🔐 Token Management Documentation¶

Complete guide to token management, authentication, and GitHub token patterns in Aries-Serpent/codex.

Overview¶

This section provides comprehensive documentation for managing GitHub tokens, authenticating with the Codex system, and implementing secure token patterns across the repository.

📚 Documentation Files¶

1. Token Hierarchy Guide¶

Purpose: Understanding GitHub token scopes, hierarchy, and authentication chains
Audience: Developers, agents, CI/CD operators
Key Topics: - Token types and scopes (repo, workflow, admin, etc.) - CODEX_MASTER_KEY vs CODEX_BACKUP_KEY vs github.token chain - Token expiration and rotation strategies - Security best practices

2. Token Regeneration Guide¶

Purpose: Step-by-step procedures for rotating and regenerating tokens
Audience: Repository administrators, security teams
Key Topics: - When to rotate tokens - Regeneration procedures - Zero-downtime token swaps - Verification after rotation

3. Token Usage Audit¶

Purpose: Tracking and auditing token usage patterns
Audience: Security auditors, ops teams
Key Topics: - Token usage telemetry - Anomaly detection patterns - Audit logging procedures - Compliance reporting

4. Human Admin Setup¶

Purpose: Initial token setup and administration for repository owners
Audience: Repository owners, infrastructure engineers
Key Topics: - GitHub Settings configuration - Organization-level token management - Environment secrets setup - Service account provisioning

5. CI/CD Troubleshooting¶

Purpose: Diagnosing and resolving token-related CI/CD failures
Audience: DevOps engineers, Copilot agents
Key Topics: - Common token errors (403, 401, timeout) - Rate limiting issues - Token scope resolution - Debugging workflows

6. Custom Agent Guidance¶

Purpose: Token usage patterns for custom Copilot agents
Audience: Copilot custom agents, agent developers
Key Topics: - Agent authentication flows - Token injection patterns - Safe token handling in agent scripts - Agent-specific scopes

7. Quick Reference¶

Purpose: Quick lookup for common token operations
Audience: All users
Key Topics: - Token checklist - Common commands - FAQ section - Emergency procedures

🔒 Security Considerations¶

All token documentation follows these security principles:

• No hardcoded tokens: All examples use placeholder values
• Scope minimization: Always use the least-privileged token required
• Rotation cadence: Tokens rotated every 90 days minimum
• Audit trail: All token operations logged and auditable

🚀 Getting Started¶

1. New to tokens? Start with Quick Reference
2. Setting up for first time? Follow Human Admin Setup
3. Troubleshooting CI/CD? Check CI/CD Troubleshooting
4. Deep dive? Read Token Hierarchy Guide

📋 Common Tasks¶

Diagnose a 403 error¶

See CI/CD Troubleshooting

Rotate tokens safely¶

See Token Regeneration Guide

Audit token usage¶

See Token Usage Audit

Understand token scopes¶

See Token Hierarchy Guide

📞 Support¶

For token-related issues: 1. Check Quick Reference FAQ 2. Review CI/CD Troubleshooting 3. Escalate to @mbaetiong for security concerns

🔄 Updates & Maintenance¶

Token documentation is maintained by: - Token rotation cycle: Every 90 days - Documentation reviews: Monthly - Security updates: As needed - Agent training: Quarterly

Last updated: 2026-06-29T04:49:19Z