======== Glossary ======== Standard terminology used throughout MassGen documentation. .. glossary:: :sorted: Agent An AI assistant configured with a specific backend (model) and capabilities. Agents work independently or collaborate with other agents to solve tasks. Attempt A single orchestration execution within a :term:`Turn`. If orchestration fails or restarts (due to errors, timeouts, or explicit restart requests), each restart creates a new attempt. Attempts are numbered sequentially (attempt_1, attempt_2, etc.). Most turns complete in a single attempt. See also: :term:`Turn`, :term:`Round`. Backend The AI model provider integration (e.g., OpenAI, Claude, Gemini). Each backend connects to a specific AI service and provides access to its models. Claude Code Anthropic's development-focused AI assistant with native file operation tools (Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Grep, Glob). Backend type: ``claude_code``. Codex OpenAI's Codex CLI with native shell, file editing, web search, and workspace-scoped MCP integration. Backend type: ``codex``. Consensus Agreement among agents on the best solution. Agents reach consensus through voting and refinement during coordination phases. Context Path A shared directory that agents can access during multi-agent collaboration. Context paths have permissions (read or write) and enable project integration. Coordination Phase The period when agents observe each other's solutions and vote on the best approach. During coordination, agents can refine their answers based on others' work. Coordination completes when all agents have voted. Round A single LLM call cycle for an agent during coordination, where the agent receives the current context (previous answers), processes it, and produces output (either a ``new_answer`` or a ``vote``). Multiple rounds occur as agents iteratively refine solutions. Each round includes: receiving context → LLM streaming → tool execution (if any) → output. See also: :term:`Turn`, :term:`Attempt`. Final Agent The agent whose solution is selected after coordination completes. This agent presents the final answer and can execute write operations to context paths. File Operation Reading, writing, editing, or deleting files in an agent's workspace or context paths. File operations require appropriate permissions. FileOperationTracker System component that enforces read-before-delete policies and tracks all file operations per agent for safety. LM Studio Local model inference tool that enables running open-weight models on your machine. Backend type: ``lmstudio``. MassGen Multi-Agent Scaling System for GenAI. A framework for running multiple AI agents collaboratively to solve complex tasks. MCP (Model Context Protocol) A protocol for integrating external tools and services with AI models. MCP servers provide tools like web search, filesystem access, or API integrations. MCP Planning Mode Coordination strategy where agents plan tool usage without execution during coordination. Only the final agent executes MCP tools to prevent duplicate actions. MCP Server A service that implements the Model Context Protocol and provides tools to agents. Examples: weather service, filesystem access, web search. Multi-Turn Mode Interactive conversation mode where you can continue asking questions across multiple turns. Session history is preserved in ``.massgen/sessions/``. Orchestrator System component that manages agent coordination, voting, workspace management, and session handling. Planning Mode See :term:`MCP Planning Mode`. Session A multi-turn conversation saved in ``.massgen/sessions/``. Sessions preserve context across multiple :term:`turns` with the same agent team. A session can span multiple user interactions over time. Turn A single user interaction in a :term:`Session`. Each turn represents one question/task submitted to the agents, triggering a complete coordination cycle. In multi-turn mode, turns are numbered sequentially (turn_1, turn_2, etc.). Each turn may have one or more :term:`attempts`. The log directory structure is: ``log_TIMESTAMP/turn_N/attempt_N/``. See also: :term:`Round`, :term:`Attempt`. Snapshot A workspace state captured during coordination. Snapshots allow agents to share file-based work with each other. Streaming Real-time delivery of LLM responses as they are generated, rather than waiting for the complete response. MassGen uses streaming for all LLM calls, enabling live progress display and early tool execution detection. Stream Chunk A single piece of data from a streaming LLM response. Chunk types include: ``content`` (text), ``tool_calls`` (function invocations), ``reasoning`` (thinking), and ``done`` (completion signal). Snapshot Storage Directory where workspace snapshots are stored. Configured via ``orchestrator.snapshot_storage`` in YAML. System Message Instructions or role description provided to an agent to customize its behavior. Also called "system prompt." Temporary Workspace Directory storing previous turn results for context in multi-turn sessions. Configured via ``orchestrator.agent_temporary_workspace``. Voting Process where agents evaluate solutions and cast votes for the best answer during coordination rounds. Voting Config Orchestrator settings controlling voting behavior, including consensus threshold and voting rules. Voting Threshold Minimum percentage of agent votes required to select a final answer. Configured as 0.0-1.0 (e.g., 0.6 = 60%). Workspace Isolated directory where an agent performs file operations. Each agent has its own workspace under ``.massgen/workspaces/``. Workspace Isolation Security feature ensuring each agent's file operations are contained in their own workspace, preventing accidental interference. YAML Configuration Human-readable configuration file format used to define agents, backends, and orchestrator settings in MassGen. .massgen Directory Organizational directory created by MassGen to store all working files: sessions, workspaces, snapshots, temporary files, and logs. Deprecated Terms ================ The following terms were used in earlier versions but are no longer preferred: .. glossary:: :sorted: Working Directory **Deprecated**. Use :term:`Workspace` instead. The ``cwd`` parameter still refers to the workspace directory. Shared Directory **Deprecated**. Use :term:`Context Path` instead. Context paths are the current terminology for shared project directories. Winning Agent **Deprecated**. Use :term:`Final Agent` instead. This is the agent selected after coordination completes. Final Presentation Agent **Deprecated**. Use :term:`Final Agent` instead. Simpler terminology preferred. Provider **Deprecated**. Use :term:`Backend` instead. Backend is more precise as it refers to the integration code, not just the service provider. External Tool **Deprecated** when referring to MCP. Use :term:`MCP Server` or :term:`MCP (Model Context Protocol)` instead. MCP Tool **Ambiguous**. Clarify whether you mean an :term:`MCP Server` (the service) or a specific tool provided by an MCP server. Configuration-Related Terms ============================ .. glossary:: :sorted: agents Top-level YAML key (plural) for multi-agent configurations. Contains a list of agent definitions. agent Alternative top-level YAML key (singular) for single-agent configurations. Less commonly used. backend.type YAML parameter specifying the backend type (e.g., ``openai``, ``claude``, ``gemini``). backend.model YAML parameter specifying the model name (e.g., ``gpt-5-nano``, ``claude-sonnet-4``). backend.cwd YAML parameter specifying the agent's workspace directory. orchestrator.coordination YAML section for coordination configuration, including planning mode settings. orchestrator.context_paths YAML list of shared directories with read/write permissions. orchestrator.snapshot_storage YAML parameter for snapshot directory location. orchestrator.agent_temporary_workspace YAML parameter for temporary workspace directory location. permission YAML parameter for context path access level: ``"read"`` or ``"write"``. Backend-Specific Terms ======================= .. glossary:: :sorted: AG2 External framework for agentic workflows with code execution. Backend type: ``ag2``. Azure OpenAI Microsoft Azure's OpenAI deployment service. Backend type: ``azure_openai``. Chat Completions API Generic OpenAI-compatible API format. Backend type: ``chatcompletion``. Codex CLI OpenAI's native-tool coding assistant. Backend type: ``codex``. Gemini Google's AI models (Flash, Pro). Backend type: ``gemini``. GPT OpenAI's language models (GPT-4, GPT-5, etc.). Backend type: ``openai``. Grok xAI's language models (Grok-3, Grok-4). Backend type: ``grok``. Response API Anthropic's API format. Backend type: ``claude``. SGLang Structured Generation Language for high-performance LLM inference. Supported via ``chatcompletion`` backend. vLLM High-performance LLM inference engine. Supported via ``chatcompletion`` backend. ZhipuAI / ZAI Chinese AI provider with GLM models. Backend type: ``zai``. Usage Examples ============== **Correct terminology in documentation:** .. code-block:: rst The :term:`final agent` executes write operations to :term:`context paths`. Agents use :term:`MCP servers` to access external tools. Each agent has an isolated :term:`workspace` under ``.massgen/workspaces/``. **Preferred vs. deprecated:** .. list-table:: :header-rows: 1 :widths: 40 40 20 * - Preferred - Deprecated - Context * - Context path - Shared directory - Project integration * - Workspace - Working directory, cwd - Agent file operations * - Coordination phase - Coordination round - When emphasizing the phase, not iteration * - Final agent - Winning agent, final presentation agent - Agent selection * - Backend - Provider - Model integration See Also ======== * :doc:`user_guide/concepts` - Core MassGen concepts explained * :doc:`reference/yaml_schema` - Complete YAML parameter reference * :doc:`quickstart/configuration` - Configuration guide with examples * :doc:`reference/cli` - Command-line interface reference