docs(1.1): correct strategy — consolidation is primary lever (C3)

Measurement after C2: all 25 CLI modules transitively pull the SQLModel
ORM, and the table chain is a hub (one table loads the whole registry).
Most workers genuinely use the DB, so lazy imports only help the 2-3
DB-less workers. Consolidation (pay the 86MB floor once for the herd)
is the reliable ~600MB win — promoted from fallback to primary.

development/RELEASE-1.1.md

@@ -1,10 +1,23 @@
 # DECNET 1.1 — RAM / Process-Footprint Release
 
-Predecessor: `v1.0.0`. Theme: cut the fleet resident set from **2.57 GB → target ~1.3 GB**
+Predecessor: `v1.0.0`. Theme: cut the fleet resident set from **2.57 GB → target ~1.0 GB**
-with near-zero risk, then optionally further via worker consolidation.
+by paying the import floor once per process-group instead of once per worker.
 
 Analysis & measurements: see [improvements.md](improvements.md).
 
+## ⚠️ Strategy correction (after C2 measurement)
+
+Initial assumption: lazy imports would drop idle workers below the 86 MB floor → ~1.3 GB.
+**Measurement disproved this.** All 25 CLI command modules transitively pull the SQLModel
+ORM, and the 38 MB table chain is a *hub*: importing any one table loads the whole registry.
+Most workers legitimately touch the DB, so they can't shed the ORM. Lazy registration only
+helps the 2-3 genuinely **DB-less** workers (`forwarder`, `listener`, maybe `bus`).
+
+**Therefore consolidation is the PRIMARY lever, not the fallback.** Paying the 86 MB floor
+once for the idle herd (instead of ~8×) is the reliable ~600 MB win. C2/C3 stay as cheap
+hygiene and to let the DB-less workers actually skip the ORM, but they are no longer the
+headline.
+
 ## Why
 
 18 long-running workers, ~2.57 GB resident. ~1.5 GB of that is the **same 86 MB import
@@ -27,12 +40,15 @@ the ORM into every worker. No production code imports `generate` from the packag
 ## Commit plan (incremental, one concern each)
 
 - [x] **C1 — docs.** `improvements.md` (analysis) + this release plan.
-- [ ] **C2 — lazy topology re-export.** PEP 562 `__getattr__` in `topology/__init__.py`
+- [x] **C2 — lazy topology re-export.** PEP 562 `__getattr__` in `topology/__init__.py`
       so `generate` loads on access, not on package import. Public API unchanged.
-      Test: `import decnet.cli` must NOT pull `decnet.web.db.models`. Re-measure floor.
+      Guard test added. *Finding: correct, but ORM pull is pervasive (see correction above)
-- [ ] **C3 — sweep remaining eager model pulls.** After C2, re-trace `import decnet.cli`;
+      — C2 alone does not move the floor.*
-      defer any other command module that drags the ORM in for registration only.
+- [ ] **C3 — DB-less worker lazy registration (reduced scope).** Confirm `forwarder` /
-      Test: assert idle-worker floor stays under target.
+      `listener` (and audit `bus`) never touch models at runtime; make ONLY their command
+      modules import-clean so those specific processes skip the 38 MB ORM. Skip the
+      DB-touching majority — they can't shed it. Test: those modules don't pull
+      `decnet.web.db.models`.
 - [ ] **C4 — extract idle-herd coroutines.** Hoist the inline `_run()` closures
       (`webhook`, `canary`, `listener`, `forwarder`, `mutate`, `enrich`) into reusable
       `async def run(bus, cfg)` in their packages, so they're hostable by a supervisor.
@@ -59,7 +75,9 @@ the ORM into every worker. No production code imports `generate` from the packag
   restart + `MemoryMax`. **Medium.** Verify on the live fleet before adopting; keep the
   individual units as the fallback. Do C2–C4 first; C5 only if RAM still bites.
 
-## Projected
+## Projected (revised)
 
-- C2–C3 (import floor): 2.57 GB → **~1.3 GB**. Nearly free.
+- C2–C3 (import floor): only the 2-3 DB-less workers shed the ORM. **~100 MB.** Cheap hygiene.
-- C4–C6 (consolidation): → **~0.9 GB**. Costs process isolation.
+- **C4–C5 (consolidation): the main event.** Idle herd ~8 × 86 MB → 1 × 86 MB ≈ **−600 MB**.
+- C6 (scapy merge): 3 × 76 MB → 1 × 76 MB ≈ **−150 MB**.
+- Total: 2.57 GB → **~1.0 GB**. The bulk comes from consolidation, which costs isolation.