Multi-Agent Architecture V1.0: Design, Runtime Evaluation, and Failure-Driven Engineering of a Distributed LLM System

Multi-Agent Architecture V1.0: Design, Runtime Evaluation, and Failure-Driven Engineering of a Distributed LLM System documents the design, implementation, and experimental evaluation of a persistent six-node multi-agent architecture developed within The Observatory's Zero-Point Protocol (ZPP) research program. The system distributes source discovery, retrieval, validation, execution authority, local reasoning, cryptographic identity, persistence, and runtime observation across independently operating nodes. Through Ed25519-signed communication, node-local SQLite memory, distributed validation, leader-gated execution, and asynchronous state telemetry, the architecture establishes a modular environment for investigating reliable coordination and recoverable system state. The report examines implementation challenges identified through integration and stress testing, including duplicate ingestion, execution sequencing, incomplete persistence, concurrency behavior, and reasoning-output recovery. It documents the resulting engineering corrections while distinguishing implemented and observed functionality from mechanisms requiring further validation. The study contributes an evidence-driven approach to distributed language-model architecture, emphasizing operational traceability, failure localization, persistent continuity, and reproducible systems evaluation.