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

# Core Components

> The five building blocks of Ona and how they work together.

Ona is built from five core components. Each serves a distinct role, and together they form the complete platform.

![Component relationships](https://mintcdn.com/gitpod-13c83c2b/qBniPNCSoCrW-zJ5/images/understanding/component-relationships.svg?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=qBniPNCSoCrW-zJ5\&q=85\&s=42c844161096b533842f9471b0b1ca1e)

## Environments

Secure, ephemeral VMs provisioned from a [Dev Container](https://ona.com/docs/ona/configuration/devcontainer/overview.md) configuration. Each environment has its own compute, storage, and networking, pre-loaded with your project's tools and dependencies.

Environments are disposable: create one from a branch, do your work, and discard it. Storage persists across stop/start cycles but not across rebuilds, so the Dev Container configuration is the source of truth for what's installed.

* [Environments](https://ona.com/docs/ona/environments/overview.md): configure, launch, and manage development environments

## Agents

AI software engineers that execute tasks inside environments: writing code, running tests, and opening pull requests. Agents operate under the same guardrails as human developers, using the same tools and dependencies defined in the environment.

When you assign a task, the agent provisions a fresh environment, reads your project's configuration and [skills](https://ona.com/docs/ona/agents/skills.md), and works autonomously (writing code, running tests, iterating on failures). It can open a pull request for your review. The workflow runs inside the same isolated environment a human developer would use. No special permissions or separate toolchains.

* [Codex Agent](https://ona.com/docs/ona/agents/codex.md): learn how agents work in Ona and how to configure them

## Runners

Infrastructure that provisions and manages environments. Runners can be deployed in your cloud account ([AWS](https://ona.com/docs/ona/runners/aws/overview.md), [GCP](https://ona.com/docs/ona/runners/gcp/overview.md)) for full control over security and data residency.

* [Runners](https://ona.com/docs/ona/runners/overview.md): deployment options and shared capabilities

## Guardrails

Identity controls, audit capabilities, and enforcement rules that govern how environments and agents operate. Guardrails include [organization policies](https://ona.com/docs/ona/organizations/policies/overview.md), [SSO](https://ona.com/docs/ona/sso/overview.md), [OIDC](https://ona.com/docs/ona/configuration/oidc.md), [audit logs](https://ona.com/docs/ona/audit-logs/overview.md), and [command deny lists](https://ona.com/docs/ona/command-deny-list.md).

* [Guardrails](https://ona.com/docs/ona/guardrails/overview.md): set up guardrails, compliance, and governance controls

## Automations

Workflows that run on demand, on a schedule, or in response to events like pull requests. Automations combine agent prompts, commands, and integrations to execute changes across your codebase at scale.

Automations support three trigger types: **manual** (on-demand via the dashboard or API), **pull request** (fired on PR events like open or update), and **scheduled** (cron-based recurring runs). Unlike [tasks and services](https://ona.com/docs/ona/configuration/tasks-and-services/overview.md) which run inside a single environment, automations operate at the organization level and can span multiple repositories.

* [Automations](https://ona.com/docs/ona/automations/overview.md): create and manage automations

For a deeper look at how these components interact, see the [Architecture overview](https://ona.com/docs/ona/understanding/architecture.md).


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