annotation

​Cross-Boundary Staging

​Staging Rules

​Config Reference

​Minimal local-process profile (Claude on host)

​Env passthrough profile (OpenAI/Codex-style)

​Full credential profile (K8s host-orchestrator)

​In-cluster profile (no host_fallback — pods self-auth via the credentials proxy)

​Host binding override (non-Claude adapter)

​order Deprecation

​Assertions

​Diagnostics

​fracta auth diagnose

​Pod helper debug mode

​Structured log events

​Config File Locations

​Known Limitations

At a Glance

Where config lives

How to read the names

Binding types

Credential source types

Quick examples

Architecture

Three Layers

Sources

Resolvers

Bindings

Execution Flow

Source Phase Annotation

Cross-Boundary Staging

Staging Rules

Config Reference

Minimal local-process profile (Claude on host)

Env passthrough profile (OpenAI/Codex-style)

Full credential profile (K8s host-orchestrator)

In-cluster profile (no host_fallback — pods self-auth via the credentials proxy)

Host binding override (non-Claude adapter)

`order` Deprecation

Assertions

Diagnostics

`fracta auth diagnose`

Pod helper debug mode

Structured log events

Config File Locations

Known Limitations