262 lines
9.3 KiB
Markdown
262 lines
9.3 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Memory System Architecture
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category: Projects
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project: Memory System
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type: Architecture/Documentation
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status: complete
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date: 2026-02-16
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last_updated: 2026-02-23
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tags: [memory, architecture, openclaw, system-design, data-flow]
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source_file: memory_system_architecture.md
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---
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# Memory System Architecture
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*Diagram of how information flows and persists in the OpenClaw system*
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---
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## Overview
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```
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┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
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│ INFORMATION FLOW │
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└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
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User Conversation
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│
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▼
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┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐
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│ ME (Main Agent) │────▶│ Memory Worker │────▶│ SQLite Database │
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│ (Real-time) │ │ (Daily 3 AM) │ │ (Structured) │
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└─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘
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│ │ │
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│ │ │
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▼ ▼ ▼
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┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐ ┌─────────────────────┐
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│ Daily Notes │ │ Query Interface │ │ Stats/Search │
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│ (memory/*.md) │◄────│ (On Demand) │◄────│ (SQL/FTS) │
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└─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘ └─────────────────────┘
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│
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▼
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┌─────────────────────┐
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│ MEMORY.md │
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│ (Curated) │
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└─────────────────────┘
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│
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▼
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┌─────────────────────┐
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│ Supermemory.ai │
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│ (Cloud Backup) │
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└─────────────────────┘
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```
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---
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## Storage Layers (By Speed & Persistence)
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### 1. ⚡ Session RAM (Transient)
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| Aspect | Details |
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|--------|---------|
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| **What** | Current conversation context, tool outputs, working memory |
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| **Writes** | Every message I process |
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| **When** | Real-time during conversation |
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| **Stored** | Until session ends or compaction (30 min - 4 hours) |
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| **Survives** | ❌ Session crash ❌ Gateway restart |
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| **Size** | ~100K-250K tokens |
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**Risk:** Compaction clears this. The "danger zone" is between last tool use and compaction.
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---
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### 2. 📝 Daily Notes (Short-term)
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| Aspect | Details |
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|--------|---------|
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| **What** | Raw daily activity, decisions, tasks, errors |
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| **Writes** | Pre-compaction flush (automatic) + manual captures |
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| **When** | End of productive sessions, before `/compact` |
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| **Stored** | `memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md` |
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| **Survives** | ✅ Session crash ✅ Gateway restart |
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| **Retention** | ~30-90 days (manually reviewed) |
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| **Format** | Free-form markdown |
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**Written by:** Me (main agent) during heartbeat or EOD ritual
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---
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### 3. 🧠 MEMORY.md (Long-term)
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| Aspect | Details |
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|--------|---------|
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| **What** | Curated important info, distilled from daily notes |
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| **Writes** | Manual review of daily notes, during heartbeats |
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| **When** | Every few days, or when something critical happens |
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| **Stored** | `MEMORY.md` in workspace root |
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| **Survives** | ✅ Everything (file-based) |
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| **Retention** | Permanent (manual curation) |
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| **Format** | Human-readable markdown |
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**Written by:** Me, after reviewing daily notes
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---
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### 4. 📊 SQLite Database (Structured)
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| Aspect | Details |
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|--------|---------|
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| **What** | Structured: tasks, decisions, facts, projects with salience |
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| **Writes** | Memory Worker (automated daily extraction) |
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| **When** | Daily 3:00 AM (cron job) |
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| **Stored** | `~/.openclaw/memory.db` |
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| **Survives** | ✅ File-based |
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| **Retention** | Permanent (until manual deletion) |
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| **Format** | Relational: cells, scenes, FTS index |
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**Written by:** Memory Worker agent (spawned via cron)
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**Schema:**
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```sql
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memory_cells: id, scene, cell_type, salience, content, source_file, created_at
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scenes: scene, summary, item_count, updated_at
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memory_fts: full-text search index
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```
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---
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### 5. 🌐 Supermemory.ai (Cloud)
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| Aspect | Details |
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|--------|---------|
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| **What** | Full backup of all memory files |
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| **Writes** | Supermemory Backup job (automated) |
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| **When** | Daily 2:00 AM |
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| **Stored** | Supermemory.ai cloud service |
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| **Survives** | ✅ Disk failure ✅ Workspace loss |
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| **Retention** | Cloud provider dependent |
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| **Format** | API-uploaded documents |
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**Written by:** Python script via cron job
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---
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### 6. 📋 Workspace Context (Session Bridge)
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| Aspect | Details |
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|--------|---------|
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| **What** | Current conversation, in-progress, finished today |
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| **Writes** | Real-time during session |
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| **When** | Continuously updated |
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| **Stored** | `workspace-context.md` |
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| **Survives** | ✅ Session crash ✅ Channel switch |
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| **Retention** | Cleared nightly (~11 PM) |
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| **Format** | Structured markdown |
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**Special:** Survives between channels and session crashes. Cleared daily.
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---
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## Retention Summary
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| Layer | Retention | Cleared When | Backup |
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|-------|-----------|--------------|--------|
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| Session RAM | Minutes-hours | Compaction | ❌ |
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| Workspace Context | ~24 hours | 11 PM nightly | ❌ |
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| Daily Notes | 30-90 days | Manual archive | Supermemory |
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| MEMORY.md | Permanent | Manual edit | Supermemory |
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| SQLite DB | Permanent | Manual delete | ❌ (local only) |
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| Supermemory | Permanent | Cloud provider | N/A (is backup) |
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---
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## Write Triggers
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```
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Every Message
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│
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├─► Session RAM (immediate)
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│
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└─► If important ┐
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▼
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workspace-context.md
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│
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Pre-compaction ┤
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▼
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memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md
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│
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Periodic review ┤
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▼
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MEMORY.md
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│
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Daily 2 AM ┤
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▼
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Supermemory.ai
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│
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Daily 3 AM ┤
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▼
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SQLite Database
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```
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---
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## Access Patterns
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### I (Main Agent) Access:
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| Source | When | Purpose |
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|--------|------|---------|
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| MEMORY.md | Every session startup | Core identity, user prefs, important facts |
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| USER.md | Every session startup | Who Corey is |
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| SOUL.md | Every session startup | How I should behave |
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| workspace-context.md | Every session startup | Current conversation state |
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| memory/*.md | During heartbeats | Recent context |
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| SQLite DB | On demand | Structured queries ("what tasks pending?") |
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### Memory Worker Access:
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| Source | When | Purpose |
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|--------|------|---------|
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| IDENTITY.md | Daily 3 AM | Who it is |
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| SOUL.md | Daily 3 AM | Its mission |
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| HEARTBEAT.md | Daily 3 AM | What to do (the script) |
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| memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md | Daily 3 AM | What to extract |
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| SQLite DB | Daily 3 AM | Where to write |
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---
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## Failure Recovery
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### Scenario: Session Crash
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- ✅ **Survives:** Files (MEMORY.md, daily notes, workspace-context)
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- ❌ **Lost:** Session RAM (compaction would have cleared anyway)
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- 🔄 **Recovery:** Read files on restart, reconstruct context
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### Scenario: Gateway Restart
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- ✅ **Survives:** All files, SQLite DB
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- ❌ **Lost:** Session state, cron job state (must recreate jobs)
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- 🔄 **Recovery:** Gateway restart, verify cron jobs running
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### Scenario: Disk Failure
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- ✅ **Survives:** Supermemory.ai (cloud backup)
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- ❌ **Lost:** Local files, SQLite DB
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- 🔄 **Recovery:** Restore from Supermemory, recreate DB (re-extract from notes)
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---
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## Key Insights
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1. **Text > Brain** — Files persist, my session doesn't
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2. **Daily notes = raw, MEMORY.md = curated** — Filter noise from signal
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3. **Worker = automated structuring** — Don't have to manually organize everything
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4. **Hybrid = best of both** — Human-readable + machine-queryable
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5. **Multiple backups** — Local files + cloud (Supermemory) + structured DB
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---
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## Related Files
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- [[Memory System Evolution]] — OpenClaw summary (in OpenClaw/ folder)
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- MEMORY.md — Curated long-term memory
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- memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md — Daily notes
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- workspace-context.md — Session bridge
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- ~/.openclaw/memory.db — Structured SQLite database
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---
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*Generated: 2026-02-16*
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*Copied to Obsidian: 2026-02-23*
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*System Version: Multi-agent with SQLite extraction*
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