Under the Hood:
Runner Architecture
How Alpha PM actually executes code. SSH tunnels, sandboxed containers, and real terminal access. The engine that makes autonomous work possible.
Alpha PM doesn't just talk about code—it runs it. Real git operations. Real tests. Real builds. All in sandboxed environments that protect your systems.
How It Works
From brain to sandbox and back
Alpha PM Brain
Reasoning, planning, tool selection
Runner Manager
Task dispatch, session management
Sandbox Container
Isolated execution environment
Sandbox Container
Isolated execution environment
Different Runners for Different Tasks
Specialized execution environments for every need
🔐 SSH Runner
Full terminal access via SSH tunnel. Supports interactive commands and long-running processes.
- Real terminal sessions
- Persistent connections
- Full shell access
- Output streaming
⚡ Lambda Runner
Serverless execution for quick, stateless tasks. Scales automatically, pay-per-use.
- Fast cold starts
- Auto-scaling
- Cost efficient
- Isolated functions
🔧 Capability Runner
Specialized runners for specific capabilities like code analysis, testing, or deployment.
- Pre-configured tools
- Optimized for task
- Faster execution
- Cached dependencies
Task Lifecycle
How a task goes from idea to execution
Task Received
Brain identifies need for code execution. Selects appropriate runner type based on task requirements.
Container Provisioned
Runner Manager spins up sandboxed container with required tools. Environment variables and secrets injected securely.
SSH Tunnel Established
Secure connection created between brain and runner. All traffic encrypted. No direct network access.
Commands Executed
Brain sends commands via stream-json protocol. Output streamed back in real-time.
Results Captured
Exit codes, stdout, stderr all captured. Artifacts (logs, files) preserved for analysis.
Cleanup
Container destroyed. No state persists. Fresh environment for next task.
Sandboxed by Design
Multiple layers of protection
Network Isolation
Containers have no internet access except allowed endpoints.
Secret Injection
Credentials injected at runtime, never stored in containers.
Timeout Limits
Hard timeouts prevent runaway processes.
Resource Limits
CPU, memory, and disk quotas enforced.
Want to Know More?
The runner architecture is the foundation of Alpha PM's autonomous capabilities.