Data Sources

Data sources bring external data stores into the governed action system. A data source is a named bundle of CRUD operations over one store. Every operation is a full action: schema validation, budget enforcement, risk gating, approval gates, and audit all apply identically. A data read or write is governed the same way as any other action the agent performs.

Data source structure

type DataSource = {
  name: string;
  description: string;
  ownership: "internal" | "external";
  contentType: string;
  authentication?: { type: string };
  actions: {
    retrieve?: Action;
    create?: Action;
    update?: Action;
    delete?: Action;
  };
};

• name: unique identifier. Agents reference this when listing their data sources.
• description: what store the data source connects to and what data it holds.
• ownership: who owns the data. internal means the system running the agent owns the store (its own database). external means a third party owns it (a partner API, a customer system). Recorded as audit metadata so an operator can see per task whether the agent touched data outside its own trust boundary.
• contentType: free-form descriptor of the records the source holds (e.g. "customer-orders", "product-inventory").
• authentication: non-secret descriptor of how the source authenticates (e.g. { type: "oauth2" }, { type: "api-key" }). The engine never stores or transmits credentials; each operation function owns its own secrets through its closure.
• actions: at least one of retrieve, create, update, or delete. Each is a full Action with schema, risk, and cost.

Defining a data source

const customerDb = delta.dataSource({
  name: "customer-db",
  description: "Customer records and account data",
  ownership: "internal",
  contentType: "customer-records",
  actions: {
    retrieve: lookupCustomer,
    update: updateCustomer,
  },
});

The engine validates the data source at registration time. Operation names are checked against the agent's action space for conflicts, and at least one operation must be defined.

Assigning data sources to agents

An agent lists its data sources explicitly. The engine flattens each data source's defined operations into the agent's reachable action set.

const supportAgent = delta.agent({
  name: "support-agent",
  role: "Customer Support Specialist",
  rolePrompt: "Help customers resolve their issues.",
  actions: [notifyCustomer],
  dataSources: [customerDb, orderSystem],
});

A data operation is discovered and governed exactly like any other action. The agent proposes a data operation; the engine validates it through the same gateway: schema, prerequisites, budget, risk, approval gates.

Ownership and risk

An external data source starts from a less-trusted risk prior. The engine treats a write to an external store with more caution until the action builds a track record of successful executions. Each operation declares its own risk on the Action as a starting estimate. The engine tightens or loosens that estimate based on how actual behavior compares to what was declared.

The ownership field is descriptive: it does not automatically multiply risk. It ensures the operator can audit whether an agent touched data outside its own trust boundary.