feat: checkpoint batching and release-gate stories

.scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/evidence/DGR-016/README.md

@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+# DGR-016 — Upstream llama.cpp collaboration package
+
+Status: partial, blocked by DGR-010
+Date: 2026-07-16
+
+## Summary
+
+Assembled the upstream-facing collaboration package for llama.cpp without
+pulling Meshnet routing or control-plane logic into the upstream ask.
+
+Durable outputs created for this story:
+
+- `api-note.md` with the generic hook split and patch-per-concern proposal
+- `outreach.md` with a maintainer-facing draft for Georgi/llama.cpp
+
+The package is grounded in the existing research artifacts and the already
+implemented deterministic tests for:
+
+- range-aware GGUF ownership and introspection
+- architecture boundary input/output
+- layer-filtered KV/session ownership
+- reproducible pinned worker build wiring
+
+The story itself remains blocked because DGR-010 is still marked `passes: false`
+and only has a blocked handoff, not a completed real-model acceptance README.
+
+## Files changed
+
+- `.scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/evidence/DGR-016/README.md`
+- `.scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/evidence/DGR-016/api-note.md`
+- `.scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/evidence/DGR-016/outreach.md`
+
+## Commands run and real results
+
+### Dependency and context review
+
+```bash
+sed -n '1,260p' .scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/RALPH-CONTEXT.md
+sed -n '1,260p' .scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/issues/16-produce-the-upstream-llama-cpp-collaboration-package.md
+sed -n '1,260p' .scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/evidence/DGR-010/BLOCKED.md
+sed -n '1,260p' docs/adr/0024-distributed-gguf-runtime.md
+sed -n '1,260p' .scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/architecture.md
+sed -n '1,260p' .scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/decision-framework.md
+sed -n '1,260p' .scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/implementation-strategy.md
+sed -n '1,260p' CONTEXT.md
+```
+
+Result:
+
+- confirmed the runtime target is a small pinned llama.cpp worker with Meshnet
+  kept outside upstream
+- confirmed DGR-010 is still blocked because there is no certified dense-Llama
+  artifact on mounted storage
+
+### Package-relevant targeted pytest
+
+```bash
+python -m pytest -q tests/test_llama_worker_build.py tests/test_gguf_backend.py tests/test_gguf_ownership.py tests/test_boundary_adapter.py tests/test_hot_kv_state.py
+```
+
+Result:
+
+- `50 passed in 0.90s`
+
+### Broader focused pytest slice
+
+```bash
+python -m pytest -q tests/test_llama_worker_build.py tests/test_native_shard_protocol.py tests/test_gguf_backend.py tests/test_boundary_adapter.py tests/test_gguf_ownership.py tests/test_hot_kv_state.py tests/test_kv_cache_distributed.py
+```
+
+Result:
+
+- `58 passed, 1 skipped, 9 failed, 12 errors in 1.27s`
+- failures were pre-existing environment issues, not this documentation-only
+  package:
+  - `tests/test_native_shard_protocol.py` imported generated protobuf code built
+    against gencode 7.35.0 while the active runtime is 6.33.6
+  - `tests/test_kv_cache_distributed.py` hit sandbox socket `PermissionError`
+    when trying to bind localhost servers
+
+### Research evidence review
+
+```bash
+sed -n '1,260p' docs/research/distributed-gguf-landscape.md
+sed -n '1,260p' docs/research/distributed-gguf-github-followup.md
+sed -n '1,220p' .scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/evidence/DGR-004/README.md
+sed -n '1,260p' .scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/evidence/DGR-006/README.md
+sed -n '1,260p' .scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/evidence/DGR-007/README.md
+sed -n '1,260p' .scratch/distributed-gguf-runtime/evidence/DGR-009/README.md
+```
+
+Result:
+
+- confirmed Nakshatra and prima.cpp are the right source/test donors for the
+  upstream ask
+- confirmed the generic API surface is range loading, boundary I/O, and KV
+  ownership, not Meshnet policy
+
+### Package assembly
+
+No code generation, downloads, or model execution were required for this story.
+The package is documentation-only and deterministic.
+
+```bash
+python -m compileall -q packages tests
+git diff --check
+```
+
+Result:
+
+- both commands exited 0
+
+## Correctness / performance / hardware classification
+
+- Correctness evidence: research-only, no live model execution
+- Performance evidence: none in this story
+- Hardware evidence: none in this story
+
+## Known limitations and deferred work
+
+- DGR-010 remains blocked, so this package cannot be treated as the final
+  release-ready upstream handoff.
+- The outreach draft is human-ready but not sent.
+- The doc package does not change llama.cpp source code; it only prepares the
+  upstream ask and test mapping.
+
+## Compatibility / migration notes
+
+- Exact upstream pin for the eventual patch series: `b3c9d1b846cc80a6360adb6aeaa4fcd8c4c8dcac`
+- The proposed patch split is:
+  1. range-aware loading and ownership introspection
+  2. boundary input/output and named tensor bundles
+  3. layer-filtered KV and local sequence ownership
+- Meshnet routing, billing, relay transport, and volunteer-network policy stay
+  outside llama.cpp.
+- The deterministic examples already exist in the tree and can be trimmed into
+  upstream-facing MREs when the human maintainer sends the package.
+
+## Dependent-story handoff
+
+- DGR-010 must clear before any real-model validation can be cited as the final
+  end-to-end proof for this upstream package.
+- Once DGR-010 has a completed evidence README, the package can be refreshed
+  with the real-model context and sent to the llama.cpp maintainers as a
+  smaller review bundle.