azure-ai-agents-persistent-dotnet

Low-level SDK for creating and managing persistent AI agents with threads, messages, runs, and tools.

Installation

dotnet add package Azure.AI.Agents.Persistent --prerelease
dotnet add package Azure.Identity

Current Versions: Stable v1.1.0, Preview v1.2.0-beta.8

Environment Variables

PROJECT_ENDPOINT=https://<resource>.services.ai.azure.com/api/projects/<project>  # Required: Azure AI project endpoint
MODEL_DEPLOYMENT_NAME=gpt-4o-mini  # Required: model deployment name
AZURE_BING_CONNECTION_ID=<bing-connection-resource-id>  # Required: Bing connection resource ID
AZURE_AI_SEARCH_CONNECTION_ID=<search-connection-resource-id>  # Required: Azure AI Search connection resource ID
AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod  # Required only if DefaultAzureCredential is used in production

Authentication

using Azure.AI.Agents.Persistent;
using Azure.Identity;

var projectEndpoint = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("PROJECT_ENDPOINT");
// Local dev: DefaultAzureCredential. Production: set AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=prod or AZURE_TOKEN_CREDENTIALS=<specific_credential>
var credential = new DefaultAzureCredential(
    DefaultAzureCredential.DefaultEnvironmentVariableName
);
// Or use a specific credential directly in production:
// See https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/overview/azure/identity-readme?view=azure-dotnet#credential-classes
// var credential = new ManagedIdentityCredential();
PersistentAgentsClient client = new(projectEndpoint, credential);

Client Hierarchy

PersistentAgentsClient
├── Administration  → Agent CRUD operations
├── Threads         → Thread management
├── Messages        → Message operations
├── Runs            → Run execution and streaming
├── Files           → File upload/download
└── VectorStores    → Vector store management

Core Workflow

1. Create Agent

var modelDeploymentName = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("MODEL_DEPLOYMENT_NAME");

PersistentAgent agent = await client.Administration.CreateAgentAsync(
    model: modelDeploymentName,
    name: "Math Tutor",
    instructions: "You are a personal math tutor. Write and run code to answer math questions.",
    tools: [new CodeInterpreterToolDefinition()]
);

2. Create Thread and Message

// Create thread
PersistentAgentThread thread = await client.Threads.CreateThreadAsync();

// Create message
await client.Messages.CreateMessageAsync(
    thread.Id,
    MessageRole.User,
    "I need to solve the equation `3x + 11 = 14`. Can you help me?"
);

3. Run Agent (Polling)

// Create run
ThreadRun run = await client.Runs.CreateRunAsync(
    thread.Id,
    agent.Id,
    additionalInstructions: "Please address the user as Jane Doe."
);

// Poll for completion
do
{
    await Task.Delay(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(500));
    run = await client.Runs.GetRunAsync(thread.Id, run.Id);
}
while (run.Status == RunStatus.Queued || run.Status == RunStatus.InProgress);

// Retrieve messages
await foreach (PersistentThreadMessage message in client.Messages.GetMessagesAsync(
    threadId: thread.Id, 
    order: ListSortOrder.Ascending))
{
    Console.Write($"{message.Role}: ");
    foreach (MessageContent content in message.ContentItems)
    {
        if (content is MessageTextContent textContent)
            Console.WriteLine(textContent.Text);
    }
}

4. Streaming Response

AsyncCollectionResult<StreamingUpdate> stream = client.Runs.CreateRunStreamingAsync(
    thread.Id, 
    agent.Id
);

await foreach (StreamingUpdate update in stream)
{
    if (update.UpdateKind == StreamingUpdateReason.RunCreated)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("--- Run started! ---");
    }
    else if (update is MessageContentUpdate contentUpdate)
    {
        Console.Write(contentUpdate.Text);
    }
    else if (update.UpdateKind == StreamingUpdateReason.RunCompleted)
    {
        Console.WriteLine("\n--- Run completed! ---");
    }
}

5. Function Calling

// Define function tool
FunctionToolDefinition weatherTool = new(
    name: "getCurrentWeather",
    description: "Gets the current weather at a location.",
    parameters: BinaryData.FromObjectAsJson(new
    {
        Type = "object",
        Properties = new
        {
            Location = new { Type = "string", Description = "City and state, e.g. San Francisco, CA" },
            Unit = new { Type = "string", Enum = new[] { "c", "f" } }
        },
        Required = new[] { "location" }
    }, new JsonSerializerOptions { PropertyNamingPolicy = JsonNamingPolicy.CamelCase })
);

// Create agent with function
PersistentAgent agent = await client.Administration.CreateAgentAsync(
    model: modelDeploymentName,
    name: "Weather Bot",
    instructions: "You are a weather bot.",
    tools: [weatherTool]
);

// Handle function calls during polling
do
{
    await Task.Delay(500);
    run = await client.Runs.GetRunAsync(thread.Id, run.Id);

    if (run.Status == RunStatus.RequiresAction 
        && run.RequiredAction is SubmitToolOutputsAction submitAction)
    {
        List<ToolOutput> outputs = [];
        foreach (RequiredToolCall toolCall in submitAction.ToolCalls)
        {
            if (toolCall is RequiredFunctionToolCall funcCall)
            {
                // Execute function and get result
                string result = ExecuteFunction(funcCall.Name, funcCall.Arguments);
                outputs.Add(new ToolOutput(toolCall, result));
            }
        }
        run = await client.Runs.SubmitToolOutputsToRunAsync(run, outputs, toolApprovals: null);
    }
}
while (run.Status == RunStatus.Queued || run.Status == RunStatus.InProgress);

6. File Search with Vector Store

// Upload file
PersistentAgentFileInfo file = await client.Files.UploadFileAsync(
    filePath: "document.txt",
    purpose: PersistentAgentFilePurpose.Agents
);

// Create vector store
PersistentAgentsVectorStore vectorStore = await client.VectorStores.CreateVectorStoreAsync(
    fileIds: [file.Id],
    name: "my_vector_store"
);

// Create file search resource
FileSearchToolResource fileSearchResource = new();
fileSearchResource.VectorStoreIds.Add(vectorStore.Id);

// Create agent with file search
PersistentAgent agent = await client.Administration.CreateAgentAsync(
    model: modelDeploymentName,
    name: "Document Assistant",
    instructions: "You help users find information in documents.",
    tools: [new FileSearchToolDefinition()],
    toolResources: new ToolResources { FileSearch = fileSearchResource }
);

7. Bing Grounding

var bingConnectionId = Environment.GetEnvironmentVariable("AZURE_BING_CONNECTION_ID");

BingGroundingToolDefinition bingTool = new(
    new BingGroundingSearchToolParameters(
        [new BingGroundingSearchConfiguration(bingConnectionId)]
    )
);

PersistentAgent agent = await client.Administration.CreateAgentAsync(
    model: modelDeploymentName,
    name: "Search Agent",
    instructions: "Use Bing to answer questions about current events.",
    tools: [bingTool]
);

8. Azure AI Search

AzureAISearchToolResource searchResource = new(
    connectionId: searchConnectionId,
    indexName: "my_index",
    topK: 5,
    filter: "category eq 'documentation'",
    queryType: AzureAISearchQueryType.Simple
);

PersistentAgent agent = await client.Administration.CreateAgentAsync(
    model: modelDeploymentName,
    name: "Search Agent",
    instructions: "Search the documentation index to answer questions.",
    tools: [new AzureAISearchToolDefinition()],
    toolResources: new ToolResources { AzureAISearch = searchResource }
);

9. Cleanup

await client.Threads.DeleteThreadAsync(thread.Id);
await client.Administration.DeleteAgentAsync(agent.Id);
await client.VectorStores.DeleteVectorStoreAsync(vectorStore.Id);
await client.Files.DeleteFileAsync(file.Id);

Available Tools

| Tool | Class | Purpose | |------|-------|---------| | Code Interpreter | CodeInterpreterToolDefinition | Execute Python code, generate visualizations | | File Search | FileSearchToolDefinition | Search uploaded files via vector stores | | Function Calling | FunctionToolDefinition | Call custom functions | | Bing Grounding | BingGroundingToolDefinition | Web search via Bing | | Azure AI Search | AzureAISearchToolDefinition | Search Azure AI Search indexes | | OpenAPI | OpenApiToolDefinition | Call external APIs via OpenAPI spec | | Azure Functions | AzureFunctionToolDefinition | Invoke Azure Functions | | MCP | MCPToolDefinition | Model Context Protocol tools | | SharePoint | SharepointToolDefinition | Access SharePoint content | | Microsoft Fabric | MicrosoftFabricToolDefinition | Access Fabric data |

Streaming Update Types

| Update Type | Description | |-------------|-------------| | StreamingUpdateReason.RunCreated | Run started | | StreamingUpdateReason.RunInProgress | Run processing | | StreamingUpdateReason.RunCompleted | Run finished | | StreamingUpdateReason.RunFailed | Run errored | | MessageContentUpdate | Text content chunk | | RunStepUpdate | Step status change |

Key Types Reference

| Type | Purpose | |------|---------| | PersistentAgentsClient | Main entry point | | PersistentAgent | Agent with model, instructions, tools | | PersistentAgentThread | Conversation thread | | PersistentThreadMessage | Message in thread | | ThreadRun | Execution of agent against thread | | RunStatus | Queued, InProgress, RequiresAction, Completed, Failed | | ToolResources | Combined tool resources | | ToolOutput | Function call response |

Best Practices

1. Always dispose clients — Use using statements or explicit disposal
2. Poll with appropriate delays — 500ms recommended between status checks
3. Clean up resources — Delete threads and agents when done
4. Handle all run statuses — Check for RequiresAction, Failed, Cancelled
5. Use streaming for real-time UX — Better user experience than polling
6. Store IDs not objects — Reference agents/threads by ID
7. Use async methods — All operations should be async

Error Handling

using Azure;

try
{
    var agent = await client.Administration.CreateAgentAsync(...);
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex) when (ex.Status == 404)
{
    Console.WriteLine("Resource not found");
}
catch (RequestFailedException ex)
{
    Console.WriteLine($"Error: {ex.Status} - {ex.ErrorCode}: {ex.Message}");
}

Related SDKs

| SDK | Purpose | Install | |-----|---------|---------| | Azure.AI.Agents.Persistent | Low-level agents (this SDK) | dotnet add package Azure.AI.Agents.Persistent | | Azure.AI.Projects | High-level project client | dotnet add package Azure.AI.Projects |

Reference Links

| Resource | URL | |----------|-----| | NuGet Package | https://www.nuget.org/packages/Azure.AI.Agents.Persistent | | API Reference | https://learn.microsoft.com/dotnet/api/azure.ai.agents.persistent | | GitHub Source | https://github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-net/tree/main/sdk/ai/Azure.AI.Agents.Persistent | | Samples | https://github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-net/tree/main/sdk/ai/Azure.AI.Agents.Persistent/samples |