Building Blocks

Last updated: 2025-05-28

Core components

stateDiagram
    Agents: Agents pool
    Orchestrator: Orchestrator <br/>Agent
    Registry: Specialized Agents<br> Registry
    Agent1: Specialized <br/>Agent 1
    AgentN: Specialized <br/>Agent N

    [*] --> Orchestrator
    direction LR
    Orchestrator --> Agents
    Orchestrator --> Registry
    Orchestrator --> Memory
    state Agents {
      Agent1
      AgentN
    }
    Agents --> Memory

• Orchestrator agent acts as the central coordinator within the multi-agent workflow. It receives incoming requests—whether from users or external services—and formulates a high-level plan composed of individual tasks. These tasks are then delegated to appropriate specialized agents, each responsible for a specific function. Once the specialized agents complete their tasks and return their results, the orchestrator aggregates and synthesizes their outputs into a coherent final response.

  Although direct communication between specialized agents might seem convenient at first, it's recommended to route all communication through the orchestrator to maintain clarity and control. Avoid direct agent-to-agent messaging unless necessary; if agents are tightly coupled, group them into a single composite agent exposed to the orchestrator as one unit.

• Specialized agents are domain-focused experts within the multi-agent system. Each one is responsible for a distinct area of expertise—for example, one agent might be responsible for finding flights, another for booking hotels, another for planning activities, and another for estimating the total cost. These agents can range in complexity: some may be simple wrappers around a language model, while others may coordinate their own sub-agents to complete more detailed tasks. For instance, a "Hotel Booking Agent" might internally manage sub-agents for comparing prices, checking availability, and reading reviews—working together to deliver the best lodging option.

  A specialized agent is not the same as a task or a tool. While an agent may use multiple tools or perform several steps to achieve a complex goal, it's a common mistake to treat tiny, granular tasks—like "call an API" or "parse a response"—as standalone agents. This creates unnecessary fragmentation and complexity. Instead, agents should be structured around meaningful, cohesive capabilities—not isolated tool calls.

• Agents registry serves as a centralized data service and source of truth for managing all specialized agents available in the system for the orchestrator. It functions like a dynamic directory—cataloging each agent's identity, capabilities, operational status, version, and metadata tags. This registry enables efficient discovery and auditability.

Additional reference of orchestration patterns: Semantic Kernel: Multi-agent Orchestration

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