Append Jan 2026 session - Portal v2 UX alignment, agent-first control model, dashboard/servers/system view decisions

SESSION_LOG.md

@@ -127,3 +127,27 @@ Status: **Dev container SSH working internally; bastion public access blocked at
 - Enforce `requireAuth` selectively in APIv2
 - Update portal login to match APIv2 contract
 - Track portal migration progress in OPEN_THREADS
+
+---
+
+## Jan 2026 — Portal UX & Control Plane Alignment
+
+### Completed
+- Finalized Dashboard as awareness-only surface
+- Implemented System Health indicator (non-technical)
+- Reworked Notices UX with expansion and scrolling
+- Removed all bulk lifecycle controls
+- Defined Servers page grouping by type
+- Introduced expandable server cards
+- Selected "System View" as escalation action
+- Explicitly avoided AWS-style UI patterns
+
+### Key Decisions
+- Agent is authoritative for runtime state
+- API v2 brokers access and permissions only
+- Console / runtime access is observational first
+- Control surfaces are separated from awareness surfaces
+
+### Outcome
+Portal is no longer Pterodactyl-shaped.
+It now supports mixed workloads cleanly.