circuit_breaker_trip · Agent Runtime MCP: Risk & Policy

WHAT IT DOES

What circuit_breaker_trip does on Agent Runtime

AI agents invoke circuit_breaker_trip to trigger actions in Agent Runtime. What it does depends on the arguments the agent supplies, and its effects often reach beyond the immediate call — builds kicked off, notifications sent, workflows started.

WHY IT NEEDS A POLICY

Why circuit_breaker_trip needs a policy

Tripping a circuit breaker to OPEN state disables a circuit/pipeline path, causing downstream failures or service interruptions. This is an operational action that triggers an external state change in the system's fault-tolerance infrastructure.

From the tool's definition Manually trip a circuit breaker to OPEN state

Attacks that exploit this kind of access

Recommended rule Ready

Verdict

circuit_breaker_trip Rate-limited

circuit_breaker_trip stays usable, but rate-capped — a runaway agent can't fire it dozens of times a minute. Everything else on the server is denied unless you say otherwise.

View as policy code

policy.json

{
  "version": "1",
  "default": "deny",
  "tools": {
    "circuit_breaker_trip": {
      "limits": [
        {
          "counter": "circuit_breaker_trip_rate",
          "window": "minute",
          "max": 10,
          "scope": "grant"
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

RATE-LIMIT THIS TOOL →

Instant setup, no code required.

PolicyLayer is an MCP gateway: every tool call is checked against your rule before it reaches Agent Runtime, so you can run agents against it safely.

FAQ

Questions about circuit_breaker_trip

What does the circuit_breaker_trip tool do? +

Manually trip a circuit breaker to OPEN state. It is categorised as a Execute tool in the Agent Runtime MCP Server, which means it can trigger actions or run processes. Use rate limits and argument validation.

How do I enforce a policy on circuit_breaker_trip? +

Register the Agent Runtime MCP server in PolicyLayer and add a rule for circuit_breaker_trip: allow, deny, rate-limit, or require approval. Point your MCP client at the PolicyLayer proxy URL and the rule is enforced on every call, before it reaches Agent Runtime. Nothing to install.

What risk level is circuit_breaker_trip? +

circuit_breaker_trip is a Execute tool with high risk. Execute tools should be rate-limited and have argument validation enabled.

Can I rate-limit circuit_breaker_trip? +

Yes. Add a rate_limit block to the circuit_breaker_trip rule in your PolicyLayer policy. For example, setting max: 10 and window: 60 limits the tool to 10 calls per minute. Rate limits are tracked per agent session and reset automatically.

How do I block circuit_breaker_trip completely? +

Set action: deny in the PolicyLayer policy for circuit_breaker_trip. The AI agent will receive a policy violation error and cannot call the tool. You can also include a reason field to explain why the tool is blocked.

What MCP server provides circuit_breaker_trip? +

circuit_breaker_trip is provided by the Agent Runtime MCP server (marc-shade/agent-runtime-mcp). PolicyLayer sits as a proxy in front of this server to enforce policies before tool calls reach the server.