Synapse Layer — Persistent Memory for Hermes#

Credits: Rafa Martins ( rafacpti@gmail.com | | ramelseg.com.br)

Website: synapselayer.org | Forge: forge.synapselayer.org/forge | GitHub: github.com/SynapseLayer/synapse-layer

Zero-Knowledge encrypted memory that persists across ALL Hermes channels. Context survives between sessions, Telegram/WhatsApp/CLI all share the same memory.

---

Setup#

1. Add MCP Server to config.yaml#

Add to ~/.hermes/config.yaml at the root level (same indentation as display:, mcp_servers:):

yaml

mcp_servers:
  synapse-layer:
    url: "https://forge.synapselayer.org/mcp"
    headers:
      Authorization: "Bearer ${SYNAPSE_TOKEN}"
    timeout: 120
    connect_timeout: 60

2. Add Token to .env#

Add your Synapse Layer token to ~/.hermes/.env:

text

SYNAPSE_TOKEN=sk_connect_your_token_here

Get your token at: https://synapselayer.org/forge

3. Disable Tool Progress for Telegram (IMPORTANT)#

The tool_progress feature shows tool names in Telegram when the model uses MCP tools. To prevent mcp_synapse_layer_search from appearing as a message in Telegram, add per-platform display config:

yaml

display:
  tool_progress_command: false
  tool_progress_overrides: {}
  tool_preview_length: 0
  tool_progress: all
  platforms:
    telegram:
      tool_progress: off

4. Restart Hermes#

bash

hermes restart

---

Available Tools#

ToolPurposemcp_synapse_layer_recallRetrieve memories before responding (use at EVERY session start)mcp_synapse_layer_save_to_synapsePersist facts, preferences, decisions immediatelymcp_synapse_layer_searchFull-text cross-agent search across all memoriesmcp_synapse_layer_process_textAuto-detect milestones/decisions in free-form textmcp_synapse_layer_health_checkVerify connection and system status

---

Critical Usage Patterns#

AT THE START OF EVERY NEW CONVERSATION#

Always call recall before generating any response. This is the #1 rule for memory to work:

text

mcp_synapse_layer_recall(query="contexto atual projetos usuario", agent_id="hermes-rafa")

This loads relevant memories automatically and saves tokens by avoiding reprocessing context.

AFTER ANY SIGNIFICANT DECISION OR FACT#

text

mcp_synapse_layer_save_to_synapse(
    content="User Rafa Martins preference: always respond in pt-BR with voice Thalita",
    agent_id="hermes-rafa",
    type="[MANUAL]",
    importance=5,
    tags=["preference", "user-profile"]
)

WHEN USER REFERENCES SOMETHING FROM BEFORE#

text

mcp_synapse_layer_search(query="dashboard git projetos", agent_id="hermes-rafa")

ON FREE-FORM TEXT (auto-detect what to save)#

text

mcp_synapse_layer_process_text(
    text="We decided to use Synapse Layer for memory. API endpoint is forge.synapselayer.org. Token stored in .env.",
    agent_id="hermes-rafa"
)

---

Trust Quotient (TQ)#

Results from recall include a tq score (0.0 to 1.0). When multiple results match:

• TQ > 0.8: High confidence — use directly
• TQ 0.5-0.8: Medium confidence — verify before relying
• TQ < 0.5: Low confidence — ignore or ask user

---

Memory Categories — What Hermes Must Always Remember#

All project-related memories MUST be stored in Synapse Layer. Below is the canonical list of memory categories the agent must maintain:

1. USER PROFILE#

• Full name, role, company (Rafa Martins — Analista de Tecnologia na Ramel Tecnologia)
• Communication style (pt-BR, feminine, cheerful, relaxed, cautious)
• Voice preference (Edge-TTS Thalita, pt-BR)
• Contact info (email: rafacpti@gmail.com, phone: )
• Website: ramelseg.com.br
• Save when: User shares preferences, corrections, or personal details

2. USER PROJECTS (PRIORITY)#

Every active project the user works on must be stored with:

• Project name and purpose
• Tech stack and key files
• Current status (active, paused, completed)
• Last interaction date
• Important decisions made
• Blockers or open questions
• Save when: Project mentioned, decision made, status changes

3. SERVER INFRASTRUCTURE#

• Server name/hostname (serve)
• Running services and ports (Open WebUI:$port, Hermes API:$port, Voice Call:$port)
• API endpoints and access credentials
• Docker containers and their configs
• Save when: New service added, config changed, credentials updated

4. API CREDENTIALS & TOKENS#

• Nous Portal token (expires ~15min, renew with hermes auth list)
• Synapse Layer token (sk_connect_xxxxxxx)
• Naga.ac TTS API key
• Telegram bot token
• Aster MCP endpoint
• Save when: New credential added, token renewed, endpoint changed

5. MEL-IA CONFIGURATION#

• Model in use (MiniMax-M2.7 via Nous Portal, renamed to "Mel-IA")
• API server port ($port)
• Open WebUI port ($port) with Docker (ghcr.io/open-webui/open-webui:main)
• Voice: Edge-TTS Thalita
• Save when: Config changes, new model added, port changed

6. VOICE CALL SYSTEM#

• Location: /root/.hermes/voice_call/
• Stack: Telethon + faster-whisper + Edge-TTS (Thalita) + aiohttp WebSocket HTTPS :8765
• Modes: --mode msg, --mode call
• Note: PyTgCalls only works for group voice chats, NOT private calls
• Save when: System modified, new mode added, dependency changed

7. ACTIVE SKILLS & TOOLS#

• List of installed skills and their purposes
• How to invoke each skill
• Skill location (/root/.hermes/skills/)
• Save when: New skill installed, skill updated, skill removed

8. PENDING TASKS & FOLLOW-UPS#

• Active TODOs and their status
• Blocked tasks and what's blocking them
• Scheduled jobs (cron)
• Save when: Task created, task completed, task blocked

9. DECISIONS & CONVENTIONS#

• Architectural decisions (why a tool/approach was chosen)
• Coding conventions the user prefers
• Commands that should not be run without approval
• Save when: User makes a decision, user sets a convention

10. ERROR PATTERNS & FIXES#

• Known bugs and their workarounds
• Common errors and solutions
• Save when: Bug encountered and resolved

---

Security#

• AES-256-GCM encryption at rest
• 15+ PII patterns auto-redacted (emails, phones, API keys, IPs)
• Zero-knowledge — no plaintext leaves the agent
• Differential privacy on embeddings

Safe to store: user preferences, project decisions, environment facts, code patterns, tool quirks.

---

Architecture#

Synapse Layer pipeline on every save:

1. PII Redaction — removes emails, phones, API keys, IPs
2. Intent Validation — ensures content is appropriate
3. Deduplication — prevents storing duplicate memories
4. Differential Privacy — adds noise to embeddings
5. AES-256-GCM Encryption — encrypted at rest
6. Storage — distributed encrypted storage

---

Testing#

bash

# JSONRPC 2.0 format — list available tools
curl -X POST "https://forge.synapselayer.org/mcp" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${SYNAPSE_TOKEN}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/list","params":{}}'

# Recall memories
curl -X POST "https://forge.synapselayer.org/mcp" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${SYNAPSE_TOKEN}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":2,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"recall","arguments":{"query":"your query","limit":3}}}'

Expected: Returns tools list with recall, save_to_synapse, search, process_text, health_check.

---

Known Issues#

MCP Client Reconnect Loop#

Symptom: Gateway logs show repeated Unknown SSE event: endpoint and GET stream disconnected, reconnecting in 1000ms every ~1 second.

Cause: Hermes uses an older MCP client library that doesn't handle the endpoint SSE event type that Synapse Layer's server sends during the MCP handshake.

Impact: MCP tools may not work reliably through the native MCP protocol. Direct REST API calls work perfectly.

Workaround: If MCP tools fail, fall back to direct REST API calls via curl (format below). This is what the model should do automatically when MCP recall fails.

Direct REST API (Fallback when MCP fails)#

When MCP is unstable, call Synapse Layer tools via REST:

bash

# JSONRPC 2.0 format required
curl -X POST "https://forge.synapselayer.org/mcp" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer ${SYNAPSE_TOKEN}" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call","params":{"name":"recall","arguments":{"query":"your query","limit":3}}}'

Available methods: tools/call (for recall, save_to_synapse, search, process_text, health_check), tools/list

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Dashboard#

View and manage memories at: https://forge.synapselayer.org/forge

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Created by: Rafa Martins (ramelseg.com.br | rafacpti@gmail.com | )

Last integrated: 17/04/2026 on server (Hermes with Nous Portal, Telegram bot: )