Route Table Lifecycle

Blueprint · Route table · Layered classifier →

The route table is versioned platform config: one row per governed path (route_id, manifest ref, policy profile, model_profile). Same discipline as manifest lifecycle.

THE CLAIM

Design the route table before the classifier. Intents are business contracts, not labels you discover after the agent ships.

Non-negotiables

Requirement	Why
Version id (2026.07.1)	Examiners ask which route contract was active
Pin per session	Mid-session route table swap breaks replay
Router loads; LLM never owns table	Descriptions are not negotiable prompt text
CI on change	Golden intent set blocks regression
Audit	route_table_version on every route decision

Storage patterns

Pattern	Maintain where	Regulated fit
GitOps + object storage	YAML in Git; publish to S3/GCS	Strong: PR review, immutable artifacts
Route registry API	Platform service	Strong: runtime rollback, multi-tenant
Versioned file in repo	platform/routes/{product}/2026.07.1.yaml	Good pilot; rollback may need redeploy
Config service	Consul, AppConfig	OK if versioning and audit already exist
Hardcoded in app	Code dict	Demos only

Row fields reference other artifacts by id (tool_manifest, policy_profile). Entitlements live in IdP claims, not in the table.

Typical layout

platform/routes/
  corporate-assistant/
    2026.07.1.yaml
    2026.08.1.yaml
  active → 2026.07.1

Release and rollback

Event	Action
New route row	Bump version; add eval fixtures; CI pass
Promote	Repoint active pointer
Rollback	Repoint to prior version; no classifier redeploy if using registry
Audit	Log route_table_version, eligible_routes, route_id

See Routing eval CI for gates.

Anti-patterns

Anti-pattern	Why it fails
Route table only in LLM prompt	Not enforceable; injection can rewrite
Per-instance ad hoc routes	Drift; no replay
No route_table_version in logs	Examiners cannot identify active contract
Entitlements stored per user in route table	Stale; use ingress claims + filter at runtime

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