{
  "generated": "2026-07-23",
  "source": "https://virtual-cto-api-1006606217023.us-east4.run.app/api/v1/stackbuilder/compose (live) — real, unmodified engine outputs frozen for reference",
  "about": "Reference reports: two contrasting compositions. Each has a `reasoning` view (how it reasons: the scenario, the requirements, what it selected, the evidence chain citing both the assessment cell and any hands-on Lab that validated it, and the tradeoffs) and the exact `response` JSON the deterministic engine returned. The output shape is documented in /stackbuilder-schema.json. Grades are quoted from the canon and never re-graded here. Reproduce a report with the request shown, or POST your own to https://virtual-cto-api-1006606217023.us-east4.run.app/api/v1/stackbuilder/compose. Regenerate with `npm run snapshot:discovery`.",
  "determinism": "Given identical inputs, StackBuilder produces identical architectures. Each request below includes an explicit anchor where needed, so these reports reproduce exactly.",
  "examples": [
    {
      "title": "Single hyperscaler (capability objective)",
      "teaches": "One vendor covers all eight layers: zero integration seams and the lowest Design Risk, but every layer is Ceded — you keep no authority. The cost of coherence is control.",
      "request": {
        "vendors": [
          "aws"
        ],
        "objective": "capability"
      },
      "reasoning": {
        "scenario": "Compose the strongest single-vendor stack: one ecosystem, maximum capability.",
        "requirements": {
          "vendors": [
            "aws"
          ],
          "objective": "capability"
        },
        "selected": {
          "Layer 0 · Compute": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
          "Layer 1A · Storage": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
          "Layer 1B · Retrieval": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
          "Layer 1C · Pipelines": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
          "Layer 2A · Orchestration": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
          "Layer 2B · Runtime": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
          "Layer 2C · Reasoning": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
          "Layer 3 (+1) · Applications": "AWS AI Infrastructure"
        },
        "evidenceChain": [
          {
            "layer": "Layer 0 · Compute",
            "vendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "labs": [
              {
                "label": "Lab 009",
                "title": "Recovered capacity is real, and it fails honest",
                "url": "https://labs.layer2c.com/labs/xeon-rematch"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 1A · Storage",
            "vendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "labs": [
              {
                "label": "Lab 001",
                "title": "Borrow the vendor’s plumbing, not its judgment",
                "url": "https://labs.layer2c.com/labs/spark-s3vectors"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 1B · Retrieval",
            "vendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "labs": [
              {
                "label": "Lab 001",
                "title": "Borrow the vendor’s plumbing, not its judgment",
                "url": "https://labs.layer2c.com/labs/spark-s3vectors"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 1C · Pipelines",
            "vendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "labs": []
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 2A · Orchestration",
            "vendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "labs": []
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 2B · Runtime",
            "vendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "labs": [
              {
                "label": "Lab 002",
                "title": "Own the weights, or the platform owns you",
                "url": "https://labs.layer2c.com/labs/fine-tune-economics"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 2C · Reasoning",
            "vendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "status": "moderate",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "labs": [
              {
                "label": "Lab 002",
                "title": "Own the weights, or the platform owns you",
                "url": "https://labs.layer2c.com/labs/fine-tune-economics"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 3 (+1) · Applications",
            "vendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "labs": []
          }
        ],
        "tradeoffs": [
          "8 of 8 layers Ceded, 0 Retained: no decision authority is retained.",
          "0 integration seam(s): a single vendor, no glue to own.",
          "Reasoning Dependency Index: high — reasoning plane moderate (Ceded), the stack acts at the application layer."
        ],
        "designRiskLevel": "low",
        "reasoningDependencyLevel": "high",
        "determinism": "Given identical inputs (the request above, including any anchor), the engine returns this exact architecture. This reasoning view is a deterministic readout of the engine output; it adds no capability the grades do not support."
      },
      "response": {
        "anchor": "aws",
        "assign": {},
        "assignmentsRefused": [],
        "coverage": "8/8",
        "designRisk": {
          "competingPlatforms": [],
          "control": {
            "ceded": 8,
            "kept": 0
          },
          "crossVendorDependencies": [],
          "level": "low",
          "seams": 0,
          "vendors": 1,
          "weakLayers": 1
        },
        "excluded": [],
        "fourthCloud": [],
        "fromExistingCount": 0,
        "gaps": [],
        "layers": [
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "contributor": "aws",
            "contributorDeployment": "public",
            "contributorName": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 0",
            "layerId": "layer0",
            "shortName": "Compute",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "contributor": "aws",
            "contributorDeployment": "public",
            "contributorName": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 1A",
            "layerId": "layer1a",
            "shortName": "Storage",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "contributor": "aws",
            "contributorDeployment": "public",
            "contributorName": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 1B",
            "layerId": "layer1b",
            "shortName": "Retrieval",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "contributor": "aws",
            "contributorDeployment": "public",
            "contributorName": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 1C",
            "layerId": "layer1c",
            "shortName": "Pipelines",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "contributor": "aws",
            "contributorDeployment": "public",
            "contributorName": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 2A",
            "layerId": "layer2a",
            "shortName": "Orchestration",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "contributor": "aws",
            "contributorDeployment": "public",
            "contributorName": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 2B",
            "layerId": "layer2b",
            "shortName": "Runtime",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "contributor": "aws",
            "contributorDeployment": "public",
            "contributorName": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 2C",
            "layerId": "layer2c",
            "shortName": "Reasoning",
            "status": "moderate"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "contributor": "aws",
            "contributorDeployment": "public",
            "contributorName": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 3 (+1)",
            "layerId": "layer3",
            "shortName": "Applications",
            "status": "strong"
          }
        ],
        "objective": "capability",
        "pinned": [],
        "reasoningDependency": {
          "acts": true,
          "autonomousLayers": {
            "ceded": 4,
            "owned": 0,
            "shared": 0,
            "total": 4
          },
          "level": "high",
          "reasoningAuthority": "Ceded",
          "reasoningPlane": "moderate",
          "reasoningVendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
          "ungoverned": false
        },
        "stitching": null,
        "supplementCount": 8,
        "vendors": [
          "aws"
        ]
      }
    },
    {
      "title": "Best-of-breed hybrid (balanced objective)",
      "teaches": "Strong-on-paper per layer, but the engine flags the whole-design risk the per-layer grades cannot show: two competing platform bases stitched across the public/private split, three integration seams, and three critical feeds into the Reasoning Plane (2C) that each cross a vendor boundary you must build and own. High Design Risk is a property of the composition, not any one grade.",
      "request": {
        "deployment": "hybrid",
        "objective": "balanced",
        "anchor": "aws"
      },
      "reasoning": {
        "scenario": "Compose the best per-layer stack across public and private, balancing capability and retained authority.",
        "requirements": {
          "deployment": "hybrid",
          "objective": "balanced",
          "anchor": "aws"
        },
        "selected": {
          "Layer 0 · Compute": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
          "Layer 1A · Storage": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
          "Layer 1B · Retrieval": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
          "Layer 1C · Pipelines": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
          "Layer 2A · Orchestration": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
          "Layer 2B · Runtime": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
          "Layer 2C · Reasoning": "Palantir AIP + Foundry + Apollo",
          "Layer 3 (+1) · Applications": "NVIDIA AI Platform"
        },
        "evidenceChain": [
          {
            "layer": "Layer 0 · Compute",
            "vendor": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/cisco",
            "labs": []
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 1A · Storage",
            "vendor": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/cisco",
            "labs": []
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 1B · Retrieval",
            "vendor": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/cisco",
            "labs": []
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 1C · Pipelines",
            "vendor": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/cisco",
            "labs": []
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 2A · Orchestration",
            "vendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "labs": []
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 2B · Runtime",
            "vendor": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "labs": [
              {
                "label": "Lab 002",
                "title": "Own the weights, or the platform owns you",
                "url": "https://labs.layer2c.com/labs/fine-tune-economics"
              }
            ]
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 2C · Reasoning",
            "vendor": "Palantir AIP + Foundry + Apollo",
            "status": "strong",
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/palantir",
            "labs": []
          },
          {
            "layer": "Layer 3 (+1) · Applications",
            "vendor": "NVIDIA AI Platform",
            "status": "moderate",
            "authority": "Retained",
            "assessment": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/nvidia",
            "labs": []
          }
        ],
        "tradeoffs": [
          "7 of 8 layers Ceded, 1 Retained: authority is kept only where a layer is Retained/Delegated.",
          "3 integration seam(s): each seam is integration the buyer builds and owns (stitching is always Retained).",
          "Competing platform bases stitched together (AWS AI Infrastructure, Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA): two ecosystems in one design, the highest-risk pattern.",
          "3 critical feed(s) into the Reasoning Plane (2C) cross a vendor boundary the buyer must build: cisco→palantir; aws→palantir; aws→palantir.",
          "Reasoning Dependency Index: high — reasoning plane strong (Ceded), the stack acts at the application layer."
        ],
        "designRiskLevel": "high",
        "reasoningDependencyLevel": "high",
        "determinism": "Given identical inputs (the request above, including any anchor), the engine returns this exact architecture. This reasoning view is a deterministic readout of the engine output; it adds no capability the grades do not support."
      },
      "response": {
        "anchor": "aws",
        "assign": {},
        "assignmentsRefused": [],
        "coverage": "8/8",
        "designRisk": {
          "competingPlatforms": [
            "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA"
          ],
          "control": {
            "ceded": 7,
            "kept": 1
          },
          "crossVendorDependencies": [
            {
              "dependency": "governance metadata feed (1A governance → 2C reasoning)",
              "fromVendor": "cisco",
              "toVendor": "palantir"
            },
            {
              "dependency": "control-plane telemetry (2A → 2C)",
              "fromVendor": "aws",
              "toVendor": "palantir"
            },
            {
              "dependency": "runtime SLA signal (2B → 2C)",
              "fromVendor": "aws",
              "toVendor": "palantir"
            }
          ],
          "level": "high",
          "seams": 3,
          "vendors": 4,
          "weakLayers": 1
        },
        "excluded": [],
        "fourthCloud": [],
        "fromExistingCount": 0,
        "gaps": [],
        "layers": [
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/cisco",
            "contributor": "cisco",
            "contributorDeployment": "private",
            "contributorName": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 0",
            "layerId": "layer0",
            "shortName": "Compute",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/cisco",
            "contributor": "cisco",
            "contributorDeployment": "private",
            "contributorName": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 1A",
            "layerId": "layer1a",
            "shortName": "Storage",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/cisco",
            "contributor": "cisco",
            "contributorDeployment": "private",
            "contributorName": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 1B",
            "layerId": "layer1b",
            "shortName": "Retrieval",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/cisco",
            "contributor": "cisco",
            "contributorDeployment": "private",
            "contributorName": "Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 1C",
            "layerId": "layer1c",
            "shortName": "Pipelines",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "contributor": "aws",
            "contributorDeployment": "public",
            "contributorName": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 2A",
            "layerId": "layer2a",
            "shortName": "Orchestration",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/aws",
            "contributor": "aws",
            "contributorDeployment": "public",
            "contributorName": "AWS AI Infrastructure",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "platform",
            "label": "Layer 2B",
            "layerId": "layer2b",
            "shortName": "Runtime",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Ceded",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/palantir",
            "contributor": "palantir",
            "contributorDeployment": "both",
            "contributorName": "Palantir AIP + Foundry + Apollo",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "specialist",
            "label": "Layer 2C",
            "layerId": "layer2c",
            "shortName": "Reasoning",
            "status": "strong"
          },
          {
            "assigned": false,
            "authority": "Retained",
            "citationUrl": "https://layer2c.com/assessment/nvidia",
            "contributor": "nvidia",
            "contributorDeployment": "both",
            "contributorName": "NVIDIA AI Platform",
            "fromExisting": false,
            "kind": "specialist",
            "label": "Layer 3 (+1)",
            "layerId": "layer3",
            "shortName": "Applications",
            "status": "moderate"
          }
        ],
        "objective": "balanced",
        "pinned": [],
        "reasoningDependency": {
          "acts": true,
          "autonomousLayers": {
            "ceded": 3,
            "owned": 1,
            "shared": 0,
            "total": 4
          },
          "level": "high",
          "reasoningAuthority": "Ceded",
          "reasoningPlane": "strong",
          "reasoningVendor": "Palantir AIP + Foundry + Apollo",
          "ungoverned": false
        },
        "stitching": {
          "authority": "Retained",
          "note": "the integration seam across vendors — owned by the buyer"
        },
        "supplementCount": 8,
        "vendors": [
          "anthropic",
          "articul8",
          "aws",
          "azure",
          "cisco",
          "coreweave",
          "databricks",
          "dell",
          "gcp",
          "hpe",
          "ibm",
          "intel",
          "kamiwaza",
          "lenovo",
          "netapp",
          "nutanix",
          "nvidia",
          "oci",
          "openai",
          "palantir",
          "qlik",
          "salesforce",
          "supermicro",
          "vast",
          "vmware"
        ]
      }
    }
  ]
}