Microsoft Agent Framework

by | Dec 7, 2025

Microsoft Agent Framework Architecture Visualization.

Overview

🟩Agentic Frameworks🟩Foundation Frameworks
🔵.NET AI🔵AI Agents🔵autogen🔵Durable Agents🔵Microsoft Agent Framework🔵Multi-Agent🔵Python AI🔵Semantic Kernel

The Microsoft Agent Framework is an open-source development kit designed to build robust AI agents and multi-agent workflows in .NET and Python. As the direct successor to Semantic Kernel and AutoGen, it unifies their capabilities into a single platform. It features graph-based workflows for explicit control, durable state management via Azure Functions, and native integration with the Model Context Protocol (MCP).

Provider: Microsoft

Agentic ID: microsoft-agent-framework

Release: 2025-10-09

Status: Public Preview

Architecture

Summary

The framework uses a graph-based architecture where Executors (agents or code) are connected by Edges. It supports a modified Pregel model for parallel execution. State is persisted via AgentThreads and CheckpointManager, enabling resumption of long-running workflows.

Unified Architecture: Merging AutoGen and Semantic Kernel concepts into a graph-based workflow engine.
v20251206

Supported Models

🤖 Azure OpenAI (GPT-4o, etc.)

🤖 OpenAI Models

🤖 Azure AI Foundry Models

🤖 Local Models (Ollama)

🤖 Anthropic Claude (Planned)

Capabilities & Deployment Modes

Agent Capabilities: Tool Use, Planning, Memory, Multi-Agent, Safety, Guardrails, Monitoring

Deployment Modes: Cloud, Local, Hybrid

Key Features

🟢 Unified SDK replacing AutoGen and Semantic Kernel

🟢 Graph-based workflows with modified Pregel execution model

🟢 Durable Agents for serverless, stateful execution on Azure

🟢 Built-in multi-agent patterns: Group Chat, Handoff, Magentic

🟢 Native support for Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Feature Details

Durable Agents

Status: Public Preview

Announced: 2025-10-09

Description: Serverless hosting with automatic state management on Azure Functions.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/agent-framework/user-guide/agents/agent-types/durable-agent

Magentic Orchestration

Status: Public Preview

Announced: 2025-10-02

Description: General-purpose multi-agent pattern for complex, open-ended tasks.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/semantic-kernel/frameworks/agent/agent-orchestration

AG-UI Integration

Status: Public Preview

Announced: 2025-11-11

Description: Protocol for building real-time, streaming agent UIs.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/agent-framework/integrations/ag-ui

Integration Methods

.NET SDK (Microsoft.Agents.AI)

Python SDK (agent-framework)

A2A Protocol

AG-UI Protocol

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

Sources

🔗 Microsoft Learn Documentation
Release Notes