Manage Persistent AI Agents in Java

Azure AI Agents Persistent SDK for Java

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

Installation

<dependency>
    <groupId>com.azure</groupId>
    <artifactId>azure-ai-agents-persistent</artifactId>
    <version>1.0.0-beta.1</version>
</dependency>

Environment Variables

PROJECT_ENDPOINT=https://<resource>.services.ai.azure.com/api/projects/<project>
MODEL_DEPLOYMENT_NAME=gpt-4o-mini

Authentication

import com.azure.ai.agents.persistent.PersistentAgentsClient;
import com.azure.ai.agents.persistent.PersistentAgentsClientBuilder;
import com.azure.identity.DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder;

String endpoint = System.getenv("PROJECT_ENDPOINT");
PersistentAgentsClient client = new PersistentAgentsClientBuilder()
    .endpoint(endpoint)
    .credential(new DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder().build())
    .buildClient();

Key Concepts

The Azure AI Agents Persistent SDK provides a low-level API for managing persistent agents that can be reused across sessions.

Client Hierarchy

Client	Purpose
PersistentAgentsClient	Sync client for agent operations
PersistentAgentsAsyncClient	Async client for agent operations

Core Workflow

1. Create Agent

// Create agent with tools
PersistentAgent agent = client.createAgent(
    modelDeploymentName,
    "Math Tutor",
    "You are a personal math tutor."
);

2. Create Thread

PersistentAgentThread thread = client.createThread();

3. Add Message

client.createMessage(
    thread.getId(),
    MessageRole.USER,
    "I need help with equations."
);

4. Run Agent

ThreadRun run = client.createRun(thread.getId(), agent.getId());

// Poll for completion
while (run.getStatus() == RunStatus.QUEUED || run.getStatus() == RunStatus.IN_PROGRESS) {
    Thread.sleep(500);
    run = client.getRun(thread.getId(), run.getId());
}

5. Get Response

PagedIterable<PersistentThreadMessage> messages = client.listMessages(thread.getId());
for (PersistentThreadMessage message : messages) {
    System.out.println(message.getRole() + ": " + message.getContent());
}

6. Cleanup

client.deleteThread(thread.getId());
client.deleteAgent(agent.getId());

Best Practices

1. Use DefaultAzureCredential for production authentication
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 async client for better throughput in high-concurrency scenarios

Error Handling

import com.azure.core.exception.HttpResponseException;

try {
    PersistentAgent agent = client.createAgent(modelName, name, instructions);
} catch (HttpResponseException e) {
    System.err.println("Error: " + e.getResponse().getStatusCode() + " - " + e.getMessage());
}

Reference Links

Resource	URL
Maven Package	https://central.sonatype.com/artifact/com.azure/azure-ai-agents-persistent
GitHub Source	https://github.com/Azure/azure-sdk-for-java/tree/main/sdk/ai/azure-ai-agents-persistent

When to Use

This skill is applicable to execute the workflow or actions described in the overview.

Limitations

• Use this skill only when the task clearly matches the scope described above.
• Do not treat the output as a substitute for environment-specific validation, testing, or expert review.
• Stop and ask for clarification if required inputs, permissions, safety boundaries, or success criteria are missing.