---

name: dev-sre description: | Gate 2 of the development cycle. VALIDATES that observability was correctly implemented by developers. Does NOT implement observability code - only validates it.

trigger: |

• Gate 2 of development cycle
• Gate 0 (Implementation) complete with observability code
• Gate 1 (DevOps) setup complete
• Service needs observability validation (logging, tracing)

skip_when: |

• No service implementation (documentation only)

NOT_skip_when: |

• "Task says observability not required" → AI cannot self-exempt. ALL services need observability.
• "Pure frontend" → If it calls ANY API, backend needs observability. Frontend-only = static HTML.
• "MVP doesn't need observability" → MVP without observability = blind MVP. No exceptions.

sequence: after: [dev-devops] before: [dev-testing]

related: complementary: [dev-cycle, dev-devops, dev-testing]

verification: automated: - command: "docker-compose logs app 2>&1 | head -5 | jq -e '.level'" description: "Logs are JSON structured" success_pattern: "info|debug|warn|error" manual: - "Verify logs include trace_id when tracing is enabled"

examples:

• name: "API service observability validation" context: "Go API with PostgreSQL dependency" expected_output: |
  • JSON structured logging with trace correlation
• name: "Background worker observability validation" context: "Job processor service" expected_output: |
  • Structured JSON logging

---

Standards Loading (MANDATORY)

Before ANY SRE validation, you MUST load Ring SRE standards:

See CLAUDE.md and dev-team/docs/standards/sre.md for canonical requirements. This section summarizes the loading process.

MANDATORY ACTION: You MUST use the WebFetch tool NOW:

Parameter	Value
url	https://raw.githubusercontent.com/LerianStudio/ring/main/dev-team/docs/standards/sre.md
prompt	"Extract all SRE standards, observability requirements, metric patterns, and health check specifications"

Execute this WebFetch before proceeding. Do NOT continue until standards are loaded and understood.

If WebFetch fails → STOP and report blocker. Cannot proceed without Ring SRE standards.

Standards Loading Verification

After WebFetch, confirm in your analysis:

| Ring SRE Standards | ✅ Loaded |
| Sections Extracted | Health Endpoints, Logging, Tracing |

CANNOT proceed without successful standards loading.

SRE Validation (Gate 2)

Overview

This skill VALIDATES that observability was correctly implemented by developers:

• Structured logging with trace correlation
• OpenTelemetry tracing instrumentation

CRITICAL: Role Clarification

Developers IMPLEMENT observability. SRE VALIDATES it.

Who	Responsibility
Developers (Gate 0)	IMPLEMENT observability following Ring Standards
SRE Agent (Gate 2)	VALIDATE that observability is correctly implemented

If observability is missing or incorrect:

1. SRE reports issues with severity levels
2. Issues go back to developers to fix
3. SRE re-validates after fixes

Blocker Criteria - STOP and Report

Decision Type	Examples	Action
HARD BLOCK	Service lacks JSON structured logs, verification commands not run (no evidence), user says "feature complete, add observability later"	STOP immediately - Return to Gate 0. Cannot proceed. User CANNOT override.
CRITICAL	Logs are fmt.Println/echo, not JSON structured	Report CRITICAL severity - Return to Gate 0. Must fix. User CANNOT override.

Cannot Be Overridden

These requirements are NON-NEGOTIABLE and cannot be waived by:

Requirement	Cannot Be Waived By	Rationale
Gate 2 execution	CTO, PM, "MVP" arguments	Observability prevents production blindness
Automated verification	"Developer confirms it works"	Evidence required for Gate 2 PASS
JSON structured logs	"Plain text is enough"	Minimum viable observability - structured logs required
"Complete" includes observability	Deadline pressure	Definition of done is non-negotiable

If pressured: "Observability is PART of completion, not an addition to it. Gate 2 cannot be skipped regardless of authority or deadline."

Severity Calibration

Severity	Scenario	Gate 2 Status	Can Proceed?
CRITICAL	Missing ALL observability (no structured logs)	FAIL	❌ Return to Gate 0
CRITICAL	fmt.Println/echo instead of JSON logs	FAIL	❌ Return to Gate 0
CRITICAL	Verification commands not run	FAIL	❌ Cannot mark complete
LOW	Dashboard deferred for non-critical service	PARTIAL	✅ Can proceed with note

Pressure Resistance

See shared-patterns/shared-pressure-resistance.md for universal pressure scenarios (including Combined Pressure Scenarios).

Gate 2-specific note: Minimum viable observability = structured JSON logs. No exceptions.

Common Rationalizations - REJECTED

See shared-patterns/shared-anti-rationalization.md for universal anti-rationalizations.

Gate 2-specific rationalizations:

Excuse	Reality
"Add tracing later"	Later = never. Retrofitting is 10x harder.
"Dashboard can come later"	Dashboard is optional but structured logging is not.
"Task says observability not needed"	AI cannot self-exempt. Tasks don't override gates.
"Basic fmt.Println logs are enough"	fmt.Println is not structured, not searchable, not alertable. JSON logs required.
"Feature complete, observability later"	Feature without observability is NOT complete. Redefine "complete".

Red Flags - STOP

See shared-patterns/shared-red-flags.md for universal red flags (including Observability section).

If you catch yourself thinking ANY of those patterns, STOP immediately. Return to developers to implement observability.

Component Type Decision Tree

Not all code is a service. Use this tree to determine observability requirements:

Is it runnable code?
├── NO (library/package) → No observability required
│   └── Libraries are consumed by services that have observability
│
└── YES → Does it expose HTTP/gRPC/TCP endpoints?
    ├── YES (API Service) → FULL OBSERVABILITY REQUIRED
    │   └── /health + /ready + structured logs + tracing
    │
    └── NO → Does it run continuously?
        ├── YES (Background Worker) → WORKER OBSERVABILITY
        │   └── /health + structured logs + tracing
        │
        └── NO (Script/Job) → SCRIPT OBSERVABILITY
            └── Structured logs + exit codes + optional /health

Component Type Requirements

Type	JSON Logs	Tracing	Exit Codes
API Service	REQUIRED	Recommended	N/A
Background Worker	REQUIRED	Optional	N/A
CLI Tool	REQUIRED	N/A	REQUIRED
One-time Script	REQUIRED	N/A	REQUIRED
Library	N/A	N/A	N/A

Migration Scripts and One-Time Jobs

Migration scripts still need observability, but different kind:

Requirement	Why	Example
Structured logs	Track progress, debug failures	{"level":"info","step":"migrate_users","count":1500}
Exit codes	Orchestration needs success/failure signal	exit 0 success, exit 1 failure
Idempotency logging	Know if re-run is safe	{"already_migrated":true,"skipping":true}

Anti-Rationalization Table

See shared-patterns/shared-anti-rationalization.md for universal anti-rationalizations.

Gate-Specific Anti-Rationalizations

Rationalization	Why It's WRONG	Required Action
"Core functionality works, observability is enhancement"	Observability is PART of definition of done, not addition to it. Feature is NOT complete.	STOP. Return to Gate 0. Gate 2 is REQUIRED.
"It's just MVP, add structured logging Monday"	MVP without structured logging = debugging nightmare. "Later" = never. Retrofitting is 10x harder.	STOP. Implement JSON logging before Gate 2.
"Tech lead approved skipping Gate 2"	Gates are NON-NEGOTIABLE. Authority cannot waive mandatory gates.	STOP. Inform user gates cannot be waived.
"Plain text logs exist, that's enough"	Minimum = JSON structured logs. Plain text = Gate 2 FAIL.	STOP. Implement JSON structured logging.
"Developer confirms it works"	Confirmation ≠ Verification. MUST run automated validation commands.	STOP. Run verification checklist.
"It's just a script, runs once"	Scripts fail. Logs tell you why.	Add structured logging
"Library doesn't need observability"	Correct! Libraries are exempt.	Verify it's truly a library
"Exit code 0 is enough"	Exit code + logs = complete picture.	Add structured logs
"Migration runs in CI only"	CI failures need debugging too.	Structured logs required

"Feature Complete" Redefinition Prevention

A feature is NOT complete without observability:

What "Complete" Means	Includes Observability?
"Code works"	❌ NO - Only partial
"Tests pass"	❌ NO - Only partial
"Ready for review"	❌ NO - Gate 2 before Gate 4
"Gate 2 passed"	✅ YES - This is complete

If someone says "feature is complete, just needs structured logging":

• That statement is a contradiction
• Feature is NOT complete
• Gate 2 is PART of completion, not addition to it
• Correct response: "Feature is at Gate 1. Gate 2 (structured logging) required for completion."

Observability is definition of done, not enhancement.

Verification Checklist (MANDATORY)

Before marking Gate 2 complete, verify ALL:

Check	Command	Expected
Structured logs	docker-compose logs app | head -1 | jq .level	Returns log level

This check MUST pass.

Mandatory Requirements

Gate 2 is NOT OPTIONAL. Services cannot proceed to production without:

Requirement	Status	Notes
Structured JSON logs	REQUIRED	With trace_id correlation

Can be deferred with explicit approval:

• Distributed tracing (for standalone workers only)

Handling Pushback

Response: "Observability is not optional. Without it: no auto-detection of failures, no efficient debugging, no auto-recovery. If time-constrained, reduce FEATURE scope, not observability scope."

Prerequisites

Before starting Gate 2:

1. Gate 0 Complete: Code implementation is done
2. Gate 1 Complete: DevOps setup (Dockerfile, docker-compose) is done
3. Standards: docs/PROJECT_RULES.md (local project) + Ring SRE Standards via WebFetch (https://raw.githubusercontent.com/LerianStudio/ring/main/dev-team/docs/standards/sre.md)

Step 1: Analyze Observability Implementation

Review Gate 0/1 handoff: Service type (API/Worker/Batch), Language, External dependencies. Check status of: Health endpoints, Structured logging, Tracing, Dashboard/Alerts (optional).

Step 2: Dispatch SRE Agent for Validation

Dispatch: Task(subagent_type: "sre") - VALIDATE observability (not implement). Include service info (type, language, deps) and Gate 0/1 handoff. Agent validates: JSON logging, Tracing. Returns: PASS/FAIL per component, issues by severity.

Steps 3-5: Validate Health, Logging, Tracing

Component	Validation Commands	Expected
Logging	docker-compose logs app | head -5 | jq .	JSON with timestamp/level/message/service
Tracing	docker-compose logs app | grep trace_id	trace_id/span_id present

Step 6: Prepare Handoff to Gate 3

Gate 2 Handoff contents:

Section	Content
Status	COMPLETE/PARTIAL/NEEDS_FIXES
Validated	JSON logging ✓, Tracing (if applicable) ✓
Results	Logging: PASS/FAIL, Tracing: PASS/FAIL/N/A
Issues	List by severity (CRITICAL/HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW) or "None"
Ready for Testing	Logs structured ✓, No Critical/High ✓

Observability by Service Type

Service Type	Required	Optional
API Service	Structured logging, Tracing (if calls external services)	—
Background Worker	Structured logging	Tracing
Batch Job	Structured logging, Exit code handling	—

Execution Report

Base metrics per shared-patterns/output-execution-report.md:

Metric	Value
Duration	Xm Ys
Iterations	N
Result	PASS/FAIL/NEEDS_FIXES

Validation Details

• logging_structured: YES/NO
• tracing_enabled: YES/NO/N/A

Issues Found

• List issues by severity (CRITICAL/HIGH/MEDIUM/LOW) or "None"

Handoff to Next Gate

• SRE validation status (complete/needs_fixes)
• Observability endpoints validated
• Issues for developers to fix (if any)
• Ready for testing: YES/NO