Agents

Agent harness

An agent harness is the runtime that supplies tools, state, policy, and verification around a model.

ModelToolsContextPermissionsChecksThe software around a model that lets it work safely.
An agent harness is the runtime that supplies tools, state, policy, and verification around a model. Values shown in the worked visual are illustrative unless the labels state otherwise.

How it works

The model proposes decisions, while the harness controls what can actually happen. Production behavior depends heavily on this surrounding system.

A concrete example

Illustrative: expose 7 allowlisted tools, retain 20 events, and require 4 verification checks before completion.

Do not confuse it with Agent framework

a framework is reusable software; a harness is the concrete runtime configuration and controls.

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