> ## 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 ## Environments Secure, ephemeral VMs provisioned from a [Dev Container](/ona/configuration/devcontainer/overview) 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](/ona/environments/overview): 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](/ona/agents/skills), 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. * [Agents](/ona/agents/overview): learn what Ona Agent can do and how to configure it ## Runners Infrastructure that provisions and manages environments. Runners can be deployed in your cloud account ([AWS](/ona/runners/aws/overview), [GCP](/ona/runners/gcp/overview)) for full control over security and data residency, or you can use [Ona Cloud](/ona/runners/ona-cloud) for zero-setup managed infrastructure. * [Runners](/ona/runners/overview): deployment options and shared capabilities ## Guardrails Identity controls, audit capabilities, and enforcement rules that govern how environments and agents operate. Guardrails include [organization policies](/ona/organizations/policies/overview), [SSO](/ona/sso/overview), [OIDC](/ona/configuration/oidc), [audit logs](/ona/audit-logs/overview), and [command deny lists](/ona/command-deny-list). * [Guardrails](/ona/guardrails/overview): 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](/ona/configuration/tasks-and-services/overview) which run inside a single environment, automations operate at the organization level and can span multiple repositories. * [Automations](/ona/automations/overview): create and manage automations For a deeper look at how these components interact, see the [Architecture overview](/ona/understanding/architecture).