# Fortify

> Use when the workflow lacks error handling, has been failing in production, or needs retry logic, fallback strategies, and circuit breakers.

- **Type:** Skill
- **Install:** `agentstack add skill-sharpdeveye-maestro-fortify`
- **Verified:** Yes — security-reviewed for prompt injection and unsafe behavior
- **Seller:** [sharpdeveye](https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/sharpdeveye)
- **Installs:** 0
- **Category:** [Agent Skills](https://agentstack.voostack.com/c/agent-skills)
- **Latest version:** 0.1.0
- **License:** MIT
- **Upstream author:** [sharpdeveye](https://github.com/sharpdeveye)
- **Source:** https://github.com/sharpdeveye/maestro/tree/main/source/skills/fortify
- **Website:** https://maestroskills.dev

## Install

```sh
agentstack add skill-sharpdeveye-maestro-fortify
```

Requires the [AgentStack CLI](https://agentstack.voostack.com/docs/cli). Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and any MCP-compatible agent.

## About

## MANDATORY PREPARATION

Invoke /agent-workflow — it contains workflow principles, anti-patterns, and the **Context Gathering Protocol**. Follow the protocol before proceeding — if no workflow context exists yet, you MUST run /teach-maestro first.
Consult the guardrails-safety reference in the agent-workflow skill for defense-in-depth patterns and error boundary design.

---

Make the workflow resilient. Every external call will fail eventually — model APIs, tools, databases, third-party services. Fortify ensures the workflow handles failure gracefully.

### Fortification Layers

**Layer 1: Input Validation**

- Validate all inputs before processing
- Return clear error messages for invalid input
- Set size limits on all input fields

**Layer 2: Retry with Backoff**
For transient failures (network errors, rate limits, timeouts):

```yaml
Retry strategy:
  max_retries: 3
  initial_delay: 1s
  backoff_multiplier: 2
  max_delay: 30s
  retryable_errors: [429, 500, 502, 503, 504, TIMEOUT, CONNECTION_ERROR]
  non_retryable_errors: [400, 401, 403, 404]
```

**Layer 3: Fallback Responses**
When retries are exhausted:

- Use a cached previous response (if applicable)
- Use a simpler/cheaper model as fallback
- Return a graceful degradation response
- Escalate to human review

**Layer 4: Circuit Breakers**
When a service is consistently failing:

```yaml
Circuit breaker:
  failure_threshold: 5 consecutive failures
  state: CLOSED → OPEN (after threshold) → HALF_OPEN (after cooldown)
  cooldown: 60 seconds
  half_open_max_requests: 1
```

**Layer 5: Timeout Controls**
Every external call needs a timeout:

- Model API calls: 30-120s depending on task
- Tool executions: 10-60s depending on tool
- Database queries: 5-15s
- Third-party APIs: 10-30s

### Fortification Audit

For each component, verify:

- [ ] Input validation present
- [ ] Retry logic for transient failures
- [ ] Fallback for when retries fail
- [ ] Timeout set
- [ ] Error logged with context
- [ ] User gets a meaningful error (not a stack trace)

### Recommended Next Step

After fortification, run `/evaluate` to verify error handling works under realistic failure scenarios.

**NEVER**:

- Retry non-retryable errors (authentication failures, validation errors)
- Retry without backoff (you'll make the problem worse)
- Swallow errors silently (log and handle, don't ignore)
- Set infinite timeouts (they'll hang forever)
- Skip the fallback (retries exhausted with no fallback = user sees an error)

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [sharpdeveye](https://github.com/sharpdeveye)
- **Source:** [sharpdeveye/maestro](https://github.com/sharpdeveye/maestro)
- **License:** MIT
- **Homepage:** https://maestroskills.dev

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.

## Pricing

- **Free** — Free

## Security capabilities

Automated source analysis of v0.1.0 — what this tool can access:

- **Network access:** no
- **Filesystem access:** yes
- **Shell / process execution:** no
- **Environment & secrets:** no
- **Dynamic code execution:** no

*"Yes" means the capability is present in the source — more access means more to trust, not that it is unsafe.*


## Versions

- **0.1.0** — security scan: passed — Imported from the upstream source.

## Links

- Listing page: https://agentstack.voostack.com/l/skill-sharpdeveye-maestro-fortify
- Seller: https://agentstack.voostack.com/s/sharpdeveye
- Browse the marketplace: https://agentstack.voostack.com/browse

---
Listed on AgentStack — the marketplace for AI agent skills and MCP servers. Every listing is security-reviewed. Creators keep 70%.