Parallel Execution Skill
Manage parallel work item execution and coordination.
When to Use
- •Running multiple work items concurrently
- •Monitoring status of background tasks
- •Coordinating non-blocking patterns
- •Operating in L3 autonomy mode
Parallel Execution Rules
Independence Check
Before parallel execution, verify:
- •No data dependencies between items
- •No file conflicts (same file modified)
- •No sequential requirements (check BlockedBy)
Maximum Concurrency
- •Default: 5 parallel items
- •Configurable via
autonomy.max_parallel - •Respect system resource limits
Non-Blocking Patterns
Launch Background Task (Claude Code)
code
Task tool with run_in_background: true
- •Returns immediately with task ID
- •Continue with other work
- •Check status periodically
Monitor Status
code
TaskOutput with task_id, block: false
- •Non-blocking status check
- •Returns current progress
Wait for Completion
code
TaskOutput with task_id, block: true
- •Blocks until task completes
- •Returns final result
Queue-Based Execution
Identify Parallel Items
From .agent/queue/, items can run in parallel if:
- •Neither has
BlockedByreferencing the other - •They modify different files/components
- •They're independent features
Launch Parallel Work
bash
# Example: two independent items # 001-pending-frontend.md (no blockers) # 002-pending-backend.md (no blockers) # Can run in parallel
Track Status in Queue
Update status in filenames:
- •
pending→in_progresswhen started - •
in_progress→completedwhen done - •
in_progress→blockedif dependency issue found
Prioritization
- •Items blocking others (critical path)
- •Independent items (parallelizable)
- •Items with most blockers (finish last)
Error Handling
L3 (continue_on_error: true):
- •Log failed items
- •Continue with remaining items
- •Report all failures at end
L1/L2:
- •Stop on first failure
- •Report error to user
- •Await guidance
Coordination Patterns
Fork-Join Pattern
- •Identify independent work items
- •Launch all in parallel (Task tool with run_in_background)
- •Wait for all to complete
- •Aggregate results
Pipeline Pattern
- •Item A produces output
- •Item B blocked by A
- •Execute sequentially
- •Respect BlockedBy in queue files