---
name: using-system-snapshot
version: 0.1.0
description: "Use at the start of an ops-context session, and ALWAYS before asserting anything about the agent poller, local docker containers, or cross-project task load — call `mcp__projects-meta__meta_system_snapshot` instead of running `tasklist` / `docker ps` / `meta_status` by hand. Triggers on «что запущено», «что сейчас крутится», «состояние системы», «состояние машины», «поллер работает?», «поллер живой?», «что с докером», «сводка по задачам», «what's running», «system status», «system snapshot», «is the poller up», «is the runner alive», «what containers are up». Read-only — no per-session grant needed. Skip for deep single-container docker diagnosis (that's using-vds-ops for the VDS / docker logs locally) and for mutating or precise per-task work (that's using-projects-meta)."
---

# using-system-snapshot

## Overview

One call — `mcp__projects-meta__meta_system_snapshot` — returns a whole-machine ops snapshot: agent **poller** status, local **docker** containers, and a cross-project **task** summary (active / blocked counts) from the projects-meta cache. It replaces the old scatter of `tasklist`, `docker ps`, and a manual `meta_status` read with a single round-trip.

**Core rule: never assert the state of the poller, local containers, or task load without calling this tool first.** Memory and "it was running earlier" are not evidence.

## When to use

- Session start in an **ops context** — orienting before doing infra / runner / task-board work.
- The user asks what's alive: «что запущено», «состояние системы», «поллер работает?», «что с докером», «what's running», «is the poller up».
- **Before any claim** about whether the poller is running, which projects it scans, whether a container is up/healthy, or how many tasks are active/blocked.
- A quick cross-project task-load glance ("where's the work concentrated right now").

## When NOT to use

- Deep diagnosis of **one** container (logs, inspect, stats, restart-loops) — that's `using-vds-ops` for the Rusonyx VDS, or `docker logs` locally. The snapshot only gives name + status.
- **Mutating** task state, or reading the **full** board / a precise per-task body — that's `using-projects-meta` (and local `.tasks/` disk for the current project).
- Library docs, code search, single-file questions — unrelated.

## Prerequisites

Requires the tool `mcp__projects-meta__meta_system_snapshot` (shipped by the `projects-meta-mcp` server; the `meta-system-snapshot` capability lives in `OpeItcLoc03/common`). If the tool is missing from the session, the server isn't registered — trigger **`setup-projects-meta`** to install and register it, then retry.

## The call

`mcp__projects-meta__meta_system_snapshot` takes **no arguments**. Read-only — call it directly, no preview / confirm, no per-session grant.

It returns three keys:

| Key | Shape | Liveness |
|---|---|---|
| `poller` | `{ running: bool, projects: "<owner/repo …>" }` | **live** at call time |
| `docker` | `[{ name, status }]` — local containers | **live** at call time |
| `tasks` | `{ "<owner>/<repo>": { active, blocked }, … }` | **from the projects-meta cache** — may be stale |

`docker` is the **local** machine's containers (includes `agents-task-runner-*`), NOT the VDS. `tasks` counts mirror the cache, so treat them as approximate; for accurate task state run the `using-projects-meta` Step 0 freshness gate or read local `.tasks/` on disk.

## Output format — one line per section

Compress the JSON into **three lines**. Don't dump the raw object.

```
🟢 Poller running — OpeItcLoc03/claude-skills     (🔴 if running:false)
🟢 Docker — 8/8 up                                 (else list only the bad ones)
📋 Tasks — 23 active / 41 blocked, 17 projects     (name the busiest 2–3)
```

Rules per line:

- **Poller** — 🟢/🔴 + running flag + the `projects` string. If stopped, say so plainly — that's the headline.
- **Docker** — if every status starts with `Up` (incl. `Up … (healthy)`), report `N/N up`. Otherwise list **only** the problem containers by name + status (`Restarting`, `Exited`, `(unhealthy)`, `Created`, `Paused`). Don't enumerate healthy ones.
- **Tasks** — totals (Σ active / Σ blocked across all projects) + the 2–3 projects with the most active work. Full per-project breakdown only if asked.

## What NOT to do

- **Do NOT** state "the poller is running" / "all containers are up" / "you have N active tasks" from memory or a prior snapshot. Call the tool in the current turn first. A snapshot from earlier in the session is already stale for liveness claims.
- **Do NOT** fall back to `tasklist` / `docker ps` / a manual `meta_status` to answer these questions — that's the scatter this skill exists to replace. (Drop to raw `docker logs` only for the deep single-container diagnosis this skill explicitly defers.)
- **Do NOT** paste the raw JSON. Three lines, one per section.
- **Do NOT** present `tasks` counts as exact — they come from the cache. Flag staleness if precision matters, and point at `using-projects-meta`.

## Common mistakes

| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| "Poller's still up" without calling the tool this turn | Call `meta_system_snapshot` first — liveness claims need current evidence. |
| Running `docker ps` / `tasklist` instead | Use the single snapshot call; that's the point. |
| Reading the snapshot's `docker` as the VDS fleet | It's the **local** machine. VDS containers → `using-vds-ops`. |
| Treating `tasks` counts as authoritative | They're cached. For exact state use `using-projects-meta` Step 0 or local `.tasks/`. |
| Dumping the raw JSON object | Collapse to three lines (poller / docker / tasks). |