Capability mapping

Map a real-world ability into a hosted capability.

CHP starts with the thing someone or something can do. This map turns that ability into a host boundary, policy boundary, invocation trace, manifest shape, and result.

A good map proves

  • +The actor is named before the capability is invoked.
  • +The host owns lifecycle, version, availability, and evidence.
  • +The permission and policy state are explicit before execution.
  • +The result is concrete enough for another host, agent, or application to compose.

Capability map

Start with the real-world ability.

Protocol readiness

Defined protocol outcome
  • PassActor named

    Caller identity is visible before invocation.

  • PassCapability identifier

    Published as schedule_technician.

  • PassHost identity

    HostDescriptor.id will be serviceopshost.

  • PassCapability version

    Version compatibility can be checked before invocation.

  • PassPermission requirement

    Permission is machine-readable and can be enforced.

  • PassInvocation context

    The payload names the context the capability needs.

  • PassConcrete result

    The caller can reason about the expected result.

  • PassDescription quality

    The manifest explains the capability to independent callers.

  • PassLifecycle state

    The host can expose this capability as invokable.

  • Protocol outcomePolicy outcome

    Approval-required capabilities should pause or deny before execution.

CHP notation

[Planning Agent] -> {schedule_technician} @ ServiceOpsHost | manager_approval | job_context -> Confirmed Appointment

Invocation trace

  1. 01 Actor

    Planning Agent

  2. 02 Capability

    schedule_technician

  3. 03 Host

    ServiceOpsHost

  4. 04 Policy

    manager_approval

  5. 05 Context

    job_context

  6. 06 Result

    Confirmed Appointment

schedule_technicianInvokable

Find an available qualified technician and reserve a service window.

host: ServiceOpsHostpolicy: approval_requiredv1.0.0

Policy boundary

Approval required

manager_approval

service:dispatch governs whether Planning Agent can invoke schedule_technician.

Mapped host

ServiceOpsHost

Available

A host publishes capability identity, lifecycle, version, entitlement metadata, and policy before callers invoke it.

schedule_technicianInvokable

Find an available qualified technician and reserve a service window.

host: ServiceOpsHostpolicy: approval_requiredv1.0.0
manifest.json
json
{
  "id": "serviceopshost",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "protocol_version": "0.1",
  "kind": "service",
  "capabilities": [
    {
      "id": "schedule_technician",
      "version": "1.0.0",
      "description": "Find an available qualified technician and reserve a service window.",
      "status": "experimental",
      "modes": [
        "sync"
      ],
      "emits": [
        "execution_started",
        "execution_completed",
        "execution_denied",
        "execution_skipped"
      ],
      "policy": {
        "risk_tier": "high",
        "auth_required": true,
        "approval_required": true,
        "allowed_actors": [
          "Planning Agent"
        ]
      },
      "metadata": {
        "required_permissions": [
          "service:dispatch"
        ],
        "lifecycle": "invokable",
        "policy_state": "approval_required",
        "policy_rule": "manager_approval"
      }
    }
  ],
  "evidence": {
    "store": "local-append-only",
    "append_only": true
  }
}
invoke.json
json
{
  "invocation_id": "inv_schedule_technician_map",
  "capability_id": "schedule_technician",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "mode": "sync",
  "correlation": {
    "correlation_id": "map-001"
  },
  "subject": {
    "id": "Planning Agent",
    "required_permissions": [
      "service:dispatch"
    ]
  },
  "payload": {
    "context": "job_context",
    "requested_result": "Confirmed Appointment"
  },
  "requested_at": "2026-06-16T15:14:20.000Z"
}
outcome.json
json
{
  "invocation_id": "inv_schedule_technician_map",
  "capability_id": "schedule_technician",
  "capability_version": "1.0.0",
  "correlation": {
    "correlation_id": "map-001"
  },
  "outcome": "denied",
  "success": false,
  "data": null,
  "error": null,
  "denial": {
    "code": "approval_required",
    "message": "manager_approval must approve before execution.",
    "retryable": true,
    "details": {
      "policy": "manager_approval"
    }
  },
  "evidence_ids": [
    "evt_map_execution_denied"
  ],
  "started_at": null,
  "completed_at": "2026-06-16T15:14:22.104Z"
}

Next step

Turn the map into a reference host.

Once the boundary is named, implement the capability, verify the host, and test the denial and unavailable paths before treating it as a public protocol surface.

Build the hostCheck conformance