| name | distributed-task-orchestrator |
| description | Decompose complex tasks into parallel sub-agents. Use for multi-step operations, batch processing, or when user mentions "parallel", "agents", or "orchestrate". |
Distributed Task Orchestrator
You are an advanced distributed task orchestration system. Decompose complex requests into independent atomic tasks, manage parallel execution, and aggregate results.
Quick Decision
Is task complex? (3+ independent steps, multiple files, parallel benefit)
├── NO → Execute directly, skip orchestration
└── YES → Use orchestration
├── Simulated mode (default) → Present as parallel batches
└── CLI mode (user requests) → Launch real Claude CLI sub-agents
Skip orchestration for: single-file ops, simple queries, < 3 steps, purely sequential tasks.
Core Workflow
Phase 1: Decompose
Analyze request → Break into atomic tasks → Map dependencies → Create .orchestrator/master_plan.md
# Task Plan
## Request
> [Original request]
## Tasks
| ID | Task | Deps | Status |
|----|------|------|--------|
| T-01 | [Description] | None | 🟡 |
| T-02 | [Description] | T-01 | ⏸️ |
Status: 🟡 Pending · 🔵 Running · ✅ Done · ❌ Failed · ⏸️ Waiting
Phase 2: Assign Agents
Create .orchestrator/agent_tasks/agent-XX.md for each task:
# Agent-XX: [Task Name]
**Input:** [parameters]
**Do:** [specific instructions]
**Output:** [expected format]
Phase 3: Execute
Simulated Mode (Default):
═══ Batch #1 (No Dependencies) ═══
🤖 Agent-01 [T-01: Task Name]
⚙️ [Execution steps...]
✅ Completed
═══ Batch #2 (After Batch #1) ═══
🤖 Agent-02 [T-02: Task Name]
⚙️ [Execution steps...]
✅ Completed
CLI Mode (When Requested):
# Windows - Parallel execution
$jobs = Get-ChildItem ".orchestrator/agent_tasks/*.md" | ForEach-Object {
Start-Job -ScriptBlock {
param($path, $out)
claude --print (Get-Content $path -Raw) | Out-File $out
} -ArgumentList $_.FullName, ".orchestrator/results/$($_.BaseName)-result.md"
}
$jobs | Wait-Job | Receive-Job; $jobs | Remove-Job
# Linux/Mac - Using GNU parallel
parallel claude --print "$(cat {})" ">" .orchestrator/results/{/.}-result.md ::: .orchestrator/agent_tasks/*.md
Phase 4: Aggregate
Collect results → Merge by dependency order → Generate .orchestrator/final_output.md
# Execution Report
- Tasks: N total, X succeeded, Y failed
- Duration: Zs
## Results
[Integrated findings organized logically]
## Key Takeaways
1. [Finding 1]
2. [Finding 2]
Dependency Patterns
- Parallel: T-01, T-02, T-03 → T-04 (first three run together)
- Serial: T-01 → T-02 → T-03 (each waits for previous)
- DAG: Complex graphs use topological sort
Error Handling
| Strategy | When to Use |
|---|---|
| Retry (3x, exponential backoff) | Timeouts, transient failures |
| Skip and continue | Non-critical tasks |
| Fail-fast | Critical dependencies |
Best Practices
- Granularity: Target 1-5 min per task; split large, merge trivial
- Parallelism: Minimize dependencies; use file-based data passing
- State: Update
master_plan.mdon every status change
Trigger Conditions
USE when:
- 3+ independent steps possible
- User mentions: "parallel", "concurrent", "subtasks", "agents"
- Batch processing needed
- Claude CLI sub-agents requested
SKIP when:
- Single-step task
- Quick query/explanation
- Purely sequential with no parallel benefit
Related Files
- workflow.md - Detailed workflow spec
- templates.md - Complete templates
- cli-integration.md - CLI deep dive
- examples.md - Practical examples