Glossary
The words we use, and exactly what they mean.
The elan1 glossary defines 39 terms used in AI agent governance and on this site, each in one sentence: from write intent, allow and refusal to proof record, assurance levels, Mode A and Mode B. Each term page explains where the term shows up in elan1 and links to related terms, platforms and regulation.
39 terms, each in one sentence, each linked to where it shows up in the product. If a word on this site is unclear, it should be here.
All 39 terms, A to Z.
A
- AI agent governance
The controls that decide what an AI agent may change, who must approve it and what evidence is kept.
Where this shows up in elan1: The whole of elan1 Govern: the Right Path, named approvers and a proof record for every write intent.
AI agent governance and human approval: elan1 GovernAI agent governance: a practical guideThe governed write path, in four layersRead more on AI agent governance
- AI audit trail
A linked record of every action an AI system proposed, the rules checked, who approved it and the outcome.
Where this shows up in elan1: The 16-field proof record elan1 Govern writes for every write intent, allowed or refused.
AI agent audit trail: the 16-field proof recordAI agent audit trail: what to record, field by fieldHow to verify a proof record yourselfRead more on AI audit trail
- Allow
Govern's decision that a write may happen. Only elan1 Govern produces one; a model never does.
Where this shows up in elan1: Rungs 0b to 6 of the Right Path in elan1 Govern; every allowed write ends in a proof record.
elan1 GovernThe Right Path, rung by rungWhat we claimRead more on Allow
- Assurance level
A level of claim about the evidence (L1, L2, L3), never a product tier.
Where this shows up in elan1: On every capability claim, the claims register and the proof-record specimens.
Assurance levelsL1 Guarded on elan1 GovernWhat we claimRead more on Assurance level
- Autonomy level
How much an agent may do alone, A0 to A5; recorded on every proof record.
Where this shows up in elan1: Rung 6 AUTONOMY on the Right Path, and field F11
autonomy_levelon every proof record.elan1 Govern capabilitiesSpecimen: a write held for approvalRead more on Autonomy level
C
- Conformance
Passing a published test suite before making a claim: K1–K7 for Run components, C1–C14 for third-party agents.
Where this shows up in elan1: elan1 Run's conformance suite, and the bar a third-party agent clears before it claims to run on Govern.
elan1 Run Conformanceelan1 RunIntegrationsRead more on Conformance
- Contract
One of ten versioned
fusion.*/v1capability contracts in elan1 Run, each with two licence-clean implementations.Where this shows up in elan1: elan1 Run, beneath the fusion.*/v1 seam — one of the only two crossings between layers.
elan1 Run Contractselan1 RunContracts and integrationsRead more on Contract
D
- Declaration
A process's rules in seven blocks: what may change, under which gates, who approves. Versioned.
Where this shows up in elan1: Declaration Studio in elan1 Govern; fields F06
declaration_idand F07declaration_versionon every proof record.- Design partner
An early-adopter organisation that puts one real process on the governed path with us and shapes what comes next. Ten places.
Where this shows up in elan1: The design partner programme for the launched platforms, open now.
Design partner programmeWhat's nextRead more on Design partner
F
- Fail toward a human
When anything is unclear or unavailable, elan1 stops and asks a person.
Where this shows up in elan1: The failure rules of elan1 Govern and elan1 Run, and approval expiry on rung 6.
Field note: Fail toward a humanSecurity design factsRead more on Fail toward a human
G
- Gate
A check a write must pass. Pre-gates G1–G9 run at rung 3; six can never be skipped.
Where this shows up in elan1: Rung 3 PRE-GATES of the Right Path; elan1 Work builds gates from your own books.
- Governed action
One consequential write that passed the Right Path and was committed; Govern's meter unit.
Where this shows up in elan1: elan1 Govern's meter, and the unit every other layer's charges render into rather than double-count.
What elan1 Govern chargesSee a governed actionRead more on Governed action
- Governed write path
The one route through which every AI agent change to a system of record must pass. The route is checked, approved and recorded.
Where this shows up in elan1: elan1 itself: the kernel in elan1 Govern is the single writer, and every write climbs the Right Path.
Agentic AI governance platform: four layersThe governed write path: an architecture paperelan1: every action, answerableRead more on Governed write path
- Guardian agent
Gartner's term for software that inspects agent actions and allows, blocks or holds them for a person.
Where this shows up in elan1: elan1 Govern does this job at the write: it checks each write intent and allows it, refuses it or holds it for a named approver.
AI agent governance and human approval: elan1 GovernAI agent governance: a practical guideRead more on Guardian agent
H
- Hash chain
Records where each one carries the digest of the one before, so altering one breaks every later link.
Where this shows up in elan1: Field
prev_digeston every proof record, sealed under Seal v6 with SHA-256.Proof record spec: 16 fields, Seal v6 and chainHow to verify a proof record yourselfAI agent audit trail: the 16-field proof recordRead more on Hash chain
- Human-in-the-loop approval
A named person decides before a consequential change is made, with enough context to say no.
Where this shows up in elan1: Rung 6 AUTONOMY of the Right Path, where the autonomy level and your rules decide whether a named approver must say yes.
Human-in-the-loop AI agents for operationsHuman-in-the-loop for AI agents that isn't theatreApprove a pending change by voiceRead more on Human-in-the-loop approval
K
- Kernel
elan1 Govern's core: one write function behind KernelPort. No other product builds gates, approvals, proof or a meter.
Where this shows up in elan1: Plane P3 of the reference architecture — the kernel is shut; no other layer adds code there.
- KernelPort
The only door into the kernel: define, assert, seal, verify, scope, refuse.
Where this shows up in elan1: The seam between Work, Decide and Govern; also reached by third-party agents over MCP or HTTP.
Docs: KernelPort quick referenceFor buildersIntegrationsRead more on KernelPort
L
- L1 Guarded
Records hash-chained so any change is evident to you. Available.
Where this shows up in elan1: The baseline level of every governed write; the stamp at the foot of each specimen.
L1 Guarded on elan1 GovernAssurance levelsVerify a record at L1Read more on L1 Guarded
- L2 Attested
Adds signatures, outside timestamps and a free offline verifier. Available.
Where this shows up in elan1: elan1 Govern's evidence line from L2; the offline verifier explained on Verify a record.
L2 Attested on elan1 GovernVerify a recordWhat's nextRead more on L2 Attested
- L3 Proven
Evidence that survives the vendor. Starts when an outside auditor accepts an L2 bundle in writing; no date.
Where this shows up in elan1: The level reached on an outside auditor's written acceptance — never dated.
L3 Proven on elan1 GovernWhat's nextAssurance levelsRead more on L3 Proven
- Line
A module of elan1 Work for one kind of work (ERP, Revenue, Voice, Commerce). Every line writes through elan1 Govern.
Where this shows up in elan1: The four elan1 Work lines, each with its own detail page and its own tab on the pricing page.
elan1 Work ERPelan1 Work Revenueelan1 Work Voiceelan1 Work CommerceWhat each line costsRead more on Line
M
- Maker-checker
One party prepares a change and a different, named party approves it. For AI, the model is the maker.
Where this shows up in elan1: Decisions routed to review in elan1 Decide, and every held write in elan1 Govern, where the approver is never the asker.
Maker-checker AI for banks: AML, KYC, disputesHuman review queue for AI decisionsAI for AML alert triage and KYC reviewRead more on Maker-checker
- MCA audit trail (edit log)
India's rule that a company's accounting software must keep an edit log of every change. The log cannot be disabled.
Where this shows up in elan1: elan1 Work ERP on ERPNext, where the G8 MCA gate runs before any write and the ledger1 pack configures elan1 Govern for MCA requirements.
MCA audit trail Rule 3(1) explainedERPNext AI agents with approval and audit trailAI for chartered accountants: governed client booksRead more on MCA audit trail (edit log)
- Meter
The one unit each layer charges for: credit, decision, governed action, node-year.
Where this shows up in elan1: Rung 9 METERED, and the pricing page's four meters.
Pricing: compare all four metersField note: Why a refusal costs 40% of a governed actionRead more on Meter
- Mode A (Enforced)
elan1 in-process, holding the write credential. No write reaches the system of record without a gate decision and a proof record.
Where this shows up in elan1: elan1 Work hosted on ERPNext, through the in-process SDK; the only place we say enforced.
Assurance levels and modeselan1 WorkRead more on Mode A (Enforced)
- Mode B (Attested advisory)
elan1 over MCP or HTTP, without the credential. Every write intent is evaluated and recorded.
Where this shows up in elan1: elan1 Work Attach, elan1 Decide, elan1 Run tooling and third-party agents.
Assurance levels and modesFor buildersRead more on Mode B (Attested advisory)
- Module
A named part of one platform, always shown with its platform at first mention (elan1 Decide Router, then Router). Never a separate product or brand; each has a detail page under its platform. Work's modules are called lines; L1, L2 and L3 are levels of a claim, not modules.
Where this shows up in elan1: The six elan1 Decide modules and the five elan1 Run modules, each with a detail page and a pricing tab.
elan1 Decide moduleselan1 Decide Routerelan1 Run Contractselan1 Run SubstitutionPricing, module by moduleRead more on Module
P
- Pack
Configuration of Govern for a rule set — ledger1 (MCA), invoice1 (GST), collect1 (RBI). Never code, never a brand.
Where this shows up in elan1: Plane P8 of the reference architecture.
- Plane
One of nine architecture levels, P0 residency to P8 packs; the kernel is P3.
Where this shows up in elan1: The interactive reference architecture.
- Proof record
The 16-field record written for every action, allowed or refused; SHA-256, chained. "No seventeenth field, ever."
Where this shows up in elan1: Rung 8 PROOF; every specimen on this site; the CA console in elan1 Work.
The proof recordSpecimensField note: Designing the 16-field proof recordRead more on Proof record
R
- Refusal
A typed "no" from any rung. It still writes a proof record and costs 40% of one governed action.
Where this shows up in elan1: Any rung of the Right Path; the refused-write specimen; the meter, at 0.4 of a governed action.
Specimen: a refused writePricing: compare all four metersField note: Why a refusal costs 40% of a governed actionRead more on Refusal
- Residency domain
A region with its own database and signing key. Today there is one: "in" (Mumbai).
Where this shows up in elan1: Plane P0; the security page; the DPDP regulation hub.
Security and residencyIndia DPDP ActRead more on Residency domain
- Right Path
The fixed route every write takes, from rung 0b STOP to rung 9 METERED.
Where this shows up in elan1: The kernel of elan1 Govern; the walkthrough at See a governed action.
See a governed actionReference architectureRead more on Right Path
- Rung
One step on the Right Path: stop, identity, write door, pre-gates, evaluate, guardrail, autonomy, act, proof, metered.
Where this shows up in elan1: The Right Path in elan1 Govern; every refusal names the rung that said no.
Reference architectureSee a governed actionRead more on Rung
S
- Seal
The method that turns a proof record into its digest: Seal v6, frozen.
Where this shows up in elan1: Rung 8 PROOF; the specimen stamp; the L1 verification steps.
- Single writer
Only one component writes to the system of record, with a 10-minute single-use credential.
Where this shows up in elan1: Rung 7 ACT; the write-path facts on the security page.
T
- Tamper-evident
A record where any later change can be detected. It does not claim that a change is impossible.
Where this shows up in elan1: Every proof record at L1 Guarded, where records are SHA-256 hash-chained.
Tamper-evident audit log for AI agents: L1 GuardedTamper-evident vs tamper-proof AI audit logsWhat we claim, and at which levelRead more on Tamper-evident
W
- Write intent
A typed proposal to change a record. Agents and Decide may produce one; only Govern turns it into an allow.
Where this shows up in elan1: The input to KernelPort; field F04
write_idon every proof record.elan1 GovernField note: A model may produce a write intent, never an allowRead more on Write intent
// USE THE WORDS
See the words at work.
Write intent, gate, approval, proof record, meter — the walkthrough uses every one of them, in order.