Overview

The Allternit platform follows a unique architectural pattern that separates the core intelligence (Brain) from the user interfaces (Faces) while maintaining a unified communication layer (Nervous System).

The Brain (Gizzi)

Gizzi is the central orchestration engine responsible for:
  • Agent lifecycle management - Creating, running, and terminating agents
  • Code execution and sandboxing - Secure environment for agent code
  • Model interaction - Prompt engineering and LLM communication
  • State management - Persistence and memory for agents
  • Event coordination - Message routing between agents

The Faces (Surfaces)

Surfaces are the user-facing interfaces that interact with the Brain:

Desktop App

Packaged Electron app — loads the platform, manages local VMs, global hotkeys

Platform

Next.js 15 web shell — chat, code, workspace, design, and Agent Hub

Extensions

Chrome extension for browser automation + Office add-ins for Excel/Word/PowerPoint

The Nervous System (SDK)

The SDK provides a unified interface for all surfaces to communicate with the Brain:

Communication Layer

The ac (Agent Communication) protocol is Allternit’s inter-agent messaging layer. It provides:
  • Message Board - Persistent, ordered message log per channel
  • Git DAG - Cryptographically auditable lineage for every message
  • API Keys - Per-agent scoped keys with rate limiting

Production topology

There is one public API. The Cloud API is the control plane. Allternit API is the data plane and is never a public hostname.
Node-affine routes (agent sessions, Office, beta research) are Cloud API handlers that relay to the caller’s default healthy node. No healthy node → HTTP 428. Full split: API Overview.

Deployment models

Allternit Desktop runs Allternit API and Gizzi on the user’s machine and pairs the node to the account. Best for day-to-day work on a laptop.
Install Allternit API on a VPS or homelab you own. Approve a pairing code. The node opens an outbound relay — no inbound ports. Best for data residency and existing infrastructure.
Cloud API creates an isolated instance per subscription. Init installs Allternit API and auto-pairs. Best for teams that want a hosted data plane without running a box.
See BYOC Overview.