Microsoft Agent Framework: Your One SDK for Multi-Agent AI

The Problem

Building AI agents in production is a mess. You’re juggling Semantic Kernel for enterprise features, AutoGen for multi-agent patterns, and custom glue code for deployment. Local prototypes don’t translate to cloud. Observability? Good luck.

The Nugget

Microsoft Agent Framework (public preview) is the open-source SDK and runtime that simplifies the orchestration of multi-agent systems. It’s the official successor combining Semantic Kernel’s enterprise-grade features with AutoGen’s simple abstractions for single- and multi-agent patterns.

What You Get

Before (SK + AutoGen)After (Agent Framework)Two separate SDKsOne unified frameworkManual state managementBuilt-in thread-based stateDIY observabilityOpenTelemetry out of the boxComplex deploymentLocal → Azure in minutes

Quick Start (.NET)

dotnet add package Microsoft.Agents.AI.OpenAI —prereleasedotnet add package Microsoft.Agents.AI.OpenAI --prerelease

AIAgent agent = new AzureOpenAIClient( new Uri(“https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/”), new AzureCliCredential()) .GetChatClient(“gpt-4o-mini”) .CreateAIAgent(instructions: “You are a helpful assistant.”);

Console.WriteLine(await agent.RunAsync(“Summarize this document.”));AIAgent agent = new AzureOpenAIClient( new Uri(“https://your-resource.openai.azure.com/”), new AzureCliCredential()) .GetChatClient(“gpt-4o-mini”) .CreateAIAgent(instructions: “You are a helpful assistant.”);

Console.WriteLine(await agent.RunAsync(“Summarize this document.”));

Key Features

• Multi-Agent Orchestration: Sequential, concurrent, hand-off, and Magentic patterns built-in

• MCP Support: Agents can dynamically discover and invoke external tools exposed over Model Context Protocol

• Pluggable Memory: Choose from Redis, Pinecone, Qdrant, Weaviate, Elasticsearch, or Postgres

• Built-in Connectors: Azure AI Foundry, Microsoft Graph, Fabric, SharePoint, Amazon Bedrock, MongoDB

Why This Matters

• Move from prototype to production in hours, not weeks – no Kubernetes or container headaches

• 80% of enterprises now use agent-based AI – you need enterprise-ready tooling

• One codebase for Python AND .NET with consistent APIs

• Publish agents to Microsoft 365 Copilot, Teams, and web surfaces

Pro Tip

Don’t start from scratch – Agent Framework provides migration guides for both Semantic Kernel and AutoGen projects. If you’re already invested in either, the transition is designed to be straightforward with minimal code changes.

Admin context

For Microsoft admins, the practical point in MS Agent Framework: Your One SDK for Multi-Agent AI is to treat the change as something that should be validated before it becomes tenant-wide behavior. Check the affected users, devices, assignments and support process so the Nugget turns into a controlled operational improvement instead of another undocumented setting.

Runbook notes for Microsoft Agent Framework

Microsoft Agent Framework: Your One SDK for Multi-Agent AI deserves a little more operational context because the decision usually affects agent application architecture. The related items are Microsoft Agent Framework, multi-agent orchestration, SDKs, tool calls, production telemetry. Treat this Nugget as a starting point for a concrete tenant decision: who is in scope, which Microsoft portal or policy is touched, and what visible result should confirm that the configuration worked.

When validating Microsoft Agent Framework, keep the test narrow enough to understand the result. Select one representative user, device, workload or subscription, capture the current state, then apply the change and compare the outcome. This avoids guessing later when support sees a different enrollment state, access result, model response, update status or admin center signal.

The most useful documentation for Microsoft Agent Framework is practical rather than theoretical. Record the assignment logic, the owner, the expected monitoring view and the exception path. If the change affects users, include the wording support teams should use when they explain the behavior. If it affects devices or services, include the exact place where administrators can verify health.

For search consistency, keep the phrase Microsoft Agent Framework: Your One SDK for Multi-Agent AI connected to the body text, the internal links and the category context. That helps readers understand why this Microsoft admin topic belongs with the surrounding Intune, Entra, Azure, Copilot, Security or automation Nuggets, and it gives AI search systems clearer signals about the real subject of the page.

Revisit Microsoft Agent Framework after the next rollout wave or Microsoft service update. Cloud behavior, licensing boundaries and portal labels can move quickly, so a short review prevents stale instructions. Confirm that the original assumption is still true, remove obsolete exceptions, and update the runbook if the operating model changed.

A clean handover for Microsoft Agent Framework should also include a fallback. Write down how the team pauses the change, narrows the scope, or returns to the previous configuration if the result creates noise. This makes the Nugget safer to use in production because the implementation path includes both the happy path and the recovery path.