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docs(rfc): propose gateway MCP for creating child sandboxes (RFC 0021) - #4721

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patkraw:docs/4574-gateway-mcp-rfc/patkraw
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patkraw wants to merge 28 commits into
NVIDIA:mainfrom
patkraw:docs/4574-gateway-mcp-rfc/patkraw

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@patkraw

@patkraw patkraw commented Oct 19, 2026

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Summary

RFC 0021 proposes letting an agent inside a sandbox create child sandboxes (sub-agents and tool sandboxes) through an MCP endpoint served by the gateway, within a grant the user sets. Every child's policy is proved to fit inside its parent's, depth, breadth and total limits hold across the tree, the agent holds no credential, and stopping a parent stops its children first.

Related Issue

Closes #4574

Maintainers accepted the issue and assigned RFC 0021. If you'd prefer a separate RFC tracking issue (as with #4610), I'll switch the link.

Changes

  • Add rfc/0021-gateway-mcp-sandbox-creation/README.md in draft state.

Implementation

A proof of concept is on patkraw/OpenShell branch gateway-mcp-poc, with hands-on tutorials for the CLI, the SDKs and MCP. Its end-to-end checks (74/74) run against a dev gateway with the Docker driver. Feedback is especially welcome on the grant model, the policy boundary, the API, and the name ("gateway MCP" may be confused with MCP gateways such as agentgateway).

Testing

  • Checks appropriate to the affected code and behavior pass (documentation-only change)
  • Unit tests added/updated (not applicable)
  • E2E tests added/updated (not applicable)

Checklist

  • Follows Conventional Commits
  • Commits are signed off (DCO)
  • Architecture docs updated (this PR is the RFC)

Draft proposal for letting agents create sub-agent and tool sandboxes
through a gateway-hosted MCP endpoint, with user-set grants, lineage,
prover-checked ceilings and a supervisor door. RFC number to be assigned
from the originating issue.

Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
…olicy as a maximum; host callers act as the user; MCP on by default

Also adds sandboxes-from-sandboxes use cases (RL environments) and future
work on returning results and agent-to-agent communication.

Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
…/2 proxy, or gRPC-Web/Connect)

Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
… heading

Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
…nt profiles as future work

Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
…e 2, grant tools and token audience

Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
…lags; grant get

Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
…esult collection

- grant create replaces a revoked or expired grant for the running tree.
- Grant listing and changes are limited to the grant's user or a
  Workspace Admin, checked before any change.
- request_id is scoped to the parent and reserved with the slot;
  duplicates get IN_PROGRESS; limits are charged atomically.
- The walkthrough collects a result with an explicit done signal.
- The proof-of-concept paragraph points to the commit-specific result.

Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
…nters, revocation and production gaps

Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>
@copy-pr-bot

copy-pr-bot Bot commented Oct 19, 2026

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This pull request requires additional validation before any workflows can run on NVIDIA's runners.

Pull request vetters can view their responsibilities here.

Contributors can view more details about this message here.

@github-actions

github-actions Bot commented Oct 19, 2026 •

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All contributors have signed the DCO ✍️ ✅
Posted by the DCO Assistant Lite bot.

@patkraw

patkraw commented Oct 19, 2026

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Author

I have read the DCO document and I hereby sign the DCO.

…r and why tool sandboxes skip depth

Signed-off-by: patkraw <pkrawczuk@nvidia.com>

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feat(gateway): let an agent in a sandbox create child sandboxes within a user-set grant (gateway MCP + API)

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