RUNTIME EXECUTION ENVIRONMENTS

CHAPTER SUMMARY The runtime execution environment is where the agent's actions really happen, and the sandbox limits the damage a mistake or attack can cause. Containers are light and fast with good isolation, virtual machines are heavier with stronger isolation, and snapshots restore a clean state. Process execution, file operations, and network access are controlled capabilities governed by least privilege, allowlists, folder scopes, and egress control. Batch and parallel execution save wall-clock time for independent steps but require care with limits, collisions, and cost. Graceful failure catches, classifies, reports, logs, cleans up, and preserves partial results. KEY TERMS REVIEW Runtime execution environment: where actions are carried out. Sandbox: an isolated, restricted place to run code. Blast radius: how much damage one failure can cause. Least privilege: only the abilities truly needed. Virtual machine: a complete pretend computer. Container: a lightweight package sharing the host's operating system. Snapshot: a saved picture of a machine's state. Allowlist: a list of permitted items. Egress control: limits on outgoing network traffic. Parallel execution: running tasks at the same moment. Graceful failure: ending cleanly with a clear report.