# Team-Shared Graph Artifact Format and Bootstrap Process for codebase-memory-mcp > Discover the team-shared graph artifact format and bootstrap process for codebase-memory-mcp. Simplify team onboarding with automatic decompression and efficient indexing. - Repository: [Martin Vogel/codebase-memory-mcp](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp) - Tags: internals - Published: 2026-07-11 --- **The team-shared graph artifact in `codebase-memory-mcp` is a zstd-compressed SQLite database stored at `.codebase-memory/graph.db.zst` that enables instant team onboarding by automatically decompressing and importing the snapshot before running incremental indexing only on changed files.** The **DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp** repository implements a sophisticated knowledge-graph persistence mechanism designed to eliminate cold-start indexing costs for development teams. Understanding the team-shared graph artifact format and bootstrap process is essential for teams looking to share pre-built code intelligence across multiple developer environments without requiring full re-indexing on every clone. ## Artifact Format and Storage Location The artifact lives at `.codebase-memory/graph.db.zst` within your repository root, sitting alongside your source tree. This file represents a **zstd-compressed** snapshot of the entire knowledge graph, wrapping a standard **SQLite database** (internally named `graph.db`) in a high-efficiency compression stream. ### Zstd-Compressed SQLite Structure The format combines **SQLite** durability with **zstd** compression speed to create a portable, versionable database. When decompressed, the artifact reveals a SQLite file containing node tables (e.g., `Function`, `Class`, `Resource`) and edge tables (`CALLS`, `IMPORTS`, `SEMANTICALLY_RELATED`). This structure allows the system to maintain referential integrity while keeping the artifact size small enough for Git storage. ### Schema Overview According to the repository's README (lines 203-210), the database schema stores semantic relationships between code entities. Nodes represent definable symbols like functions and classes, while edges capture relationships including call graphs, import dependencies, and semantic correlations. The zstd wrapper ensures that decompression remains fast enough to serve as a bootstrap mechanism without adding significant latency to the indexing workflow. ## Bootstrap Process and Incremental Indexing When a developer runs the `index_repository` command, the binary performs a detection sequence to determine whether to bootstrap from the artifact or start from scratch. ### Detection and Decompression The tool first checks for the existence of a local `graph.db` in `~/.cache/codebase-memory-mcp/`. If no local database exists but `.codebase-memory/graph.db.zst` is present, the system automatically decompresses the zstd stream to reconstruct the SQLite database. This operation occurs transparently before any indexing begins, as implemented in [`internal/cbm/cbm.c`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/internal/cbm/cbm.c). ### Import and Indexing Pipeline After decompression, the tool imports the artifact and immediately transitions to **incremental indexing** rather than full repository analysis. The pipeline performs **tree-sitter parsing**, **Hybrid LSP type resolution**, and **edge creation** only for files that have changed since the artifact was created. This approach dramatically reduces startup costs, as the bulk of the codebase knowledge is already present in the imported snapshot. ## Configuration and Git Integration The bootstrap process includes Git-aware configuration to prevent merge conflicts. On first export, the tool creates a `.gitattributes` entry specifying `merge=ours` for the artifact file. This ensures that when multiple developers modify the graph independently, Git preserves the local version rather than attempting a binary merge, eliminating collision scenarios for the zstd-compressed database. ## Implementation Details The core logic resides in [`internal/cbm/cbm.c`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/internal/cbm/cbm.c) with API declarations in [`internal/cbm/cbm.h`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/internal/cbm/cbm.h). These files implement the `index_repository` and `get_graph_schema` functions that orchestrate the bootstrap sequence. The [`install.sh`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/install.sh) script ensures proper placement of the artifact during tool installation, while the CLI commands defined in the header file provide the interface for repository analysis. ```bash # Clone a repository containing the graph artifact git clone https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp.git cd codebase-memory-mcp # Bootstrap automatically: decompresses artifact then indexes only changes codebase-memory-mcp index_repository # Verify the imported graph structure codebase-memory-mcp get_graph_schema ``` ```bash # Explicit project targeting with optional name parameter codebase-memory-mcp index_repository --project=my-project ``` ## Summary - The team-shared graph artifact uses **zstd-compressed SQLite** stored at `.codebase-memory/graph.db.zst` to persist knowledge graphs. - The **bootstrap process** automatically decompresses and imports the artifact when no local `graph.db` exists in the cache directory. - **Incremental indexing** runs only on changed files after import, avoiding full re-index costs. - Automatic `.gitattributes` configuration with `merge=ours` prevents merge conflicts for the binary artifact. - Implementation in [`internal/cbm/cbm.c`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/internal/cbm/cbm.c) handles the decompression, import, and incremental analysis pipeline. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is the exact file format of the team-shared graph artifact? The artifact is a **zstd-compressed SQLite database** containing tables for nodes (such as `Function`, `Class`, and `Resource`) and edges (including `CALLS`, `IMPORTS`, and `SEMANTICALLY_RELATED`). The zstd compression allows for efficient storage in Git while maintaining fast decompression speeds during the bootstrap process. ### How does the bootstrap process avoid re-indexing the entire codebase? The `index_repository` command checks for an existing local `graph.db` in `~/.cache/codebase-memory-mcp/`. When the artifact is present but no local database exists, it decompresses `.codebase-memory/graph.db.zst` to import the full graph, then executes the incremental indexing pipeline (tree-sitter parsing through Hybrid LSP resolution) only on files modified since the artifact was created. ### Where is the graph artifact stored and how is it version controlled? The artifact resides at `.codebase-memory/graph.db.zst` in your repository root. The tool automatically configures `.gitattributes` with a `merge=ours` rule during the first export, ensuring Git handles the binary file correctly and prevents merge conflicts when multiple developers update the graph independently. ### Which source files implement the bootstrap and import logic? The core bootstrap logic is implemented in [`internal/cbm/cbm.c`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/internal/cbm/cbm.c), with API declarations in [`internal/cbm/cbm.h`](https://github.com/DeusData/codebase-memory-mcp/blob/main/internal/cbm/cbm.h). These files define the `index_repository` function that handles artifact detection, zstd decompression, SQLite import, and the subsequent incremental indexing workflow.