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MCPFax Agent Continuity

by com.mcpscores

How far along is the join

barrier_status
Idempotent

Progress on a join point: how many of the expected participants have signalled, which ones, who is still outstanding, and whether the completion or timeout envelope has been queued. $0.002 ONLY when there is real progress to report (at least one signal) AND the answer has changed since you last paid for it — an untouched barrier, or a repeat of an answer you already bought, costs nothing and says so. Costs $0.002 USDC per call via x402 on Base, and ONLY when signals >= 1, and this exact progress state has not been billed before; otherwise the same call returns the full answer and settles nothing. Authenticate with Authorization: Bearer , or pass agent_key as an argument if your host cannot set headers. Equivalent HTTP route: POST /v1/barrier/status.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
agent_keyNoYour agent_secret, if your MCP host cannot set the Authorization header. Prefer the header.
barrier_idYesThe barrier to inspect. Example: 'quarterly-rollup-2026q3'.

TDQS

A4.5/5.0
Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

The description goes beyond annotations by disclosing the billing behavior (only charges when new progress exists and not previously billed), authentication requirements (Bearer header or agent_key), and the HTTP route. It also clarifies that an untouched barrier or repeated answer is free and says so. This adds substantial context beyond readOnlyHint/idempotentHint.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness3/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

The description is thorough but contains redundancy: the billing rule is stated twice with nearly identical wording ('$0.002 ONLY when...' and 'Costs $0.002 USDC per call... ONLY when...'). The content is front-loaded and structured, but the repetition could be trimmed.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With no output schema, the description must convey the return shape. It does so by listing the progress components (count, which participants, outstanding, envelope state). It also covers billing and authentication, making the tool's behavior fully understandable in context.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Parameter schema coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3. The description adds meaning for agent_key by explaining when to use it (if host cannot set headers), and it reinforces barrier_id usage through the context of inspecting a join point. It doesn't add extensive new detail, but the auth guidance is valuable.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The description clearly states the action: reporting progress on a join point, including counts, which participants signaled, who is outstanding, and whether completion/timeout is queued. This uses a specific verb ('progress on') and resource ('join point'), and it naturally distinguishes from sibling tools like barrier_create and barrier_signal.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

The description gives clear context for when the tool is useful (inspecting barrier progress) and explains the billing condition—when it costs money and when it does not. However, it does not explicitly mention alternatives or when not to use it, though the purpose is fairly unambiguous.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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TDQS

A4/5.0
Disambiguation5/5

Every tool targets a clearly distinct mechanism—barriers, budgets, checkpoints, claims, heartbeats, inboxes, leases, work queues, etc. Even closely related pairs like claim/complete, work_done/inbox_ack, and barrier_status/work_status are explicitly differentiated in their descriptions, so an agent can reliably select the right tool.

Naming Consistency4/5

The dominant pattern is object_verb (e.g., checkpoint_get, work_push, seen_add, lease_release), which is consistent and readable. A few single-word verbs (claim, complete, send) and noun-only names (resume_packet, retry_state, whoami) break the pattern, but they are few and still intuitive.

Tool Count2/5

With 33 tools, the surface is well beyond the 25-tool threshold for 'too many' and will feel heavy for agents to explore, even though the tools are organized into subdomains. The scope is broad, but the sheer number makes the server less approachable and increases the chance of misselection.

Completeness5/5

The tool set provides thorough lifecycle coverage across its domains: checkpoints get/put, work queue push/take/done/fail/status, inbox poll/ack/nack/schedule, lease acquire/renew/release, barrier create/signal/status, dedup add/check, watermark get/set, retry state, budget check/record, and idempotency claim/complete. There are no obvious dead ends or missing essential operations.

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