Technical Architecture

How DAHAO Works Under the Hood

The concepts, design patterns, and integration points that make DAHAO revolutionary. Built on four foundational concepts that work together to create living governance.

Core Architecture Overview

DAHAO is built on four foundational concepts that work together


┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                  DAHAO CORE                      │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                  │
│  Terms (@)    →    Principles (#)   →   Rules    │
│     ↑                    ↑                 ↑     │
│     └────────── Meta-Rules ────────────────┘     │
│                                                  │
│  Version Control │ MCP Integration │ Branches    │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

The Four Layers Explained

@Terms - Living Definitions

Think of terms as versioned dictionary entries that you or your community can control:

@harm@2.0.0

= Base definition everyone agrees on

@harm@2.0.0-wildlife.1

= Wildlife branch adds "habitat destruction"

Why versioning matters: When rules reference @harm, they can specify which version they need, ensuring stability while allowing evolution or getting the closest meaning.

#Principles - Encoded Values

Principles are value statements built using Terms:

Use specific Term versions for clarity
Cannot be directly enforced (that's what Rules do)
Guide the creation and evaluation of Rules

#minimize-harm = "Reduce @harm@2.0.0 to all @beings@1.0.0"

Rules - Automated Workflows

This is where DAHAO becomes revolutionary. Rules are executable governance:

Traditional Rule:

"All research must undergo peer review before publication"

DAHAO Rule:

An actual workflow that:

• Validates researcher credentials automatically
• Checks methodology against standards
• Assigns appropriate peer reviewers
• Tracks review progress in real-time
• Publishes when consensus reached

Two ways to create Rules:

• Visual Builder: Drag and drop workflow creation
• Natural Language: Describe what you want, AI converts to workflow

Meta-Rules - System Evolution

Meta-rules govern how governance itself can change:

How to modify Terms (voting thresholds, discussion periods)
Rule precedence and conflict resolution
Branch inheritance policies
What cannot be changed (immutable safety rules)

Version Control System

DAHAO treats governance like software development

Version Format

2.0.0 - Core version

2.0.0-env.1 - Environmental branch

2.0.0-env.1-ocean.3 - Ocean sub-branch

Key Features

Semantic Versioning

• Major: Breaking changes (2.0.0 → 3.0.0)
• Minor: New features (2.0.0 → 2.1.0)
• Patch: Bug fixes (2.0.0 → 2.0.1)

Branch Extensions

• Branches extend parent versions
• Must maintain compatibility
• Can propose changes upstream

Operations

• Fork: Create new branch with custom rules
• Merge: Integrate successful innovations
• Rollback: Instant restoration if something breaks
• A/B Test: Try new versions with small groups

MCP Integration Architecture

DAHAO as MCP Hub - Connect any service or AI model


┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                 DAHAO as MCP Hub                │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                 │
│   External Services          DAHAO              │
│   ┌─────────────┐            ┌─────┐            │
│   │   GitHub    │ ←────MCP──→│     │            │
│   ├─────────────┤            │     │            │
│   │   OpenAI    │ ←────MCP──→│ Hub │            │
│   ├─────────────┤            │     │            │
│   │   Slack     │ ←────MCP──→│     │            │
│   ├─────────────┤            └─────┘            │
│   │ Custom APIs │ ←────MCP────┘ ↑               │
│   └─────────────┘               │               │
│                                 │               │
│   External Clients              MCP             │
│   ┌─────────────┐               │               │
│   │   Claude    │ ←─────────────┘               │
│   │ Computer Use│                               │
│   └─────────────┘                               │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

DAHAO as Client (Outbound)

Connect to any MCP-enabled service
Use in Rules for automation
Examples: GitHub for code review, OpenAI for analysis

DAHAO as Server (Inbound)

Other systems query DAHAO governance
Check compliance programmatically
Example: Claude asks "Does this violate any principles?"

Rules Engine Architecture

How rules execute automatically

Execution Pipeline

Trigger → Version Check → Permission Check → Load Context

↓

Execute Workflow Steps

↓

[Query] → [Analyze] → [Decide] → [Act]

↓

Audit Log → Result

Triggers

Event-based (new proposal, time-based, external webhook) and condition matching (location, type, threshold)

Actions

Query databases or APIs, run AI analysis, send notifications, update records, initiate votes

Control Flow

Sequential execution, parallel processing, conditional branches, loop iterations

Branch Architecture

Hierarchy Model for Governance Evolution

Core DAHAO (Universal principles)
    ├── Environmental Protection
    │   ├── Ocean Conservation
    │   ├── Wildlife Protection
    │   └── Climate Action
    ├── Technology Governance
    │   ├── AI Safety
    │   └── Open Source
    └── Your Custom Branch

Inheritance

• Start with parent's Terms, Principles, Rules
• Override or extend as needed
• Maintain compatibility requirements

Isolation

• Experiment without affecting parent
• Private data and rules
• Custom MCP connections

Contribution

• Propose improvements upstream
• Share successful innovations
• Cross-pollinate ideas

Security Architecture

Permission layers and security features

Permission Layers

System Level
    ├── User Permissions (read, write, admin)
    ├── Branch Permissions (member, moderator, owner)
    ├── Rule Permissions (which data, which services)
    └── MCP Permissions (per-service access control)

Scoped Access

Rules only access permitted data, MCP calls respect service limits, branch isolation enforced

Audit Trail

Every action logged, immutable history, full traceability

Rate Limiting

Per-user limits, per-service quotas, cost controls

Performance & Scaling

Optimization strategies for enterprise-scale governance

Caching

• Cache MCP responses
• Reuse analysis results
• Version-aware invalidation

Parallel Execution

• Independent steps run simultaneously
• Distributed rule processing
• Optimized workflows

Resource Management

• Token limits for AI calls
• API rate limit respect
• Cost budget enforcement

Integration Patterns

For developers and organizations

For Developers

SDK Approach

// Simple, high-level API const dahao = new DAHAO({ branch: 'environmental' }); const result = await dahao.checkCompliance(action);

REST API

• Standard HTTP endpoints
• JSON request/response
• Authentication via tokens

WebSocket

• Real-time updates
• Event subscriptions
• Live governance feed

For Organizations

Gradual Adoption

• Start with one department/project
• Create branch for experimentation
• Connect existing tools via MCP
• Expand as confidence grows

Integration Points

• CI/CD pipelines (governance checks)
• Slack/Teams (notifications)
• Databases (data governance)
• AI tools (enhanced analysis)

Advanced Capabilities

Self-improvement, cross-branch learning, and future-ready design

Self-Improvement

The system can modify its own modification process:

• Meta-rules govern rule changes
• Community decides governance evolution
• A/B testing for governance changes
• Metrics-driven improvements

Cross-Branch Learning

• Successful patterns spread
• Failed experiments contained
• Best practices emerge
• Network effects compound

Technology Independent

DAHAO abstracts away the underlying technology:

• Integration layer: MCP, REST, GraphQL, or future protocols
• AI abstraction: OpenAI, Claude, Llama, or what comes next
• Storage agnostic: Git, blockchain, or emerging solutions
• One constant: Your governance rules remain stable

Summary

DAHAO's architecture enables:

Living Governance - Rules that execute and evolve

Democratic Control - Community-driven changes

Universal Integration - Connect any service via MCP

Safe Experimentation - Branch isolation with upstream contribution

Transparent Operation - Full audit trail and version history

The technical architecture is designed to be:

• Simple to use (hide complexity)
• Powerful to extend (MCP, branches, rules)
• Safe to experiment (version control, rollback)
• Democratic to govern (community decisions)

What's Next

Building the future of governance together

Technical Roadmap

As we build DAHAO together, we're planning:

• Git-based version control for all governance
• Personal branches for customization
• Automated GitHub workflows
• Full technical documentation

Explore Our Moral Code