# Pattern P-023: Agent Mesh Networks

> **ID**: P-023-mesh-networks
> **Category**: Context & Routing
> **Priority**: High
> **Version**: 1.0.0

## Problem

Traditional hierarchical agent orchestration creates bottlenecks at the coordinator level. Complex tasks require frequent context sharing between agents that current point-to-point handoffs don't support efficiently.

## Solution

Implement mesh networks where:
- Local agent networks handle tactical execution
- Coordinators manage strategic decisions
- Peer-to-peer communication enables fast collaboration
- Escalation paths ensure oversight

## Architecture

```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                    MESH NETWORK TOPOLOGY                     │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                             │
│                    ┌─────────────┐                          │
│                    │ ORCHESTRATOR│                          │
│                    │  (Strategic)│                          │
│                    └──────┬──────┘                          │
│                           │                                 │
│              ┌────────────┼────────────┐                    │
│              │            │            │                    │
│              ▼            ▼            ▼                    │
│       ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐               │
│       │COORDINATOR│ │COORDINATOR│ │COORDINATOR│             │
│       │  Mesh A   │ │  Mesh B   │ │  Mesh C   │             │
│       └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘ └────┬─────┘               │
│            │            │            │                      │
│     ┌──────┼──────┐     │     ┌──────┼──────┐              │
│     │      │      │     │     │      │      │              │
│     ▼      ▼      ▼     ▼     ▼      ▼      ▼              │
│   ┌───┐  ┌───┐  ┌───┐ ┌───┐ ┌───┐  ┌───┐  ┌───┐           │
│   │Dev│◄─►│Tst│◄─►│Rev│ │Sec│ │Arc│◄─►│Dev│◄─►│Ops│        │
│   └───┘  └───┘  └───┘ └───┘ └───┘  └───┘  └───┘           │
│                                                             │
│   Legend: ◄─► Peer-to-peer │ Escalation to coordinator     │
│                                                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
```

## Mesh Types

### 1. Feature Mesh
Agents collaborating on a single feature.
```
Coordinator: architect
Agents: developer, tester, reviewer
Purpose: End-to-end feature implementation
```

### 2. Quality Mesh
Agents focused on quality assurance.
```
Coordinator: qa-lead
Agents: tester, security-auditor, performance-tester
Purpose: Comprehensive quality validation
```

### 3. Incident Mesh
Agents responding to issues.
```
Coordinator: incident-commander
Agents: developer, devops, analyst
Purpose: Rapid incident resolution
```

## Communication Patterns

### Peer-to-Peer Messaging
```bash
# Direct agent communication
mesh_send "developer" "tester" "Code ready for testing"
```

### Broadcast
```bash
# Notify all mesh members
mesh_broadcast "Feature X deployed to staging"
```

### Handoff
```bash
# Transfer responsibility
mesh_handoff "developer" "tester" "All tests pass locally"
```

### Escalation
```bash
# Escalate to coordinator
mesh_escalate "Blocked: Need architecture decision"
```

## State Machine

```
MESH STATES:
┌─────────┐     ┌──────────┐     ┌─────────┐
│ FORMING │────►│  ACTIVE  │────►│ CLOSING │
└─────────┘     └──────────┘     └─────────┘
                     │
                     ▼
              ┌──────────┐
              │ PAUSED   │
              └──────────┘
```

## Implementation

### Create Mesh
```bash
mesh_create "feature-login" "architect" "developer" "tester" "reviewer"
```

### Join & Participate
```bash
mesh_join "$mesh_id" "security-auditor"
mesh_send "all" "Security review complete: approved"
```

### Handoff Flow
```bash
# Developer completes work
mesh_handoff "developer" "tester" "Implementation complete"

# Tester finds issues
mesh_send "developer" "Found 2 edge case bugs"

# Developer fixes
mesh_handoff "developer" "tester" "Bugs fixed"

# Tester approves
mesh_handoff "tester" "reviewer" "Ready for review"
```

## Configuration

```json
{
  "mesh_types": {
    "feature": {
      "default_coordinator": "architect",
      "required_agents": ["developer", "tester"],
      "optional_agents": ["reviewer", "security"]
    }
  },
  "escalation_timeout": 300,
  "max_mesh_size": 10
}
```

## Integration Points

1. **Guardian Protocol**: Creates mesh for complex tasks
2. **Sprint Tracker**: Mesh per story
3. **Audit Trail**: Records all mesh communications
4. **Sentinel**: Monitors mesh health

## Related Patterns

- `P-001-hybrid-orchestration` - Orchestrator integration
- `P-022-agent-maturity` - Agent capability matching
- `lib/mesh-network.sh` - Implementation

## Metrics

| Metric | Target |
|--------|--------|
| Mesh Completion Rate | > 90% |
| Avg Handoffs per Mesh | < 5 |
| Escalation Rate | < 20% |
| Mean Time to Close | < 2h |
