nika: v1
workflow:
  id: incident-war-room
  description: "parallel evidence → typed timeline → settle + recheck → postmortem draft"

model: ollama/qwen3.5:4b   # local default · the synthesis task below overrides to a stronger model

vars:
  service: "checkout-api"
  status_url: "https://status.internal.example.com/v1/services/checkout-api"
  log_window: "90 minutes ago"

secrets:
  oncall_webhook:
    source: env
    key: ONCALL_WEBHOOK_URL
    egress:                       # sanction the on_finally ping · the secret IS the URL
      - to: "nika:notify"
        host_from_self: true

tasks:
  # ── the gather wave · all three run in parallel ──
  logs:
    exec:
      command: ["journalctl", "-u", "${{ vars.service }}", "--since", "${{ vars.log_window }}", "--no-pager"]
      capture: structured

  status_history:
    invoke:
      tool: "nika:fetch"
      args:
        url: "${{ vars.status_url }}"
        mode: jq
        jq: ".history"
    retry:
      max_attempts: 4
      backoff_strategy: exponential
      jitter: true

  runbook:
    invoke:
      tool: "nika:read"
      args: { path: "./runbooks/${{ vars.service }}.md" }

  # ── reconstruct · typed timeline ──
  timeline:
    with:                               # three value edges · the gather wave feeds the synthesis
      logs: ${{ tasks.logs.output.stdout }}
      history: ${{ tasks.status_history.output }}
      runbook: ${{ tasks.runbook.output }}
    infer:
      prompt: |
        Service logs ·
        ${{ with.logs }}
        Status history · ${{ with.history }}
        Runbook · ${{ with.runbook }}

        Reconstruct the incident timeline as events.
      schema:
        type: object
        required: [events]
        properties:
          events:
            type: array
            items:
              type: object
              required: [at, what]
              properties:
                at: { type: string }
                what: { type: string }
                evidence: { type: string }

  # ── settle, then confirm recovery before claiming it ──
  settle:
    after:
      timeline: succeeded
    invoke:
      tool: "nika:wait"
      args: { duration: "60s" }

  recheck:
    after:
      settle: succeeded
    invoke:
      tool: "nika:fetch"
      args:
        url: "${{ vars.status_url }}"
        mode: jq
        jq: ".current.state"

  confirmed:
    with:
      recovered: ${{ tasks.recheck.output == 'operational' }}   # the whole check crosses as ONE boundary expression
    invoke:
      tool: "nika:assert"
      args:
        condition: "${{ with.recovered }}"
        message: "Service is NOT back to operational: postmortem draft blocked"

  # ── the draft · only after recovery is proven ──
  postmortem:
    with:
      events: ${{ tasks.timeline.output.events }}
    after:
      confirmed: succeeded             # state, no data · recovery proven or no draft
    infer:
      model: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6   # per-task override · thinking budget
      prompt: |
        Timeline · ${{ with.events }}
        Write the postmortem draft · summary · impact · root-cause
        hypotheses · 3 follow-up actions with owners left blank.
      thinking:
        enabled: true
        budget_tokens: 6000

  save:
    with:
      postmortem: ${{ tasks.postmortem.output }}
    invoke:
      tool: "nika:write"
      args:
        path: "./incidents/${{ vars.service }}-postmortem.md"
        content: "${{ with.postmortem }}"
        create_dirs: true

  # the always-pattern · the on-call ping fires on EVERY outcome:
  # including the designed failure path (recovery NOT confirmed → the
  # assert fails → save is cancelled → this still runs · `after:
  # terminal` admits all four settled states · 03 §gate algebra).
  ping:
    after:
      save: terminal
    with:
      outcome: ${{ tasks.save.status }}   # observe WHAT happened · same pass-set as the after edge
    invoke:
      tool: "nika:emit"
      args:
        event_type: "incident.postmortem.drafted"
        payload:
          service: "${{ vars.service }}"
          status: "${{ with.outcome }}"
    on_finally:
      - invoke:
          tool: "nika:notify"
          args:
            channel: webhook
            target: "${{ secrets.oncall_webhook }}"
            message: "Postmortem draft run finished for ${{ vars.service }} · ${{ with.outcome }}"
            severity: info

outputs:
  events:
    value: ${{ tasks.timeline.output.events }}
    description: "The reconstructed, typed incident timeline"
  postmortem: ${{ tasks.postmortem.output }}

{"a":{"graph_format":2,"workflow":"incident-war-room","nodes":[{"id":"logs","verb":"exec","permits":["exec: journalctl"]},{"id":"status_history","verb":"invoke","tool":"nika:fetch","permits":["tool: nika:fetch"]},{"id":"runbook","verb":"invoke","tool":"nika:read","permits":["tool: nika:read"]},{"id":"timeline","verb":"infer","model":"ollama/qwen3.5:4b","permits":[]},{"id":"settle","verb":"invoke","tool":"nika:wait","permits":["tool: nika:wait"]},{"id":"recheck","verb":"invoke","tool":"nika:fetch","permits":["tool: nika:fetch"]},{"id":"confirmed","verb":"invoke","tool":"nika:assert","permits":["tool: nika:assert"]},{"id":"postmortem","verb":"infer","model":"anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6","permits":[]},{"id":"save","verb":"invoke","tool":"nika:write","permits":["tool: nika:write"]},{"id":"ping","verb":"invoke","tool":"nika:emit","permits":["tool: nika:emit","tool: nika:notify"]}],"edges":[{"from":"confirmed","to":"postmortem","kind":"control"},{"from":"logs","to":"timeline","kind":"value"},{"from":"postmortem","to":"save","kind":"value"},{"from":"recheck","to":"confirmed","kind":"value"},{"from":"runbook","to":"timeline","kind":"value"},{"from":"save","to":"ping","kind":"control"},{"from":"save","to":"ping","kind":"terminal-observation"},{"from":"settle","to":"recheck","kind":"control"},{"from":"status_history","to":"timeline","kind":"value"},{"from":"timeline","to":"postmortem","kind":"value"},{"from":"timeline","to":"settle","kind":"control"}]},"engine":"0.105.0"}

showcase · tier 4 · ops & support

Incident war room

Logs, status history and the runbook gathered in parallel, a typed timeline, and a recovery check before any draft.

The postmortem draft is ready before the retro is scheduled. · conformance-gated in nika-spec ↗ · re-proven at every push

The whole file

10 tasks · 8 waves · the plan falls out of the bindings, nothing is scheduled by hand.

t4-incident-war-room.nika.yamlsource

1nika: v12workflow:3  id: incident-war-room4  description: "parallel evidence → typed timeline → settle + recheck → postmortem draft"56model: ollama/qwen3.5:4b   # local default · the synthesis task below overrides to a stronger model78vars:9  service: "checkout-api"10  status_url: "https://status.internal.example.com/v1/services/checkout-api"11  log_window: "90 minutes ago"1213secrets:14  oncall_webhook:15    source: env16    key: ONCALL_WEBHOOK_URL17    egress:                       # sanction the on_finally ping · the secret IS the URL18      - to: "nika:notify"19        host_from_self: true2021tasks:22  # ── the gather wave · all three run in parallel ──23  logs:24    ▷exec:25      command: ["journalctl", "-u", "${{ vars.service }}", "--since", "${{ vars.log_window }}", "--no-pager"]26      capture: structured2728  status_history:29    ◆invoke:30      tool: "nika:fetch"31      args:32        url: "${{ vars.status_url }}"33        mode: jq34        jq: ".history"35    retry:36      max_attempts: 437      backoff_strategy: exponential38      jitter: true3940  runbook:41    ◆invoke:42      tool: "nika:read"43      args: { path: "./runbooks/${{ vars.service }}.md" }4445  # ── reconstruct · typed timeline ──46  timeline:47    with:                               # three value edges · the gather wave feeds the synthesis48      logs: ${{ tasks.logs.output.stdout }}49      history: ${{ tasks.status_history.output }}50      runbook: ${{ tasks.runbook.output }}51    ◇infer:52      prompt: |53        Service logs ·54        ${{ with.logs }}55        Status history · ${{ with.history }}56        Runbook · ${{ with.runbook }}5758        Reconstruct the incident timeline as events.59      schema:60        type: object61        required: [events]62        properties:63          events:64            type: array65            items:66              type: object67              required: [at, what]68              properties:69                at: { type: string }70                what: { type: string }71                evidence: { type: string }7273  # ── settle, then confirm recovery before claiming it ──74  settle:75    after:76      timeline: succeeded77    ◆invoke:78      tool: "nika:wait"79      args: { duration: "60s" }8081  recheck:82    after:83      settle: succeeded84    ◆invoke:85      tool: "nika:fetch"86      args:87        url: "${{ vars.status_url }}"88        mode: jq89        jq: ".current.state"9091  confirmed:92    with:93      recovered: ${{ tasks.recheck.output == 'operational' }}   # the whole check crosses as ONE boundary expression94    ◆invoke:95      tool: "nika:assert"96      args:97        condition: "${{ with.recovered }}"98        message: "Service is NOT back to operational: postmortem draft blocked"99100  # ── the draft · only after recovery is proven ──101  postmortem:102    with:103      events: ${{ tasks.timeline.output.events }}104    after:105      confirmed: succeeded             # state, no data · recovery proven or no draft106    ◇infer:107      model: anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6   # per-task override · thinking budget108      prompt: |109        Timeline · ${{ with.events }}110        Write the postmortem draft · summary · impact · root-cause111        hypotheses · 3 follow-up actions with owners left blank.112      thinking:113        enabled: true114        budget_tokens: 6000115116  save:117    with:118      postmortem: ${{ tasks.postmortem.output }}119    ◆invoke:120      tool: "nika:write"121      args:122        path: "./incidents/${{ vars.service }}-postmortem.md"123        content: "${{ with.postmortem }}"124        create_dirs: true125126  # the always-pattern · the on-call ping fires on EVERY outcome:127  # including the designed failure path (recovery NOT confirmed → the128  # assert fails → save is cancelled → this still runs · `after:129  # terminal` admits all four settled states · 03 §gate algebra).130  ping:131    after:132      save: terminal133    with:134      outcome: ${{ tasks.save.status }}   # observe WHAT happened · same pass-set as the after edge135    ◆invoke:136      tool: "nika:emit"137      args:138        event_type: "incident.postmortem.drafted"139        payload:140          service: "${{ vars.service }}"141          status: "${{ with.outcome }}"142    on_finally:143      - ◆invoke:144          tool: "nika:notify"145          args:146            channel: webhook147            target: "${{ secrets.oncall_webhook }}"148            message: "Postmortem draft run finished for ${{ vars.service }} · ${{ with.outcome }}"149            severity: info150151outputs:152  events:153    value: ${{ tasks.timeline.output.events }}154    description: "The reconstructed, typed incident timeline"155  postmortem: ${{ tasks.postmortem.output }}156

nika inspect · engine 0.105.0 · vendored graph, never re-derived

11 declared edges · 8 waves · the plan falls out of the bindings

try itopen in the playground guidethe walkthrough · docs verbexec verbinvoke verbinfer toolnika:fetch toolnika:read toolnika:wait toolnika:assert toolnika:write toolnika:emit