{
  "handle": "GracefulDegradation",
  "mechanism": "Resolution Fallback {{strategy}}. When a Pattern_ID is not found in local storage, the system attempts to resolve it via secondary channels (Inline Payload -> Network Request) rather than halting immediately. Crucially, any definition acquired this way must be cryptographically verified against the requested Pattern_ID. It defaults to {{fail_closed}} if verification fails, but attempts to parse verified inline definitions to maintain continuity.",
  "gloss": "When verification fails, fall back to inline definition",
  "failure_modes": [
    "Hash Mismatch: Inline definition claims to be Pattern#X but hashes to Pattern#Y (Spoofing).",
    "DoS via Definition: Sender includes massive multi-megabyte 'definition' to exhaust receiver memory.",
    "Dependency Hell: Inline definition references other unknown patterns, triggering recursive lookups."
  ],
  "invariants": [
    "A definition enters local storage only if it validates fully.",
    "An externally acquired definition is hashed and verified against the requested ID before loading.",
    "Rejects definitions larger than `max_def_size`.",
    "Expands inline definitions no deeper than `max_recursion_depth`.",
    "Defaults to {{fail_closed}} when verification fails."
  ],
  "preconditions": [
    "{{message}} contains fallback data OR sender is reachable",
    "Pattern lookup failed"
  ],
  "postconditions": [
    "Pattern resolved and locally minted OR Transaction aborted"
  ],
  "parameters": [
    {
      "name": "max_def_size",
      "type": "PositiveInteger",
      "range": "unspecified",
      "description": "Largest inline definition accepted, in bytes. Deliberately uncapped; default 100KB."
    },
    {
      "name": "max_recursion_depth",
      "type": "Integer",
      "range": "[1, 5]",
      "description": "Depth of inline-definition expansion permitted before the chain is refused."
    }
  ],
  "_meta": {
    "tier": 1,
    "ring": 0,
    "supersedes": [
      "sema:GracefulDegradation#mh:SHA-256:f6d796365ffaa5244e54660f836f2e31ca948169f42fd305da33445cbfa30485",
      "sema:GracefulDegradation#mh:SHA-256:1a82403193308a36bfe7623bdbd9e98dd611761e086b0e038ced0655e8db0336",
      "sema:GracefulDegradation#mh:SHA-256:84362d70dbeb585179a9adc7352dcd96d5edd14a611ee6c7d2400a4d78395eec",
      "sema:GracefulDegradation#mh:SHA-256:f10808f46c43a5c56cc2c16b27de525604b7888f232240cb742f276e089d4781",
      "sema:GracefulDegradation#mh:SHA-256:b5fb816bf7d74fb14b80795841d2043f22ac266873f442fce51c163346dc5a85"
    ],
    "path": [
      "Society",
      "Protocols"
    ]
  },
  "sema_id": "sema:GracefulDegradation#mh:SHA-256:6633433b9b713c199d43b085ec6e07183544183c507e5c9673aafa0518135df9",
  "sema_ref": "GracefulDegradation#6633",
  "sema_stub": "6633",
  "dependencies": {
    "references": {
      "fail_closed": "sema:FailClosed#mh:SHA-256:dfbcf50c68d036ae4f18719bf59f41eddd83b5510bd60ff1326f8854240d8066",
      "message": "sema:Message#mh:SHA-256:bf6d3d4643c881a8c245617c3603b13ffef26026304fc7e7c384a80cf25fd237",
      "strategy": "sema:Strategy#mh:SHA-256:3dc598d0c6af12389df445c204e17df03950dbc886656b85700e6c87c31b2eef"
    }
  },
  "sema_layer": "Society",
  "sema_category": "Protocols",
  "used_by": {
    "references": {
      "Gardener": "sema:Gardener#mh:SHA-256:e8445560044682eee75897f1a7067bac7adb5d09ab457bdffdb747d685e51fb4"
    }
  }
}