> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.layerlens.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.layerlens.ai/8.-evaluate-score-the-outputs/mental-model.md).

# Mental model

The Stratix mental model — catalog, engine, judges, traces, and how data moves through the platform.

Stratix has five primitives. Once you have these, every feature is composition.

## The five primitives

### 1. Model

A specific LLM (e.g., GPT-5.3, Claude Opus 4.6, Gemini 3.1 Pro). Stratix's catalog has 200+ public models plus your BYOK custom models.

### 2. Benchmark / dataset

A standardized input set + expected outputs. Public benchmarks (MMLU, HumanEval, GSM8K) live in the catalog; private datasets you upload live in your org.

### 3. Scorer

A code grader that takes (input, output, expected) and returns a verdict. Fast, cheap, exact. Use for objective dimensions.

### 4. Judge

An LLM that takes (input, output) and a rubric and returns a verdict. Slow, expensive, fuzzy. Use for subjective dimensions. GEPA-optimize against labels.

### 5. Trace

A record of an AI call (or a chain of calls): inputs, outputs, every span, latencies, costs, errors. The unit of "what did my AI actually do."

## How they compose

A **standard evaluation** is `(model, benchmark, scorers + judges)` → results.

A **trace evaluation** is `(trace_set, scorers + judges)` → results.

An **agentic evaluation** is a trace evaluation where the criteria explicitly mix natural-language assertions, deterministic rules, and judges.

A **comparison** is N evaluations (each on the same benchmark, different models) viewed side-by-side.

A **space** is a saved evaluation configuration you re-run as conditions change.

## The data plane

```
[Model] + [Benchmark/Dataset] → Evaluation engine → Scorers + Judges → Results
 ↓
 (also outputs traces)

[Trace ingest] → [Trace store] → Trace evaluation engine → Scorers + Judges → Results
```

Both flows produce the same shape of result row: per-input verdicts that aggregate into top-line scores.

## Where everything lives

* **Catalog** stores models, benchmarks, public evaluations, public spaces (global, public)
* **Org-scoped storage** stores private models, private benchmarks, private evaluations, judges, scorers, traces, spaces (one tenant per org)
* **Evaluation engine** is shared infrastructure
* **ECU** bills the compute consumed by the engine

## Where to next

* [Models and benchmarks](/5.-select-pick-the-model/models-and-benchmarks.md)
* [Evaluations](/8.-evaluate-score-the-outputs/evaluations-1.md)
* [Traces and spans](/6.-build-wire-your-code/traces-and-spans.md)
* [Judges](/8.-evaluate-score-the-outputs/judges-1.md)
* [Scorers](/8.-evaluate-score-the-outputs/scorers-1.md)
* [Workflow](/1.-introduction/the-stratix-workflow.md)