GAIT Session Tracking

This skill is mandatory. Every NetClaw session MUST begin with gait_branch and end with gait_log.

How to Call the Tools

The GAIT MCP server provides 9 tools. Call them via mcp-call:

Check Repository Status

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_status '{}'

Returns current branch, uncommitted changes, and repository state.

Initialize a New GAIT Repository

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_init '{}'

Creates a new GAIT repository if one does not already exist. Run this once during initial NetClaw setup.

Create a New Branch (SESSION START)

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_branch '{"branch_name":"health-check-r1-2026-02-21"}'

Every session begins here. Use a descriptive branch name that includes the action type, target device(s), and date. Examples:

• health-check-r1-2026-02-21
• ospf-troubleshoot-core-2026-02-21
• config-deploy-acl-update-2026-02-21
• netbox-reconcile-site-hq-2026-02-21
• security-audit-dmz-2026-02-21

Switch to an Existing Branch

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_checkout '{"branch_name":"health-check-r1-2026-02-21"}'

Use this to resume a previous session or switch context between parallel investigations.

Record an AI Turn (PRIMARY RECORDING TOOL)

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_record_turn '{"prompt":"User asked to check CPU on R1","response":"Ran show processes cpu sorted. CPU 5-min avg: 12%. Status: HEALTHY.","artifacts":["show_proc_cpu_r1.txt"]}'

Record a turn after every significant action. Each turn captures:

• prompt: What was asked or what triggered the action
• response: What data was collected and what the result was
• artifacts: List of files produced (optional)

View Commit History (SESSION END)

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_log '{}'

Every session ends here. Display the full audit log before concluding. This provides the user with a complete record of everything that happened.

Show Commit Details

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_show '{"commit_ref":"HEAD"}'

Inspect a specific commit to see its full content. Use HEAD, HEAD~1, or a commit hash.

Pin Important Commits

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_pin '{"commit_ref":"HEAD","label":"pre-change-baseline"}'

Mark critical moments in a session so they can be easily found later. Common pin labels:

• pre-change-baseline -- state before any modifications
• post-change-verified -- state after changes are validated
• critical-finding -- an important discovery during investigation
• rollback-point -- safe state to return to if needed

Summarize and Squash Turns

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_summarize_and_squash '{}'

Consolidate multiple granular turns into a single summary commit. Use at the end of a long session to create a clean audit record.

Mandatory Session Lifecycle

Every NetClaw session follows this exact lifecycle:

1. Session Start -- Create Branch

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_branch '{"branch_name":"ACTION-TYPE-TARGET-DATE"}'

2. During Session -- Record Every Turn

After each meaningful action (show command, config change, API call, verification), record a turn:

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_record_turn '{"prompt":"WHAT_WAS_ASKED","response":"WHAT_DATA_COLLECTED_AND_WHAT_CHANGED_AND_VERIFICATION_RESULT","artifacts":[]}'

Record format guidelines:

• prompt: State clearly what the user asked or what triggered the action
• response: Include three parts:

1. What data was collected (commands run, API responses)
2. What changed (config applied, ticket created, NetBox updated)
3. Verification result (HEALTHY/WARNING/CRITICAL, pass/fail, before/after diff)

• artifacts: List any files generated (logs, configs, diagrams, reports)

3. Session End -- Display Log

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_log '{}'

Always show the session log to the user so they have a complete record.

Recording Examples by Skill Type

Health Check Turn

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_record_turn '{"prompt":"Run full health check on R1","response":"Collected: show version, show processes cpu sorted, show processes memory sorted, show ip interface brief, show interfaces, show ntp associations, show logging. Results: CPU 12% HEALTHY, Memory 45% HEALTHY, Interfaces 4/5 up WARNING (Gi2 down), NTP synced HEALTHY, no critical log patterns. Overall: WARNING.","artifacts":["health-report-r1.txt"]}'

Configuration Change Turn

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_record_turn '{"prompt":"Apply ACL update to block 192.168.50.0/24 on R1 Gi1","response":"Pre-change: captured running-config. Applied: ip access-list extended BLOCK-LIST, permit/deny entries. Post-change: verified ACL in show access-lists, tested with ping from blocked subnet -- dropped as expected. Change verified successfully.","artifacts":["pre-change-config-r1.txt","post-change-config-r1.txt","acl-diff.txt"]}'

Troubleshooting Turn

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_record_turn '{"prompt":"Investigate OSPF adjacency failure between R1 and R3","response":"Checked show ip ospf neighbor on R1 -- R3 missing. Checked show ip ospf interface on both -- area mismatch: R1 area 0, R3 area 1 on shared link. Root cause identified: area misconfiguration on R3 Gi0/1.","artifacts":["ospf-neighbor-r1.txt","ospf-interface-r1.txt","ospf-interface-r3.txt"]}'

NetBox Reconciliation Turn

bash
python3 $MCP_CALL "python3 -u $GAIT_MCP_SCRIPT" gait_record_turn '{"prompt":"Reconcile R1 interfaces against NetBox","response":"Live state: 5 interfaces discovered via show ip interface brief. NetBox state: 4 interfaces documented. Drift detected: Gi5 exists on device but missing from NetBox. Gi2 documented in NetBox but admin-down on device. Reconciliation report generated.","artifacts":["reconcile-report-r1.json"]}'

Integration with ALL Other Skills

GAIT session tracking is used by every other NetClaw skill for audit compliance:

• pyats-health-check -- Record each health check step and overall results
• pyats-topology -- Record discovered neighbors and topology changes
• pyats-security -- Record audit findings by severity
• pyats-config-mgmt -- Record pre-change baseline, change applied, post-change verification
• pyats-troubleshoot -- Record each investigation step and root cause
• pyats-routing -- Record routing table snapshots and protocol state
• netbox-reconcile -- Record drift detection and remediation actions
• drawio-diagram -- Record diagram generation with source data reference
• markmap-viz -- Record mind map creation with underlying data
• rfc-lookup -- Record RFC references used during investigation
• wikipedia-research -- Record protocol research context
• servicenow-incidents -- Record ticket creation and updates
• nvd-cve -- Record vulnerability findings and remediation tracking

When to Use

Always. Every NetClaw session. No exceptions. This is the audit backbone of the system.