2. Terminology
Scan: 12 key terms — triad, governance file, bare/embedded deployment, session, SITREP, content-as-code.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| aDNA | Agentic DNA — the knowledge architecture standard defined by this document |
| Triad | The what/how/who directory ontology that organizes all aDNA content |
| what/ | Knowledge layer — WHAT the project knows (context, decisions, reference, domain objects) |
| how/ | Operations layer — HOW the project works (missions, sessions, templates, pipelines) |
| who/ | Organization layer — WHO is involved (people, teams, coordination, governance) |
| Governance file | A root-level ALLCAPS markdown file that governs the aDNA instance: CLAUDE.md, MANIFEST.md, STATE.md, AGENTS.md, README.md |
| Bare triad | Deployment form where what/, how/, who/ sit directly at project root. Used for knowledge bases and standalone agent workspaces |
| Embedded triad | Deployment form where the triad is wrapped inside .agentic/ (i.e., .agentic/what/, .agentic/how/, .agentic/who/). Used for git repositories |
| Deployment form | How the triad is physically instantiated — bare or embedded |
| Session | A bounded unit of agent work with a defined lifecycle: creation, execution, and close-out |
| SITREP | Structured status report at session close: Completed, In Progress, Next Up, Blockers, Files Touched |
| Content-as-code | A pipeline paradigm where a file’s directory location represents its processing state |
| AGENTS.md | Per-directory agent-facing guide — purpose, key files, patterns, conventions |
| README.md | Per-directory human-facing guide — navigation, context, useful links |
| Conformance level | A graduated tier (Starter, Standard, Full) defining the minimum requirements an aDNA instance MUST meet to claim conformance at that level |
| Conformant instance | A directory tree that satisfies all MUST requirements for at least the Starter conformance level defined in §5.5 |