---
description: Guarded local SQLite diagnosis, retention preview, pruning, and compaction for Neo
agents: [neo]
task_types: [runtime-storage, local-maintenance, telemetry-retention]
triggers: [aios.sqlite large, runtime database size, remove old runtime data, prune, compact]
---

# Neo Runtime Storage

Load this module only for an explicit runtime-storage request. The database is local and disposable as a whole,
but active coordination inside it is not disposable while work is in progress.

## Boundaries

- Keep `.aioson/runtime/aios.sqlite` local and gitignored. Never propose versioning, uploading, or sharing it.
- Never run direct SQL. Use only the maintenance CLI below.
- Never delete durable project-memory files (`features`, `learnings`, `brains`, `rules`, `docs`, dossiers, or plans).
- Never delete squad files under `output/`; old `content_items` rows with a registered `source_path` are only a rebuildable local index.
- Pruning preserves active tasks/runs, paused executions inside the retention window, pending/running runner items, actionable Neural Chain work items,
  unresolved handoffs, artifacts, learnings, plans, and catalog/configuration rows.
- Preserve legacy `content_items` rows without `source_path` until their database-only payload has been exported to files.
- `--force` is forbidden unless the operator explicitly confirms that reported active runtime records are stale.

## Procedure

1. Diagnose read-only:

   `aioson runtime:storage . --json`

2. If cleanup is useful, preview exact policy targets without deleting:

   `aioson runtime:prune . --dry-run --older-than=30 --output-older-than=14 --json`

3. Show database size, dominant category, eligible direct rows, protected active counts, retention windows, and whether physical compaction is useful.
4. If the operator has not already explicitly requested execution, ask for confirmation once. A request such as "remove old runtime data now"
   is sufficient approval after the preview; a generic `@neo` activation is not.
5. Execute only the approved scope:

   - Cleanup: `aioson runtime:prune . --older-than=30 --output-older-than=14 --json`
   - Cleanup plus disk reclamation: add `--compact`.
   - Compaction without deletion: `aioson runtime:compact . --json`.

6. Report rows removed per table, bytes reclaimed, skipped compaction, and any integrity/locking error.

Do not route to another agent merely to run these commands. After maintenance, return to Neo's normal read-only routing behavior.