> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.rkat.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Concepts Overview

> The conceptual map of Meerkat: composability, identity, lifecycle, capabilities, and orchestration.

Meerkat is easiest to understand as a **composable agent runtime** with a practical product layer on top.

You can approach it from any surface:

* Rust embedding
* Python or TypeScript SDKs
* CLI
* REST / JSON-RPC / MCP
* multi-agent orchestration

The core concepts fit together like this:

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
    C["Composability"] --> R["Realms"]
    R --> S["Sessions"]
    R --> CFG["Configuration"]
    C --> P["Providers"]
    C --> T["Tools"]
    T --> M["Memory & Compaction"]
    T --> H["Hooks"]
    T --> SK["Skills"]
    C --> CB["Comms"]
    CB --> MB["Mobs"]
    C --> SCH["Scheduling"]
    C --> RT["Live Channels"]
    R --> AB["Auth & Bindings"]
```

## Read order

If you are new to Meerkat, a good concepts path is:

1. [Composability](/concepts/composability)
2. [Realms](/concepts/realms)
3. [Sessions](/concepts/sessions)
4. [Configuration](/concepts/configuration)
5. [Providers](/concepts/providers)
6. [Tools](/concepts/tools)

Then branch into the systems you need:

* [Auth & bindings](/concepts/auth-and-bindings)
* [Memory & compaction](/concepts/memory-and-compaction)
* [Comms](/concepts/comms)
* [Mobs](/concepts/mobs)
* [Scheduling](/concepts/scheduling)
* [Live Channels](/guides/realtime)

## What each concept owns

| Concept               | Main question                                                               |
| --------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Composability`       | What kind of product is Meerkat, and why do the surfaces behave like peers? |
| `Realms`              | What defines shared vs isolated state?                                      |
| `Sessions`            | How does one conversation live, continue, and end?                          |
| `Configuration`       | How are runtime settings stored and updated?                                |
| `Providers`           | How are models resolved, selected, and capability-gated?                    |
| `Tools`               | How does the agent act on the world?                                        |
| `Auth & bindings`     | Under what identity/credentials does the runtime talk to a provider?        |
| `Memory & compaction` | How does Meerkat handle context beyond one model window?                    |
| `Comms`               | How do long-lived agents exchange messages?                                 |
| `Mobs`                | How does Meerkat coordinate multiple agents as one system?                  |
| `Scheduling`          | How does durable automation fire over time?                                 |
| `Live Channels`       | How does low-latency interactive transport fit into the session model?      |

## Where To Go Next

After the core concepts, choose the path that matches the system you are
building:

| Path                         | Start with                                                                         |
| ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Embedding Meerkat in Rust    | [Rust SDK overview](/rust/overview)                                                |
| Driving Meerkat from an app  | [Python SDK](/sdks/python/overview) or [TypeScript SDK](/sdks/typescript/overview) |
| Running Meerkat as a service | [JSON-RPC](/api/rpc) or [REST](/api/rest)                                          |
| Building multi-agent systems | [Mobs](/guides/mobs)                                                               |
| Running private models       | [Self-hosting models](/guides/self-hosting-models)                                 |
| Understanding ownership      | [Architecture](/reference/architecture)                                            |

## See also

* [Introduction](/introduction)
* [Quickstart](/quickstart)
* [Examples gallery](/examples/gallery)
* [Architecture](/reference/architecture)