/config-authoring

name: config-authoring
description: Create, modify, review, and harden configuration for the Adobe Dispatcher Apache HTTP Server module and Apache HTTPD in AEM 6.5 LTS environments only. Use for `.any`, vhost, rewrite, cache, and filter changes.
license: Apache-2.0
compatibility: Requires Dispatcher MCP for AMS (`AEM_DEPLOYMENT_MODE=ams`) or AMS Dispatcher MCP SDK (pre-set to `ams`).
allowed-tools: validate lint sdk trace_request inspect_cache monitor_metrics tail_logs
metadata:
  mcp-tool-contract: core-7-tools

Dispatcher Config Authoring (AMS)

Design minimal, deterministic changes for the Adobe Dispatcher Apache HTTP Server module and related HTTPD configuration in AEM 6.5/AMS, then verify with MCP evidence.

Variant Scope

• This skill is AMS-only.
• Scope is fixed by this skill directory; do not ask the user to choose deployment variant.

MCP Tool Contract

Use only these Dispatcher MCP tools:

• `validate`
• `lint`
• `sdk`
• `trace_request`
• `inspect_cache`
• `monitor_metrics`
• `tail_logs`

Workflow

AMS Config Progress
- [ ] 1) Confirm scope and acceptance criteria; if the repo layout is unclear, normalize it with `repo-layout-workflows.md`
- [ ] 2) Apply AMS 6.5 guardrails for tier routing, variables, flush ACL, and immutable boundaries
- [ ] 3) Decompose target URLs (path/selectors/extension/suffix) and use that model for all URL-based rules—filters, cache rules, etc.—using `/path`, `/selectors`, `/extension`, `/suffix` or aligned globs (not raw `/url`) where applicable; then design complete section-level edits
- [ ] 4) Update config with least-privilege defaults (produce final merged section, not isolated rule snippets)
- [ ] 5) Run static checks: validate -> lint (deep/order-aware when filters changed)
- [ ] 6) Run SDK checks: `sdk({"action":"check-files","config_path":"<dispatcher src path>"})`, `sdk({"action":"diff-baseline","config_path":"<dispatcher src path>"})` as needed
- [ ] 7) Run runtime verification in host-path/log environment
- [ ] 8) Return diff, evidence table, risk/rollback, and citations

Verification Scope Selection

Use the shared references to select the minimum evidence set:

• [mode-specific-verification-matrix.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/mode-specific-verification-matrix.md)
• [test-case-catalog.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/test-case-catalog.md)

Output Contract

Always include:

• files changed + intent
• exact insertion location and final merged section content for each edited block
• checks executed + evidence
• selected test IDs
• risk/rollback plan
• residual risks and next checks

Feature cross-boundary (Playbook G: auth_checker)

Permission-sensitive caching (`/auth_checker`) is end-to-end: it requires both Dispatcher config and an AEM servlet. When implementing Playbook G from scratch, create or verify the auth-check servlet in the project core bundle (path `/bin/permissioncheck`, HEAD/GET, 200 or 403) and allowlist it on publish; then add the `/auth_checker` block, filter allow for the endpoint, and `/allowAuthorized "1"` in `/cache`. See [config-scenario-playbooks.md](./references/config-authoring/config-scenario-playbooks.md) Playbook G and [reference-snippets.md](./references/config-authoring/reference-snippets.md).

Guardrails

• Do not weaken deny-by-default security posture without explicit user approval.
• Do not claim runtime verification if host-path/log prerequisites were missing.
• Keep changes minimal and scoped.

References

• [config-patterns.md](./references/config-authoring/config-patterns.md)
• [config-scenario-playbooks.md](./references/config-authoring/config-scenario-playbooks.md) – high-value development scenarios adapted from broader MCP surfaces to core-7 execution
• [reference-snippets.md](./references/config-authoring/reference-snippets.md) – reusable starter snippets for consistent config authoring
• [validation-playbook.md](./references/config-authoring/validation-playbook.md)
• [mcp-tool-orchestration.md](./references/config-authoring/mcp-tool-orchestration.md)
• For **runtime prompts** and **troubleshooting scenarios** (tail_logs, trace_request, monitor_metrics, inspect_cache), use the **incident-response** skill reference `runtime-prompts-and-troubleshooting-scenarios.md` when incident triage is needed.
• [quick-start-execution-path.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/quick-start-execution-path.md) – single entry path for new users and broad requests
• [repo-layout-workflows.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/repo-layout-workflows.md) – map the user repo to the dispatcher `src` root and likely file families
• [playbook-command-linkage.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/playbook-command-linkage.md) – convert selected playbooks into exact MCP command chains
• [ams-6-5-guardrails.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/ams-6-5-guardrails.md)
• [mode-specific-verification-matrix.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/mode-specific-verification-matrix.md)
• [test-case-catalog.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/test-case-catalog.md)
• [change-risk-and-rollback-template.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/change-risk-and-rollback-template.md)
• [public-doc-citation-rules.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/public-doc-citation-rules.md)
• [public-docs-index.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/public-docs-index.md)
• [core-7-tools-reference.md](./references/dispatcher-foundation/core-7-tools-reference.md)