Agent Architecture

NVIDIA NemoClaw

NVIDIA NemoClaw is a managed inference and OpenShell sandbox host for running agents such as Hermes and OpenClaw more securely. Its architecture centers on sandbox lifecycle, network policy, MCP servers, plugins, workspace files, and managed inference.

Source reviewed #32Checked 2026-07-06

Setup guide Source

Run type

CLI

Adapter

ts-plugin

Source

OSS · NVIDIA/NemoClaw

Stars

★ 22k

Archive Context

This page is one host entry inside the full architecture archive and keeps multi-surface products visible instead of collapsing them into a single run type.

42 host archive

Host page

nemoclaw

Run cohort

CLI: 30

Archive route

/agents

Host Surface Perspectives

The host is the primary architecture boundary. Each runnable surface below separates what the host owns from what agent-connector can safely install for NVIDIA NemoClaw.

1 surface entry

CLI

cli

Host entry: A terminal command owns the process, current working directory, stdin/stdout, shell environment, and project file discovery.
Host owns: The CLI host owns agent loop timing, approval prompts, tool execution, session files, and how hook or MCP subprocesses are launched.
Connector role: agent-connector can only write the host's documented CLI config, prompt, memory, hook, MCP, or package files and point them at the home binary. Current wired connector surfaces: MCP server, Hooks, Skills, Memory, Action affordances.
Implementation consequence: A CLI surface is byte-addressable and smoke-testable from a temporary HOME, but terminal UI behavior still belongs to the host process. Visible host-native gaps for this surface: Subagents.

Verified Architecture

Source-checked on 2026-07-06. These notes are intentionally separate from the generated surface matrix below.

Sequence #32

Source pass

Current source review findings are kept as the first architecture section so readers can separate external evidence from the generated local coverage model.

NemoClaw is a reference stack for running agents more safely inside NVIDIA OpenShell sandboxes with managed inference and lifecycle control.
The supported agents list includes OpenClaw and Hermes, which makes NemoClaw a sandbox/orchestration wrapper around other hosts.
Guided onboarding, network policy, hardened blueprints, and lifecycle management are host-only controls beyond MCP, hooks, or memory files.

Runtime boundary

The adapter target is NemoClaw as a sandbox and managed-inference host, not the downstream Hermes or OpenClaw agent alone. NemoClaw owns OpenShell, sandbox lifecycle, network policy, inference routing, and monitoring.

Docs are organized separately for OpenClaw agents and Hermes agents.
The repository describes running agents inside NVIDIA OpenShell with managed inference.

MCP registration

NemoClaw docs include setup for MCP servers under sandbox management. The page should describe MCP in relation to sandbox lifecycle, workspace files, and network policy rather than ordinary local config.

MCP servers run inside or beside managed sandbox contexts.
Network policy approval and sandbox hardening can constrain tool access.

Hook bridge

NemoClaw is tracked as a TypeScript-plugin style host, but the host-specific control point is sandbox/runtime policy. Hook-like behavior should be separated from network policy, runtime controls, and downstream agent hooks.

Runtime controls and network request approval are host safety surfaces.
Downstream Hermes or OpenClaw hooks remain their own runtime layers.

Content surfaces

NemoClaw content surfaces include declarative multi-agent manifests, task-specific subagents, workspace files, plugins, MCP servers, prompts, skills, network policies, and sandbox backup/restore state.

The docs include prompts, MCP, and skills resources.
Architecture details and host files/state deserve a dedicated diagram node.

Marketplace and host-only affordances

The host-only affordance is managed and auditable execution: OpenShell sandboxing, network policy, managed inference, remote GPU deployment, Brev web UI, monitoring, and plugin installation.

This row should teach sandbox-first agent architecture.
Security and trusted-computing-base docs are central source material.

Host-specific shape

NVIDIA NemoClaw wraps OpenClaw and inherits its openclaw.json ts-plugin, MCP, skills, memory, and action behavior while keeping subagents as a host-native config gap.

Form factor: CLI.
Native surfaces: MCP server, Hooks, Skills, Subagents, Memory, Action affordances.
Wired surfaces: MCP server, Hooks, Skills, Memory, Action affordances.
Visible gaps: Subagents.

Hooks

Hooks enter through a generated plugin module that the host loads in its own runtime.

MCP

The adapter writes this host's native MCP registration dialect, including its root key, scope, transport fields, and environment syntax.

Memory

Managed memory text is written into the rules or memory file this host actually reads, with ownership markers for reversible uninstall.

Marketplace and affordances

The plugin bridge is generated directly, but there is no separate drivable marketplace path in the current driver registry.

Runtime handlers: Action affordances.
User-visible affordances: Users see managed skills + actions + memory surfaces after install; runtime-only surfaces stay behind the host boundary..

Known Limits

Do not conflate NemoClaw with OpenClaw or Hermes runtime internals.
MCP and plugin behavior should be interpreted through sandbox policy.
Managed inference may depend on NVIDIA infrastructure or credentials.

Evidence checked

NemoClaw docs NemoClaw repository

Architecture Diagram

Host-specific flow for the CLI surface.

ts-plugin

1
Entry point: CLI
Terminal agent process reads user/project config and invokes the connector home binary for runtime callbacks.
2
Connector package
defineConnector package declares server, hooks, content, memory, and actions.
3
Adapter module: nemoclaw
ts-plugin renderer at src/adapters/nemoclaw/index.ts.
4
Native host artifacts
Adapter writes MCP config + plugin module + content files + memory/rules + actions through this host's native file, package, or marketplace surface.
5
Runtime boundary
host loads generated TypeScript plugin bridge
6
User-visible surface
Users see managed skills + actions + memory surfaces after install; runtime-only surfaces stay behind the host boundary.
7
Coverage ceiling
5/6 native surfaces wired. Subagents are host-native but not wired yet.

Component Diagram

Static parts of the NVIDIA NemoClaw integration and which side owns each one.

NVIDIA NemoClaw host
CLI surface owns the model loop, UI shell, config discovery, and native lifecycle for this integration.
agent-connector package
Normalizes connector declarations into MCP, hook, memory, content, and action payloads before delegating to a host adapter.
nemoclaw adapter
Implements the ts-plugin translation layer in src/adapters/nemoclaw/index.ts.
Native artifacts
Adapter writes MCP config + plugin module + content files + memory/rules + actions through this host's native file, package, or marketplace surface.
Runtime bridge
host loads generated TypeScript plugin bridge
User-visible surface
Users see managed skills + actions + memory surfaces after install; runtime-only surfaces stay behind the host boundary.

Runtime Sequence Flow

Message order from install to runtime for the CLI surface.

1 · User / project
Choose host adapter
Install or update starts against NVIDIA NemoClaw; the selected surface is CLI.
2 · agent-connector
Resolve connector declaration
The package reads connector metadata and routes it to the nemoclaw adapter instead of exposing a generic host contract.
3 · nemoclaw adapter
Render host-native shape
Adapter writes MCP config + plugin module + content files + memory/rules + actions through this host's native file, package, or marketplace surface.
4 · NVIDIA NemoClaw
Host loads artifacts
host loads generated TypeScript plugin bridge
5 · Agent runtime
Run through host boundary
Users see managed skills + actions + memory surfaces after install; runtime-only surfaces stay behind the host boundary.
6 · Coverage matrix
Expose remaining ceiling
5/6 native surfaces wired. Subagents are host-native but not wired yet.

Architecture Archive

The same five study axes are rendered for every host: runtime shape, hooks, MCP, memory, and host-only affordances.

Host-specific shape

NVIDIA NemoClaw wraps OpenClaw and inherits its openclaw.json ts-plugin, MCP, skills, memory, and action behavior while keeping subagents as a host-native config gap.

Form factor: CLI.
Native surfaces: MCP server, Hooks, Skills, Subagents, Memory, Action affordances.
Wired surfaces: MCP server, Hooks, Skills, Memory, Action affordances.
Visible gaps: Subagents.

Hooks

Hooks enter through a generated plugin module that the host loads in its own runtime.

MCP

The adapter writes this host's native MCP registration dialect, including its root key, scope, transport fields, and environment syntax.

Memory

Managed memory text is written into the rules or memory file this host actually reads, with ownership markers for reversible uninstall.

Marketplace and affordances

The plugin bridge is generated directly, but there is no separate drivable marketplace path in the current driver registry.

Runtime handlers: Action affordances.
User-visible affordances: Users see managed skills + actions + memory surfaces after install; runtime-only surfaces stay behind the host boundary..

Special Feature Inventory

Host-specific capabilities separated from the generic surface matrix: lifecycle hooks, MCP registration, memory/rules, marketplace delivery, and UI or content affordances owned by the host.

Lifecycle hooks

Wired

Hooks enter through a generated plugin module that the host loads in its own runtime.

MCP registration

Wired

The adapter writes this host's native MCP registration dialect, including its root key, scope, transport fields, and environment syntax.

Memory and rules

Wired

Managed memory text is written into the rules or memory file this host actually reads, with ownership markers for reversible uninstall.

Marketplace delivery

Direct plugin

The plugin bridge is generated directly, but there is no separate drivable marketplace path in the current driver registry.

Host-only affordances

2/3 wired

Wired host affordances: Skills, Action affordances. Host-native gaps: Subagents. Not confirmed: Commands, Statusline handler.

Source Review Notes

Latest source pass for host-specific architecture details. This is separate from generated adapter coverage and local drift guards.

Checked 2026-07-06Open review source

NVIDIA/NemoClaw repository

NemoClaw is a reference stack for running agents more safely inside NVIDIA OpenShell sandboxes with managed inference and lifecycle control.
The supported agents list includes OpenClaw and Hermes, which makes NemoClaw a sandbox/orchestration wrapper around other hosts.
Guided onboarding, network policy, hardened blueprints, and lifecycle management are host-only controls beyond MCP, hooks, or memory files.

Evidence Map

Each host page ties public source evidence to the local adapter and drift guards that keep the rendered archive aligned with code.

Public source: NVIDIA/NemoClaw

Primary public repository or product source used for current host status and source links.

external

Open source

Local adapter implementation

Defines the install/uninstall behavior, native config rendering, capability flags, and any runtime parse/format bridge for this host.

local

src/adapters/nemoclaw/index.ts

Platform metadata and host-native matrix

Records the form factor, public source target, ranking source, native host surfaces, and current agent-connector coverage cells.

local

site/src/platform-data.ts

Architecture drift guard

Asserts that every registered host has a page, diagram, host-specific brief, source link, form-factor band, and adapter-aligned surface data.

local

tests/docs/platform-drift.test.ts

Runtime Shape

The host loads a generated TypeScript plugin module that bridges in-process host events to the connector runtime.

MCP registration: Wired through this adapter
Hook bridge: Wired

Connector Surfaces

Static content

MCP server, Hooks, Skills, Memory

Runtime handlers

Action affordances

Surface Matrix

Wired means agent-connector installs it now. Host native marks support we know about but have not wired yet.

SurfaceStatus

MCP server

Static content

agent-connector installs this surface today.

Wired

Hooks

Static content

agent-connector installs this surface today.

Wired

Commands

Static content

No confirmed host-native surface.

N/A

Skills

Static content

agent-connector installs this surface today.

Wired

Subagents

Static content

The host appears to offer this, but this adapter has not wired it yet.

Host native

Memory

Static content

agent-connector installs this surface today.

Wired

Statusline handler

Runtime handler

No confirmed host-native surface.

N/A

Action affordances

Runtime handler

agent-connector installs this surface today.

Wired