> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.cortex.aic.io/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.cortex.aic.io/workflow-guides/collection/collection-capacity.md).

# Collection Capacity

**Open this area:** In the CORTEX menu, select **Intelligence cycle → Collection**.

Compare lawful source and resource options for an unmet requirement, retain selection reasoning, confirm exact reservations and review cancellation, displacement and retasking.

**Who uses this:** Analyst, Collector, Requirement owner.\
**Open in CORTEX:** `/collection/capacity`.\
**In-app guide:** `/help?topic=collection-capacity`.

**Expected result:** A proposed task becomes assigned only after its exact capacity hold is confirmed; earlier attempts and outcomes remain reviewable.

## Before you start

* Select the correct organisation and workspace. Collection read is required; resource approval, booking, outcomes and retasking also require Collection write. Source and Direction access are checked independently.
* Review the exact requirement revision, source-use authority, eligible collector and UTC collection window. Resource availability is advisory until the booking succeeds.
* Existing retained tasks without allocations are explicitly legacy / unallocated. No historic reservation is invented.

## What to do

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

## Define and approve a resource

From Collection, open Resources and capacity.

Record its capability, unit name, operating limitations and 1–32 non-overlapping UTC availability windows. Create the draft resource, then review the exact definition and explicitly approve a new revision.

Earlier definitions and reasons remain retained.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Compare options against the gap

From the collection plan, open Compare options and review planning decisions.

Add 1–8 exact source/resource options with UTC windows, units, source suitability and limitations. Compare current options shows source-use authority, capacity and deadline feasibility independently.

Options outside authority, available capacity or the requirement deadline cannot be selected.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Retain an accountable selection

Select one feasible option, describe the unmet gap, proposed task, eligible collector, risks and selection rationale, then retain the option decision.

This creates an immutable comparison, not a booking or task. Use Propose selected task on that decision to create its one exact Proposed task; retries do not create another task.

Changed plan, source or resource versions require a fresh comparison.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Propose the task

In the collection plan, choose the exact active source revision and an eligible collector, then set the window, risks and rationale.

Propose collection task retains a Proposed task; it cannot start until its reservation is confirmed.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Reserve the exact window

Open Plan capacity, review outcomes or retask on the selected task.

Find approved capacity for the required concurrent units, inspect the resource capability and limitations, choose the resource and explain suitability. Tasks created from a retained option already fix the selected resource and units.

Reserve capacity and confirm assignment rechecks authority and current versions.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Recover interrupted assignment

A pending task may have a retained allocation intent with or without a saved capacity hold.

Refresh the task and use Retry retained allocation without changing its resource, units or rationale. This reuses the same reservation identifier.

To change the decision, cancel it explicitly and propose another attempt.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Record execution and effectiveness

Return to the collection plan to start work and record observations.

Complete or fail the exact attempt, then review its capacity outcome. Explain effectiveness, remaining gaps and any delay before releasing capacity.

Actual terminal time is taken from the task; outcomes never satisfy the requirement automatically.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Cancel or displace deliberately

Choose Cancelled or Displaced and retain the rationale and effectiveness review.

Displacement also requires a new proposed UTC window. The task cancellation is saved before its capacity is released. If release is interrupted, refresh and repeat the same retained decision.

No proposed window books itself.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Propose another attempt

After releasing or safely fencing the old allocation, review the displayed current source revision, eligible collector, new window, risks and reason.

Propose new task attempt retains the earlier owner, window, allocation, cancellation decision and observations. Reserve new capacity before assignment.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## Check the result

* Does the selected capability suit this source and information gap?
* Does the UTC window fit current source-use authority and the decision deadline?
* Is the task assigned with its exact reservation before execution?
* Have displacement, delays and unresolved gaps been retained for human review?

## If you get stuck

<details>

<summary>Why is an option decision unavailable?</summary>

Current access is checked for its plan, requirement and every compared source and resource. If any alternative is unavailable, the whole decision is hidden. Empty list pages do not disclose protected decision counts.

Earlier decisions are retained; changed inputs require a new decision.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why did a booking fail?</summary>

Another planner may have changed capacity, the source or requirement may have changed, the collector may no longer be eligible, or the resource may be unapproved.

Preserve your draft, review the current records and retry the same pending intent only when still appropriate. Changed decisions require cancellation and a new attempt.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why does capacity remain held after task cancellation?</summary>

Cancellation and resource release are recoverable separate writes.

Refresh the task, keep the retained outcome and rationale unchanged, and repeat release. The conservative hold remains until reconciliation succeeds.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why can I not reduce availability?</summary>

A revision cannot remove an existing held commitment or rename its units.

Review and resolve those tasks first. Withdrawing approval retains holds and blocks further booking or task starts.

</details>

<details>

<summary>Why can I not retask against a changed requirement?</summary>

The plan pins a requirement revision and allocation pins its priority.

Review current commissioning and source-use authority, then create a new plan for the changed requirement. Earlier records remain unchanged.

</details>

<details>

<summary>What happens to my draft after a conflict?</summary>

The screen retains the unsaved values and blocks refresh while they are dirty.

Review or copy them, then explicitly clear changes and refresh before reconciling. No failed save is reported as a completed assignment.

</details>

## Responsibility and limits

* Concurrent bookings and resource amendments compete on one atomic resource version. The losing decision receives a conflict and must be reviewed again.
* Protected commitments continue to consume capacity, but their titles, owners, identifiers and counts are not disclosed. Resources are scoped to one workspace; this is not a cross-workspace equipment registry.
* Resource history is bounded to 64 revisions, 128 reservations and 4 MiB. Task windows are at most 90 days and resource windows at most 366 days, with 1–10,000 concurrent units. Limits never prune history. Use a replacement resource or task after deliberate review.
* A cancellation decision is retained on the task even if resource history filled before its pending hold was written. A delayed writer cannot resurrect a cancelled booking. There is no automatic expiry or background release of held capacity.

## Reference and scope

Collection planning supports the reviewed intelligence-cycle requirements. A resource approval or available window does not grant source-use, investigative or equipment operating authority.

Direction owns requirement priority and satisfaction.

## Related workflows

* [Plan collection and record observed results](broken://pages/9f06f9da6d83f0fc97ab65193a28eb4d7165788c)
* [Record authority before new source use](broken://pages/3ea597edb1748357b6a7dc5c5beba4fb3e2f9c10)
* [Define and manage an intelligence requirement](file:///7397340/direction/requirements.md)
* [Agree an analytical commission and decision need](file:///7397340/direction/commissioning.md)
* [Review reporting origins, independence and corrections](file:///7397340/analyse/source-lineage.md)