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Agent Framework + Foundry

Agent modes

AgentMode selects orchestration; LlmProvider selects the provider. The reference implements Single and HandOff with Microsoft Foundry. The workshop builds the graph in three lessons: first handoff, interviewers, and summary agent.

Select a mode

Section titled “Select a mode”

Set AgentMode in apphost.settings.json, or override it when starting the root AppHost:

Terminal window
# Bash
aspire start --apphost ./apphost.cs -- --provider MicrosoftFoundry --mode Single
aspire start --apphost ./apphost.cs -- --provider MicrosoftFoundry --mode HandOff

Run one mode at a time and start a new chat after changing it. The project-based AppHost uses its own configuration; see configuration.

Single mode

Section titled “Single mode”

CreateSingleAgent gives one agent both MarkItDown and InterviewData tools. Its instructions cover session setup, optional documents, behavioural and technical questions, transcript updates, and a final summary.

One agent has fewer routing decisions to debug. Keep this mode as a comparison while deciding whether a responsibility needs its own instructions, tool access, and routing.

HandOff mode

Section titled “HandOff mode”

CreateHandOffWorkflow creates five agents. They share the configured provider/model and transfer control between interview phases.

Agent name Responsibility Application tools
triage Select the phase using conversation context None
receptionist Fetch/create the session and gather documents MarkItDown and InterviewData
behavioural_interviewer Ask behavioural questions and append feedback InterviewData
technical_interviewer Ask technical questions and append feedback InterviewData
summariser Read the transcript, save a summary, mark completion InterviewData

These are the permitted edges:

Source Targets
Triage Receptionist, behavioural interviewer, technical interviewer, summariser
Receptionist Behavioural interviewer, triage
Behavioural interviewer Technical interviewer, triage
Technical interviewer Summariser, triage
Summariser Triage

The eleven edges include direct specialist transfers for normal progression and return paths to triage for out-of-order requests. Triage’s instructions consider completed phases to reduce repeated intake. The model chooses among permitted routes; inspect the actual transfers during a run.

Tool scope controls which calls an agent can request. Per-user record authorization belongs at the MCP service boundary and requires an ownership check before using real users’ records.

Workshop handoff stages

Section titled “Workshop handoff stages”
Checkpoint Available roles End of the practice path
07-first-handoff Triage and receptionist Receptionist finishes intake; triage handles a changed request
07-interviewers Triage, receptionist, behavioural and technical interviewers Technical interviewer returns to triage for another phase or to finish
07-handoffs All five roles Summariser saves feedback and completes the record

The four-agent stage introduces behavioural-to-technical practice using saved context. Summary generation and its routes arrive in 07-handoffs. The full single-agent baseline remains available throughout these stages. The debugging lesson uses the completed graph to examine an early-finish request.

Hosting adapter

Section titled “Hosting adapter”

AddHandOffWorkflow registers the workflow with AddWorkflow, resolves it by key, then calls AsAIAgent so the same hosted endpoint can expose it. The supplied CreateFixedAgent middleware adapts plain-string tool results to JsonElement for this application’s pinned AG-UI path. Retain that version-specific compatibility layer while completing the workshop.

The Foundry branch creates ChatClientAgent instances using IChatClient.

See AgentDelegateFactory.cs, the result adapter, and Microsoft’s handoff documentation.