---
slug: "Monitor"
name: "Monitor"
type: "Primitives"
layer: "Infrastructure"
ref: "Monitor#d316"
sema_id: "sema:Monitor#mh:SHA-256:d31621c43589a14a237d53b3ff53c360b841cea6fe8fa8b7dc90724a686fcf8f"
tags: ["Infrastructure","Primitives"]
updated: 2026-11-11
mindscape: "bootstrap"
index_url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/index.json
url: https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Monitor/
related: ["Loop","Observe","Anomaly","Signal","State","System","DetectorSelfTest","Heartbeat","RolloutWatch","DetectorSelfTest#8d48"]
---

# Monitor

Continuous observation of state over time

Layer: Infrastructure · Category: Primitives

## Mechanism

A persistent process that uses a [Loop](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Loop.md) to repeatedly execute [Observe](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Observe.md) on a target [System](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/System.md) or [State](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/State.md) at defined intervals. It compares the observed state against a baseline or invariant, emitting a [Signal](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Signal.md) if a deviation ([Anomaly](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Anomaly.md)) is detected.

## Invariants

- Liveness: runs continuously or at `interval`.
- Perturbs what it observes: repeated [Observe](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Observe.md) consumes resources at the target and leaves records there. The degree varies; the fact does not.

## Failure modes

- Monitoring load becomes the [Anomaly](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Anomaly.md): the observation cost is large enough to shift the baseline it is measuring against.
- Baseline drift: the target changes legitimately and the unchanged baseline reports it as deviation.

## Parameters

- `interval` (Duration, unspecified): Time between observation cycles

## Signature

- `Loop(State)`

## Builds on

- [Loop](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Loop.md) (Infrastructure; Composes with)
- [Observe](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Observe.md) (Infrastructure; Composes with)
- [Anomaly](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Anomaly.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Signal](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Signal.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [State](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/State.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [System](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/System.md) (Infrastructure; References)

## Used by

- [DetectorSelfTest](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/DetectorSelfTest.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [Heartbeat](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/Heartbeat.md) (Infrastructure; References)
- [RolloutWatch](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/RolloutWatch.md) (Society; Extends)
- [RolloutWatch](https://mindscape.pages.dev/bootstrap/RolloutWatch.md) (Society; References)

## Identity

- Sema ID: `sema:Monitor#mh:SHA-256:d31621c43589a14a237d53b3ff53c360b841cea6fe8fa8b7dc90724a686fcf8f`
- Ref: `Monitor#d316`
- Supersedes:
  - `sema:Monitor#mh:SHA-256:9a8f8879765fe55f9ab79786671b7e4cf0aa0e61730e20897214b22fb6fa08bb`
  - `sema:Monitor#mh:SHA-256:72e04554c76cd2e06afaeb7284aaab96f37499b0ab3d58c76612819136447f2e`

## Links

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