---
slug: "Break"
name: "Break"
type: "Data Structures"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Break#5003"
sema_id: "sema:Break#mh:SHA-256:5003e128ac02e7835d2094d72dc929ce4c96819b56ef167c2ca8da9f16aa402a"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Data Structures"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Break/
related: ["Agent","Message","Meta","Protocol","System","Compensate","Delegate","Jester","RegimeSense","Retry","Rollout","Vote","EjectionSeat"]
---

# Break

Failure-announcement signal {severity, reason, recoverable}, ACK-required

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Data Structures

## Mechanism

[Protocol](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Protocol.md) for announcing coordination failure. Failing [Agent](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Agent.md) broadcasts BREAK: {severity, reason, recoverable}. Partners must ACK. Coordination across the [System](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/System.md) terminates or pauses based on severity. Unacknowledged BREAK escalates to FAILED. It coordinates with retry logic to distinguish transient from permanent failures, optionally triggering ejection seat in catastrophic scenarios.

## Invariants

- Partners must ACK the BREAK; an unacknowledged announcement is not delivered coordination state.
- Escalates when an ACK does not arrive within `recovery_timeout`, rather than assuming receipt.

## Preconditions

- Interrupt signal
- Running process

## Postconditions

- Process halted
- Resumption point saved

## Failure modes

- BREAK [Message](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Message.md) itself fails to deliver ([Meta](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Meta.md)-failure).
- Partners disagree on recovery action.
- Cascading BREAKs overwhelm system.
- Inaccurate completed_state leads to wrong compensation.
- Timeout too short/long for ACK collection.

## Parameters

- `break_signal` (Enum, {Silent, Loud, Cascade}): How break propagates
- `failure_threshold` (Integer, [3, 10]): Consecutive failures before breaking
- `recovery_timeout` (Duration, [10s, 5min]): Cool-off before reconnection attempt

## Data schema

```json
{
  "type": "object",
  "required": [
    "break_id",
    "severity",
    "reason",
    "recoverable"
  ],
  "properties": {
    "break_id": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Unique identifier for this break event"
    },
    "severity": {
      "type": "string",
      "enum": [
        "transient",
        "permanent",
        "catastrophic"
      ],
      "description": "How serious is the failure"
    },
    "reason": {
      "type": "string",
      "description": "Human-readable explanation of the break cause"
    },
    "timestamp": {
      "type": "string",
      "format": "date-time",
      "description": "When the break occurred"
    },
    "recoverable": {
      "type": "boolean",
      "description": "Whether coordination can resume, or must terminate."
    }
  }
}
```

## Builds on

- [Agent](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Agent.md) (Mind; References)
- [Message](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Message.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Meta](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Meta.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Protocol](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Protocol.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [System](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/System.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [Compensate](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Compensate.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Delegate](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Delegate.md) (Society; Composes with)
- [Jester](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Jester.md) (Mind; References)
- [RegimeSense](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/RegimeSense.md) (Mind; References)
- [Retry](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Retry.md) (Mind; References)
- [Rollout](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Rollout.md) (Society; Composes with)
- [Vote](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Vote.md) (Society; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Break#mh:SHA-256:5003e128ac02e7835d2094d72dc929ce4c96819b56ef167c2ca8da9f16aa402a`
- Ref: `Break#5003`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Break#mh:SHA-256:1a63164e5ff06e60927f3e585fc003abab80eeb4002ccf075e3b53747318fa95`
  - `sema:Break#mh:SHA-256:3c370fec3d297e00ea2321826e420a429f65fc5f5da5ac61b844c821aef41018`
  - `sema:Break#mh:SHA-256:c4d3f005992445b2307564e2fc00d684500c2b4239a9f06d4a17e302c8b039ff`

## Links

- [Pattern page](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Break/)
- [View in the interactive graph](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/#Break)
- [JSON](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Break.json)
- [Index of all patterns](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json)