distributor/docs/operations.md

# Distributor Operations

## Normal Workflow

Validate a source bundle:

```sh
go run ./cmd/distributor validate examples/source-bundle
```

Preview a local publication:

```sh
go run ./cmd/distributor run --config examples/local-publish.yml --dry-run
```

Run the local publication:

```sh
go run ./cmd/distributor run --config examples/local-publish.yml
```

Run the local HTML publication:

```sh
go run ./cmd/distributor run --config examples/local-html.yml
```

Preview local fan-out publication:

```sh
go run ./cmd/distributor run --config examples/fan-out.yml --dry-run
```

## Filesystem Layout

Source bundles are discovered beneath the configured local source root. Each bundle is a directory containing `manifest.json`.

Destination bundle paths preserve the source bundle path relative to the source root. A source bundle at the source root publishes to the destination root. A source bundle under `daily/` publishes under `daily/` at each destination.

The maintained examples write under `workspace/`, which is ignored by Git.

## Destination State

Each published destination bundle contains `.distributor.json`. This file is the managed sentinel and destination state record. It stores:

- pipeline and destination identity;
- publication timestamp;
- source manifest used for publication;
- copied source output metadata;
- generated output metadata.

`manifest.json` from the source bundle is not copied as destination state.

Do not edit `.distributor.json` by hand during normal operation. If it is missing or invalid while destination files remain, `distributor` treats the destination as unmanaged or conflicted.

## Dry Runs

`--dry-run` loads and validates config, discovers source bundles, inspects destination state, plans outputs, and prints summary lines. It does not write output files or destination state.

Dry-run output is useful before publishing to confirm actions such as `publish_new`, `replace_older`, `skip_same`, and `skip_destination_newer`.

## Retry and Replacement Behavior

If a destination has matching `.distributor.json`, publication skips it as already published.

If destination state is older than the source manifest and transfer policy allows replacement, publication deletes only managed outputs recorded in `.distributor.json` plus the state file, then writes the new outputs and state.

If destination state is newer than the source manifest, the default behavior is to skip. If destination state has the same source id and created timestamp but a different digest, publication fails as a conflict.

If a destination path has files but no valid `.distributor.json`, publication fails as unmanaged content. There is no force overwrite option.

## Failure Handling

If one destination fails in a fan-out run, independent later destinations are still planned and executed. The command exits non-zero after printing the final status if any destination failed.

If a write fails during local publication, `distributor` attempts to remove outputs written during that failed attempt so a retry does not see those partial outputs as unmanaged destination content.

After a successful publish or replacement, the internal notifier hook runs. The current default notifier is a no-op. Skipped destinations do not invoke it.

## Caveats

Only local-to-local execution is available. SSH execution, S3 execution, external notification adapters, and force overwrite behavior are unavailable.

For symptom-oriented fixes, see [troubleshooting](troubleshooting.md). For config details, see [configuration](config.md). For command syntax, see [CLI](cli.md).