feat(cluster,server): inline policy content + config-free --cluster URI boot

Two serving changes that complete RFC-006's read side:

ServingPolicy carries the policy bundle CONTENT (digest-verified at
snapshot read) instead of a blob path — the catalog may live on object
storage, and the server must not re-read mutable state after the
snapshot. The server grows a PolicySource enum: File for omnigraph.yaml
deployments (unchanged), Inline for cluster boots, wired through
PolicyEngine::load_{graph,server}_from_source.

read_serving_snapshot_from_storage(uri) reads the applied revision
straight from a storage root, and --cluster accepts a scheme-qualified
URI (s3://bucket/prefix): config-free serving — a serving box needs only
the URI and credentials; the ledger and catalog on the bucket ARE the
deployment artifact. Bare paths keep the config-directory behavior.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

crates/omnigraph-cluster/src/lib.rs

@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ mod store;
 use store::{ClusterStore, StateLockGuard, StateSnapshot};
 pub use types::*;
 use types::*;
-pub use serve::{ServingGraph, ServingPolicy, ServingQuery, ServingSnapshot, read_serving_snapshot};
+pub use serve::{ServingGraph, ServingPolicy, ServingQuery, ServingSnapshot, read_serving_snapshot, read_serving_snapshot_from_storage};
 use config::{QueriesDecl, observe_declared_graphs, validate_cluster_header, future_field_diagnostics, initial_import_state, observe_live_graph, preview_schema_migration, state_resource_digests, graph_address, policy_address, query_address, schema_address, load_desired, normalize_policy_target, parse_cluster_config, resolve_config_path, resolve_query_decls, validate_id, validate_query_source};
 use diff::{FailedGraphOrigin, ResourceKind, append_policy_binding_changes, approved_resources, classify_changes, compute_approvals, compute_blast_radius, demote_dependents_of_failed_graphs, diff_resources, resource_kind};
 use sweep::{mark_approvals_consumed, record_approval_consumed, sweep_recovery_sidecars, tombstone_graph_subtree, warn_pending_recovery_sidecars};

crates/omnigraph-cluster/src/serve.rs

@@ -23,7 +23,10 @@ pub struct ServingQuery {
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct ServingPolicy {
     pub name: String,
-    pub blob_path: PathBuf,
+    /// The policy bundle CONTENT, digest-verified against the applied
+    /// revision at read time. Content, not a path: the catalog may live on
+    /// object storage, and the server must not re-read mutable state.
+    pub source: String,
     pub applies_to: Vec<String>,
 }
 
@@ -44,7 +47,6 @@ pub async fn read_serving_snapshot(
     config_dir: impl AsRef<Path>,
 ) -> Result<ServingSnapshot, Vec<Diagnostic>> {
     let config_dir = config_dir.as_ref().to_path_buf();
-    let mut diagnostics: Vec<Diagnostic> = Vec::new();
     // The declared storage: root decides where the ledger/catalog/graphs
     // live; config parse errors surface through the normal validation path.
     let parsed = parse_cluster_config(&config_dir);
@@ -62,6 +64,25 @@ pub async fn read_serving_snapshot(
         },
         None => ClusterStore::for_config_dir(&config_dir),
     };
+    read_snapshot_with_store(backend).await
+}
+
+/// Read the applied revision directly from a storage root URI — config-free
+/// serving: a `--cluster s3://bucket/prefix` server needs no local files at
+/// all, only the bucket and credentials. The ledger and catalog ARE the
+/// deployment artifact.
+pub async fn read_serving_snapshot_from_storage(
+    storage_root: &str,
+) -> Result<ServingSnapshot, Vec<Diagnostic>> {
+    let backend =
+        ClusterStore::for_storage_root(storage_root).map_err(|diagnostic| vec![diagnostic])?;
+    read_snapshot_with_store(backend).await
+}
+
+async fn read_snapshot_with_store(
+    backend: ClusterStore,
+) -> Result<ServingSnapshot, Vec<Diagnostic>> {
+    let mut diagnostics: Vec<Diagnostic> = Vec::new();
 
     // A ledger a sweep is about to rewrite must not start serving.
     let sidecars = backend.list_recovery_sidecars(&mut diagnostics).await;
@@ -136,13 +157,9 @@ pub async fn read_serving_snapshot(
                     continue;
                 };
                 match backend.read_verified_payload(&kind, &entry.digest, address).await {
-                    Ok(_) => policies.push(ServingPolicy {
+                    Ok(source) => policies.push(ServingPolicy {
                         name: name.clone(),
-                        blob_path: PathBuf::from(
-                            backend
-                                .payload_display(&kind, &entry.digest)
-                                .expect("policy kind always has a payload path"),
-                        ),
+                        source,
                         applies_to,
                     }),
                     Err(diagnostic) => diagnostics.push(diagnostic),

crates/omnigraph-cluster/src/tests.rs

@@ -2843,7 +2843,9 @@ policies:
         assert!(snapshot.queries[0].source.contains("query find_person"));
         assert_eq!(snapshot.policies.len(), 1);
         assert_eq!(snapshot.policies[0].applies_to, vec!["graph.knowledge"]);
-        assert!(snapshot.policies[0].blob_path.exists());
+        // Content, not a path: the catalog may live on object storage.
+        // The fixture bundle is `rules: []` — assert the verified text.
+        assert!(snapshot.policies[0].source.contains("rules:"));
     }
 
     #[tokio::test]

crates/omnigraph-server/src/lib.rs

@@ -193,18 +193,28 @@ pub enum ServerConfigMode {
         config_path: PathBuf,
         /// `server.policy.file` (server-level Cedar policy for the
         /// management endpoints). Wired into `GET /graphs` authorization.
-        server_policy_file: Option<PathBuf>,
+        server_policy: Option<PolicySource>,
     },
 }
 
+/// Where a Cedar policy bundle comes from at startup. File-based for
+/// omnigraph.yaml deployments; inline (digest-verified catalog content)
+/// for cluster-mode boots, where the catalog may live on object storage
+/// and the server must not re-read mutable state after the snapshot.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+pub enum PolicySource {
+    File(PathBuf),
+    Inline(String),
+}
+
 /// One graph's startup-time configuration: id, opened URI, optional
-/// per-graph policy file path. Constructed by `load_server_settings`
+/// per-graph policy source. Constructed by `load_server_settings`
 /// in multi mode; consumed by `serve`'s parallel open loop.
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub struct GraphStartupConfig {
     pub graph_id: String,
     pub uri: String,
-    pub policy_file: Option<PathBuf>,
+    pub policy: Option<PolicySource>,
     /// Per-graph stored-query registry, loaded and identity-checked at
     /// settings-build time; type-checked against the schema when this
     /// graph's engine opens.
@@ -994,9 +1004,9 @@ pub async fn serve(config: ServerConfig) -> Result<()> {
         ServerConfigMode::Single { policy_file, .. } => policy_file.is_some(),
         ServerConfigMode::Multi {
             graphs,
-            server_policy_file,
+            server_policy,
             ..
-        } => server_policy_file.is_some() || graphs.iter().any(|g| g.policy_file.is_some()),
+        } => server_policy.is_some() || graphs.iter().any(|g| g.policy.is_some()),
     };
     let runtime_state = classify_server_runtime_state(
         !tokens.is_empty(),
@@ -1045,7 +1055,7 @@ pub async fn serve(config: ServerConfig) -> Result<()> {
         ServerConfigMode::Multi {
             graphs,
             config_path,
-            server_policy_file,
+            server_policy,
         } => {
             info!(
                 bind = %bind,
@@ -1054,7 +1064,7 @@ pub async fn serve(config: ServerConfig) -> Result<()> {
                 config = %config_path.display(),
                 "serving omnigraph"
             );
-            open_multi_graph_state(graphs, tokens, server_policy_file.as_ref(), config_path).await?
+            open_multi_graph_state(graphs, tokens, server_policy.as_ref(), config_path).await?
         }
     };
 
@@ -1065,6 +1075,14 @@ pub async fn serve(config: ServerConfig) -> Result<()> {
     Ok(())
 }
 
+/// Load a graph-scoped policy bundle from either source kind.
+fn load_graph_policy(source: &PolicySource, graph_id: &str) -> Result<PolicyEngine> {
+    match source {
+        PolicySource::File(path) => Ok(PolicyEngine::load_graph(path, graph_id)?),
+        PolicySource::Inline(text) => Ok(PolicyEngine::load_graph_from_source(text, graph_id)?),
+    }
+}
+
 /// Parallel open of every graph in the startup config, with bounded
 /// concurrency (`buffer_unordered(4)`). Fail-fast — the first open error
 /// aborts startup; other in-flight opens are dropped (their `Omnigraph`
@@ -1076,7 +1094,7 @@ pub async fn serve(config: ServerConfig) -> Result<()> {
 pub async fn open_multi_graph_state(
     graphs: Vec<GraphStartupConfig>,
     tokens: Vec<(String, String)>,
-    server_policy_file: Option<&PathBuf>,
+    server_policy_source: Option<&PolicySource>,
     config_path: PathBuf,
 ) -> Result<AppState> {
     use futures::{StreamExt, TryStreamExt};
@@ -1089,8 +1107,11 @@ pub async fn open_multi_graph_state(
     // The placeholder graph_id `"server"` is the sentinel the Cedar
     // resource-model refactor maps to the singleton
     // `Omnigraph::Server::"root"` entity at evaluation time.
-    let server_policy = match server_policy_file {
-        Some(path) => Some(PolicyEngine::load_server(path)?),
+    let server_policy = match server_policy_source {
+        Some(PolicySource::File(path)) => Some(PolicyEngine::load_server(path)?),
+        Some(PolicySource::Inline(source)) => {
+            Some(PolicyEngine::load_server_from_source(source)?)
+        }
         None => None,
     };
 
@@ -1128,9 +1149,9 @@ async fn open_single_graph(cfg: GraphStartupConfig) -> Result<Arc<GraphHandle>>
     // owned `Arc`, so no borrow of `db` survives into the match.
     let queries = validate_and_attach(cfg.queries, &db.catalog(), graph_id.as_str())?;
 
-    let (policy_arc, db) = match &cfg.policy_file {
-        Some(path) => {
-            let policy = PolicyEngine::load_graph(path, graph_id.as_str())?;
+    let (policy_arc, db) = match &cfg.policy {
+        Some(source) => {
+            let policy = load_graph_policy(source, graph_id.as_str())?;
             let policy_arc: Arc<PolicyEngine> = Arc::new(policy);
             let checker = Arc::clone(&policy_arc) as Arc<dyn omnigraph_policy::PolicyChecker>;
             (Some(policy_arc), db.with_policy(checker))

crates/omnigraph-server/src/main.rs

@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@ struct Cli {
     target: Option<String>,
     #[arg(long)]
     config: Option<PathBuf>,
-    /// Boot from a cluster directory (the applied revision in
-    /// __cluster/state.json + content-addressed catalog blobs) instead of
-    /// omnigraph.yaml. Exclusive: cannot combine with <URI>, --target, or
-    /// --config.
+    /// Boot from a cluster: either a config directory (storage resolved
+    /// through cluster.yaml) or a storage-root URI directly
+    /// (s3://bucket/prefix — config-free serving from the bucket).
+    /// Exclusive: cannot combine with <URI>, --target, or --config.
     #[arg(long)]
     cluster: Option<PathBuf>,
     #[arg(long)]

crates/omnigraph-server/src/settings.rs

@@ -14,7 +14,19 @@ pub(crate) async fn load_cluster_settings(
     cli_bind: Option<String>,
     cli_allow_unauthenticated: bool,
 ) -> Result<ServerConfig> {
-    let snapshot = omnigraph_cluster::read_serving_snapshot(cluster_dir).await.map_err(|diagnostics| {
+    // `--cluster` accepts either a config directory (the ledger location is
+    // resolved through cluster.yaml's `storage:` key) or a storage-root URI
+    // directly (`s3://bucket/prefix`) — config-free serving: the ledger and
+    // catalog on the bucket ARE the deployment artifact.
+    // Any scheme-qualified argument (s3://, file://) is a storage root; a
+    // bare path is a config directory.
+    let cluster_arg = cluster_dir.to_string_lossy();
+    let snapshot = if cluster_arg.contains("://") {
+        omnigraph_cluster::read_serving_snapshot_from_storage(cluster_arg.as_ref()).await
+    } else {
+        omnigraph_cluster::read_serving_snapshot(cluster_dir).await
+    }
+    .map_err(|diagnostics| {
         let details = diagnostics
             .iter()
             .map(|diagnostic| format!("[{}] {}: {}", diagnostic.code, diagnostic.path, diagnostic.message))
@@ -26,19 +38,25 @@ pub(crate) async fn load_cluster_settings(
     // Bindings -> Cedar slots. The serving pipeline loads one bundle per
     // graph plus one server-level bundle; stacked bundles per scope are a
     // later slice — refuse loudly rather than silently merging policy.
-    let mut server_policy_file: Option<PathBuf> = None;
-    let mut graph_policy_files: BTreeMap<String, PathBuf> = BTreeMap::new();
+    let mut server_policy: Option<PolicySource> = None;
+    let mut graph_policies: BTreeMap<String, PolicySource> = BTreeMap::new();
     for policy in &snapshot.policies {
         for binding in &policy.applies_to {
             if binding == "cluster" {
-                if server_policy_file.replace(policy.blob_path.clone()).is_some() {
+                if server_policy
+                    .replace(PolicySource::Inline(policy.source.clone()))
+                    .is_some()
+                {
                     bail!(
                         "multiple policy bundles bind the cluster scope; cluster-mode serving supports one bundle per scope — split or merge bundles (multi-bundle scopes are a later slice)"
                     );
                 }
             } else if let Some(graph_id) = binding.strip_prefix("graph.") {
-                if graph_policy_files
-                    .insert(graph_id.to_string(), policy.blob_path.clone())
+                if graph_policies
+                    .insert(
+                        graph_id.to_string(),
+                        PolicySource::Inline(policy.source.clone()),
+                    )
                     .is_some()
                 {
                     bail!(
@@ -80,7 +98,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn load_cluster_settings(
         graphs.push(GraphStartupConfig {
             graph_id: graph.graph_id.clone(),
             uri: graph.root.to_string_lossy().to_string(),
-            policy_file: graph_policy_files.get(&graph.graph_id).cloned(),
+            policy: graph_policies.get(&graph.graph_id).cloned(),
             queries: registry,
         });
     }
@@ -97,7 +115,7 @@ pub(crate) async fn load_cluster_settings(
         mode: ServerConfigMode::Multi {
             graphs,
             config_path: cluster_dir.clone(),
-            server_policy_file,
+            server_policy,
         },
         bind: cli_bind.unwrap_or_else(|| "127.0.0.1:8080".to_string()),
         allow_unauthenticated: cli_allow_unauthenticated || env_unauth,
@@ -226,18 +244,18 @@ pub async fn load_server_settings(
             graphs.push(GraphStartupConfig {
                 graph_id: name.clone(),
                 uri,
-                policy_file: config.resolve_target_policy_file(name),
+                policy: config.resolve_target_policy_file(name).map(PolicySource::File),
                 queries,
             });
         }
         let config_path = config_path
             .cloned()
             .expect("has_explicit_config implies config_path is Some");
-        let server_policy_file = config.resolve_server_policy_file();
+        let server_policy = config.resolve_server_policy_file().map(PolicySource::File);
         ServerConfigMode::Multi {
             graphs,
             config_path,
-            server_policy_file,
+            server_policy,
         }
     } else {
         // Rule 5 → error with migration hint.
@@ -729,11 +747,11 @@ server:
                         .join("alpha.omni")
                         .to_string_lossy()
                         .into_owned(),
-                    policy_file: None,
+                    policy: None,
                     queries: crate::queries::QueryRegistry::default(),
                 }],
                 config_path: temp.path().join("omnigraph.yaml"),
-                server_policy_file: Some(policy_path),
+                server_policy: Some(crate::PolicySource::File(policy_path)),
             },
             bind: "127.0.0.1:0".to_string(),
             allow_unauthenticated: false,

crates/omnigraph-server/tests/boot_settings.rs

@@ -702,12 +702,14 @@ graphs:
         let alpha = &graphs[0];
         let beta = &graphs[1];
         assert_eq!(alpha.graph_id, "alpha");
-        assert_eq!(
-            alpha.policy_file.as_ref().unwrap(),
-            &temp.path().join("policies/alpha.yaml")
-        );
+        let omnigraph_server::PolicySource::File(alpha_policy) =
+            alpha.policy.as_ref().unwrap()
+        else {
+            panic!("yaml-configured policy must stay file-based");
+        };
+        assert_eq!(alpha_policy, &temp.path().join("policies/alpha.yaml"));
         assert_eq!(beta.graph_id, "beta");
-        assert!(beta.policy_file.is_none());
+        assert!(beta.policy.is_none());
     }
 
     /// `server.policy.file` resolves alongside the graphs map.
@@ -729,13 +731,11 @@ graphs:
         .unwrap();
         let settings = load_server_settings(Some(&config_path), None, None, None, None, true).await.unwrap();
         match settings.mode {
-            ServerConfigMode::Multi {
-                server_policy_file, ..
-            } => {
-                assert_eq!(
-                    server_policy_file.unwrap(),
-                    temp.path().join("server-policy.yaml")
-                );
+            ServerConfigMode::Multi { server_policy, .. } => {
+                let omnigraph_server::PolicySource::File(path) = server_policy.unwrap() else {
+                    panic!("yaml-configured server policy must stay file-based");
+                };
+                assert_eq!(path, temp.path().join("server-policy.yaml"));
             }
             _ => panic!("expected Multi"),
         }

crates/omnigraph-server/tests/multi_graph.rs

@@ -401,14 +401,14 @@ async fn cluster_boot_serves_applied_state() {
     let omnigraph_server::ServerConfigMode::Multi {
         graphs,
         config_path,
-        server_policy_file,
+        server_policy,
     } = settings.mode
     else {
         panic!("cluster boot must select multi-graph routing");
     };
     assert_eq!(graphs.len(), 1);
     assert_eq!(graphs[0].graph_id, "knowledge");
-    assert!(server_policy_file.is_none());
+    assert!(server_policy.is_none());
 
     let state =
         omnigraph_server::open_multi_graph_state(graphs, Vec::new(), None, config_path)
@@ -516,26 +516,26 @@ graphs:
     let settings = cluster_settings(temp.path()).await.unwrap();
     let omnigraph_server::ServerConfigMode::Multi {
         graphs,
-        server_policy_file,
+        server_policy,
         ..
     } = settings.mode
     else {
         panic!("cluster boot must select multi-graph routing");
     };
-    let graph_policy = graphs[0].policy_file.as_ref().expect("graph-bound bundle");
-    assert!(
-        graph_policy
-            .to_string_lossy()
-            .contains("__cluster/resources/policy/graph_rules/"),
-        "{graph_policy:?}"
-    );
-    let server_policy = server_policy_file.expect("cluster-bound bundle");
-    assert!(
-        server_policy
-            .to_string_lossy()
-            .contains("__cluster/resources/policy/cluster_rules/"),
-        "{server_policy:?}"
-    );
+    // Cluster boots carry policy CONTENT (digest-verified catalog blobs),
+    // not paths — the catalog may live on object storage.
+    let omnigraph_server::PolicySource::Inline(graph_policy) =
+        graphs[0].policy.as_ref().expect("graph-bound bundle")
+    else {
+        panic!("cluster-mode graph policy must be inline content");
+    };
+    assert!(graph_policy.contains("actors:"), "{graph_policy:?}");
+    let omnigraph_server::PolicySource::Inline(server_policy) =
+        server_policy.expect("cluster-bound bundle")
+    else {
+        panic!("cluster-mode server policy must be inline content");
+    };
+    assert!(server_policy.contains("kind: server"), "{server_policy:?}");
 }
 
 #[tokio::test]