120-error-recovery-protocols

Instruction file imported from savagelysubtle/BIG-BRAIN-Memory-Bank (.cursor/rules/BIG_BRAIN/Core/Verification/120-error-recovery-protocols.mdc). Copyright stays with the author.

description: WHEN verification fails PERFORM recovery operations to restore memory bank integrity globs: ["/*.md", "/*.mdc"] alwaysApply: true

TL;DR: The Error Recovery Protocols provide systematic approaches to detect, diagnose, and correct integrity issues in the Memory Bank, ensuring continuous operation even when verification fails.

1.0.0

1. **Structural Errors**
   - Missing required files
   - Corrupted file format
   - Invalid markdown structure
   - Improperly formatted sections

2. **Content Errors**
   - Incomplete information
   - Corrupted content
   - Invalid references
   - Semantic inconsistencies

3. **Consistency Errors**
   - Contradictory information
   - Version mismatches
   - Temporal inconsistencies
   - Relationship misalignments

4. **System Errors**
   - File system access issues
   - Permission problems
   - Environment configuration errors
   - Resource constraints

Each error class has specialized diagnostics and recovery approaches.

**Structural Diagnostics**
- File existence verification
- Format validation against templates
- Section structure analysis
- XML/MDC parsing validation

**Content Diagnostics**
- Required field completeness check
- Content integrity validation
- Reference resolution attempts
- Semantic coherence analysis

**Consistency Diagnostics**
- Cross-reference validation
- Version chain analysis
- Temporal sequence verification
- Relationship graph validation

**System Diagnostics**
- File system access testing
- Permission verification
- Environment variable validation
- Resource availability assessment

Diagnostics combine automated checks with heuristic analysis to identify specific failure points.

1. **Reconstruction**
   - Rebuild missing files from templates
   - Regenerate sections from available information
   - Restore structure based on schema
   - Re-create missing content from context

2. **Reconciliation**
   - Resolve contradictions using priority rules
   - Align inconsistent information
   - Harmonize version mismatches
   - Correct relationship errors

3. **Repair**
   - Fix format errors
   - Correct malformed content
   - Update broken references
   - Address content corruption

4. **Reconfiguration**
   - Adjust file system permissions
   - Modify environment settings
   - Allocate additional resources
   - Create alternative access paths

Strategies employ progressive approaches, starting with minimally invasive methods before more disruptive interventions.

1. **Error Detection**
   - Verification system identifies failure
   - Error is classified by type and severity
   - Affected components are isolated
   - Initial impact assessment performed

2. **Diagnostic Phase**
   - Specific diagnostic procedures run
   - Root cause identified
   - Impact scope determined
   - Recovery options evaluated

3. **Strategy Selection**
   - Optimal recovery approach chosen
   - Required resources identified
   - Recovery plan formulated
   - Success criteria defined

4. **Implementation**
   - Recovery actions executed
   - Progress monitored
   - Intermediate validations performed
   - Adjustments made as needed

5. **Verification**
   - Recovered system verified
   - Integrity checks performed
   - Consistency validated
   - Operation confirmed

6. **Documentation**
   - Recovery actions recorded
   - Root cause documented
   - Preventive measures identified
   - Recovery assessment completed

This process ensures systematic handling of all verification failures.

**File Templates**
- Core memory file templates (projectbrief.md, systemPatterns.md, etc.)
- Section templates for common components
- Structure templates for organized information
- Format templates for consistent presentation

**Content Templates**
- Standard descriptions of system components
- Common architecture patterns
- Typical workflow descriptions
- Default configuration settings

**Relationship Templates**
- Standard component relationships
- Common dependency patterns
- Typical information flow structures
- Default organizational hierarchies

Templates provide foundations for reconstruction while preserving critical structures.

1. **Temporal Priority**
   - More recent information generally prevails
   - Exception: core architecture fundamentals have higher stability

2. **Specificity Priority**
   - More detailed information overrides general statements
   - Exception: when specific details contradict system-wide patterns

3. **Source Priority**
   - systemPatterns.md overrides other sources for architecture
   - techContext.md is authoritative for technology decisions
   - projectbrief.md is primary for requirements and goals

4. **Consistency Priority**
   - Information consistent with multiple sources prevails
   - Isolated contradictions yield to consensus information

Priority rules are applied contextually based on specific contradiction type.

1. **Level 1: Non-Invasive Recovery**
   - Format corrections
   - Reference updates
   - Missing section addition
   - Structure alignment

2. **Level 2: Partial Reconstruction**
   - Section rebuilding
   - Content regeneration from context
   - Inconsistency resolution
   - Reference graph repair

3. **Level 3: Major Reconstruction**
   - File recreation
   - Comprehensive consistency resolution
   - System-wide alignment
   - Deep relationship rebuilding

4. **Level 4: Emergency Restoration**
   - Core functioning restoration
   - Minimal viable Memory Bank
   - Essential references only
   - User-guided reconstruction

Each level is attempted only if less invasive approaches are insufficient.

```
## 🔄 Recovery Report

### Error Summary
- Error type: [Structural/Content/Consistency/System]
- Severity: [Critical/High/Medium/Low]
- Affected components: [List of affected files/sections]
- Root cause: [Identified cause of the issue]

### Recovery Actions
- Recovery level: [1-4]
- Strategy applied: [Reconstruction/Reconciliation/Repair/Reconfiguration]
- Actions taken:
  1. [Specific action description]
  2. [Specific action description]
  3. [Specific action description]

### Results
- Recovery status: [Complete/Partial/Failed]
- Remaining issues: [If any]
- Information preservation: [Percentage/assessment]
- Verification status: [Pass/Conditional/Fail]

### Prevention
- Contributing factors: [What led to the issue]
- Preventive measures: [How to prevent recurrence]
- Recommended follow-up: [Additional actions needed]
```

This reporting ensures transparency and provides context for recovery decisions.

1. **Core Preservation**
   - Identify any intact memory components
   - Secure remaining valid information
   - Create integrity-verified backup

2. **Foundational Restoration**
   - Restore core file structures
   - Rebuild essential frameworks
   - Reestablish critical relationships

3. **Guided Reconstruction**
   - Progressive rebuilding with user input
   - Context-based content restoration
   - Pattern-based relationship rebuilding

4. **Validation Chain**
   - Systematic verification of restored elements
   - Incremental expansion of verified sections
   - Relationship consistency verification

Catastrophic recovery emphasizes preserving system function while transparently documenting limitations.

1. **Notification**
   - Clear error reporting
   - Impact assessment
   - Recovery options presentation

2. **Guidance Requests**
   - Information verification
   - Decision point consultation
   - Preference clarification

3. **Progress Updates**
   - Recovery stage reporting
   - Action summaries
   - Success indicators

4. **Completion Report**
   - Final recovery status
   - Remaining limitations
   - Follow-up recommendations

Interaction is designed to be informative without overwhelming, providing appropriate detail while focusing on restoration progress.

1. **Pattern Recognition**
   - Identify recurring error patterns
   - Analyze contributing factors
   - Document vulnerability patterns

2. **Strengthening Measures**
   - Enhance verification checks
   - Implement additional validations
   - Create more robust templates

3. **Process Improvements**
   - Document best practices
   - Refine update procedures
   - Improve consistency checking

4. **Knowledge Integration**
   - Update recovery templates
   - Enhance diagnostic procedures
   - Refine priority rules

Prevention ensures that recovery knowledge improves system resilience over time.

### Error Summary
- Error type: Consistency
- Severity: High
- Affected components:
  - systemPatterns.md:Architecture
  - techContext.md:Components
  - main.mdc:System
- Root cause: Version mismatch between architecture updates and implementation references

### Recovery Actions
- Recovery level: 2
- Strategy applied: Reconciliation
- Actions taken:
  1. Analyzed version history to identify correct sequence
  2. Compared detailed implementation with architecture models
  3. Updated techContext.md component references to align with systemPatterns.md
  4. Added version reference to main.mdc system section
  5. Verified reference consistency across all affected files

### Results
- Recovery status: Complete
- Remaining issues: None
- Information preservation: 100% (reconciliation only)
- Verification status: Pass

### Prevention
- Contributing factors: Architecture updated without propagating changes to implementation references
- Preventive measures:
  - Added explicit version linking between architecture and implementation
  - Enhanced consistency checks for component references
- Recommended follow-up: Review update procedure to ensure cross-file updates
```

This example shows the recovery process for a consistency error affecting multiple components.

1. **Detection Flow**
   - Verification process identifies failures
   - Failures trigger appropriate diagnostic procedures
   - Diagnostics inform recovery strategy selection

2. **Feedback Loop**
   - Recovery actions address verification failures
   - Post-recovery verification validates results
   - Verification results guide additional recovery if needed

3. **Knowledge Capture**
   - Verification patterns inform template improvements
   - Recovery experiences enhance verification checks
   - Both processes contribute to system resilience

This integration ensures coordinated operation of the entire Enhanced Verification Framework.

**Level 1 (Simple)**
- Focus on task-critical components
- Basic structural repairs
- Essential consistency restoration

**Level 2 (Moderate)**
- Extended component recovery
- Relationship repairs for key connections
- Broader consistency reconciliation

**Level 3 (Complex)**
- Comprehensive system recovery
- Complete relationship graph restoration
- Full consistency verification

**Level 4 (Critical)**
- Maximum information preservation
- Deep semantic analysis
- Cross-system verification
- Extended recovery documentation

Recovery depth increases with task complexity to ensure appropriate restoration of critical components.

📝 Version History