2 minute read

TL;DR:
Milestone 9 completed the administrative governance layer of AssetTrack. The system now supports controlled slot assignment, slot movement, forced corrections, and full metadata-backed asset creation — all atomic, auditable, and CI-verified.

Project page: AssetTrack.

Context

Milestones 7 and 8 gave AssetTrack structural integrity and an atomic custody engine.

By the end of Milestone 8, the system could:

  • Enforce one asset per slot
  • Guarantee clean STORAGE ↔ IN_CUSTODY transitions
  • Prevent ghost occupancy
  • Log every custody change

What it could not do yet was handle real-world mess.

And real-world inventory is messy.

Operators mis-scan. Assets get discovered without slots. Hardware gets moved physically before the database is updated. Systems drift.

Milestone 9 addressed that drift.

What Changed

Milestone 9 introduced the Admin Operations Layer.

This layer does not weaken integrity.

It governs correction.

1️⃣ Slot Assignment for Unslotted Assets

An asset in STORAGE can now be assigned to a slot via:

  • State validation (must be STORAGE)
  • Destination validation (slot must be empty)
  • Atomic transaction
  • Full audit event (SLOT_ASSIGN)

No silent updates.

2️⃣ Slot Movement

Assets can now move between slots with:

  • Source + destination validation
  • Empty destination enforcement
  • Atomic update
  • SLOT_MOVE audit event

Physical storage discipline is preserved.

3️⃣ Force Vacate

This is the escape hatch.

  • Only allowed if slot is occupied
  • Blocked if asset is IN_CUSTODY
  • Requires written reason
  • Logs FORCE_VACATE
  • Atomic correction

Corrections are visible, not hidden.

4️⃣ Admin Asset Creation API

New assets can now be created via:

POST /admin/assets/create

Features:

  • Unique asset_tag enforced
  • Unique serial_number enforced
  • Optional immediate slot assignment
  • ASSET_CREATED event logged
  • Atomic transaction boundary

The backend slice is complete.

5️⃣ Admin Asset UI + Metadata

Operators can now create assets through:

/admin/assets/new

Required metadata:

  • asset_tag
  • serial_number
  • manufacturer
  • equipment_type
  • building
  • room

Optional:

  • model
  • model_code
  • notes

Optional slot assignment toggle included.

Events written:

  • ASSET_CREATED
  • SLOT_ASSIGN (if selected)

This is now a real operator workflow, not a developer tool.

System Guarantees (Now True)

After Milestone 9, AssetTrack guarantees:

  • No duplicate asset_tag
  • No duplicate serial_number
  • No double-occupied slots
  • No custody change without event logging
  • No slot mutation without audit event
  • No partial admin correction
  • No partial asset creation
  • CI fully green

This is infrastructure maturity.

Architecture State

AssetTrack is now layered:

  1. Structural Storage Model
    Cases → Slots → Slot Occupancy

  2. Custody Engine
    Atomic lifecycle transitions

  3. Admin Governance Layer
    Controlled corrective operations

  4. Operator UI
    Metadata-enforced workflows

This is no longer a scanner utility.

It is an inventory governance system.

Why This Matters

Inventory systems fail quietly.

They drift.

They get “mostly right.”

AssetTrack now refuses to be “mostly right.”

Every correction is explicit.
Every transition is atomic.
Every mutation leaves an audit trail.

That is what makes a system safe to operate.

What I Learned

Milestone 9 wasn’t about adding features.

It was about adding control.

There’s a difference between:

“It works.”

and

“It can be trusted.”

Governance is what closes that gap.

Next

Milestone 10 begins: Replacement Workflow.

Old asset → replacement swap → preserve custody continuity → preserve audit history.

That’s the next realism layer.

🚜

Updated: