Documentation
Architecture Overview
Architecture Overview
DotNetAgents is organized as an open-core platform with a clear public/private boundary.
Public Layers
| Layer | Repository | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Core | dotnetagents |
Agent runtime, workflows, tools, MCP/A2A surfaces, structured output, observability primitives |
| Plugins | dotnetagents-plugins |
Optional provider and protocol adapters |
| Examples | dotnetagents-examples |
Runnable apps plus the public docs source for docs.dotnetagents.com |
Design Principles
- Software first. Agents are durable .NET applications with DI, tools, workflows, and measurable results — not prompt-only scripts.
- Offline-first examples. Smoke paths run without private DNA services.
- Protocol-aware. MCP and A2A appear as explicit public surfaces.
- Honest boundary. Premium DNA Factory capabilities (governed delivery, labs, eval receipts, credential custody, certification operations) stay commercial. Public docs may name the upgrade path without shipping private control-plane code.
How An Example Fits Together
Your app / example
-> DotNetAgents core (runtime, tools, workflows)
-> Optional plugins (providers, storage, protocol adapters)
-> Local or vendor LLM endpoints you configure
Examples demonstrate:
- dependency-injected runtime setup
- clear tool boundaries
- workflow-oriented task execution
- public-safe MCP host patterns
- structured result envelopes suitable for later measurement