What is a Runtime Boundary?
A Runtime Boundary (also called Governance Boundary or Enforcement Boundary) is the component that intercepts operations, evaluates them against policy, enforces actions, and emits signed receipts.
Key Functions
- ■Intercept: Capture operations before they reach the workload
- ■Evaluate: Apply selection rules and measure current state
- ■Enforce: Execute policy-defined actions (CONTINUE, BLOCK, TERMINATE)
- ■Receipt: Sign and emit enforcement receipts for every decision
Why It Matters
The Runtime Boundary is where governance transforms from policy to action. Without it, policies are just documentation. With it, policies become actively enforced rules with cryptographic proof of enforcement.
The boundary must be isolated from the workload it governs—if the workload could modify the boundary, enforcement becomes meaningless.
Placement Options
Placement Description ───────────────────────────────────────── API Gateway Network edge enforcement Sidecar Proxy Per-pod/container proxy Runtime Wrapper In-process interception Agent Framework Tool/action layer control Each has different: - Latency characteristics - Isolation guarantees - Deployment complexity