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124 changes: 124 additions & 0 deletions docs/decisions/0039-python-foundry-hosting-history-source.md
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---
status: proposed
contact: eavanvalkenburg
date: 2026-09-01
deciders: eavanvalkenburg, moonbox3
---

# Select the conversation history source for Python Foundry hosting

## Context and Problem Statement

`ResponsesHostServer` currently replays the AgentServer response transcript into every agent run. An `AgentSession`
can also restore a downstream `service_session_id`, causing the model service to combine its stored conversation with
the replayed AgentServer transcript. This duplicates prior turns and compounds on each request.

Conversation data can exist in four places:

1. the AgentServer `ResponseProviderProtocol`;
2. an Agent Framework `HistoryProvider`;
3. `AgentSession.state`, persisted by a `SessionStore` and used by `InMemoryHistoryProvider`; and
4. the downstream model service when `store=True`.

The host must prevent duplicate model history without removing the regular agent storage choices.

## Decision Drivers

- Feed one canonical conversation transcript into each model call.
- Keep AgentServer response persistence independent from the model's history source.
- Preserve the normal agent choice between `HistoryProvider` and downstream service storage.
- Let applications choose storage that satisfies their compliance, residency, retention, deletion, encryption, and
audit requirements.
- Retain AgentServer response history as the default hosting behavior.
- Make existing sessions containing a downstream service ID safe after upgrade.

## Considered Options

### Always use AgentServer response history

- Good: one simple default and parity with current .NET Foundry hosting.
- Good: the selected response provider controls the transcript used by the model.
- Bad: users cannot use normal agent history providers or service-side continuation.
- Bad: applications cannot choose a history backend that meets their data-governance requirements independently of
AgentServer protocol storage.

### Clear the service ID but leave downstream storage enabled

- Good: avoids duplicated input.
- Bad: creates an untracked stored response or conversation on every model call.
- Bad: service-side storage incurs retention and cost but is never used for continuation.

### Add separate AgentServer, history-provider, service, and automatic modes

- Good: makes each possible authority explicit at the hosting layer.
- Bad: duplicates history-selection behavior already implemented by `Agent`.
- Bad: an automatic mode changes authority based on provider output, making retention and recovery unpredictable.

### Select AgentServer history or regular agent history

- Good: the host makes only the decision it owns: whether AgentServer history supersedes normal agent behavior.
- Good: regular agent mode preserves service storage, in-session history, and external history providers.
- Good: `ResponseProviderProtocol`, `HistoryProvider`, and `SessionStore` remain independent extension points.
- Good: applications can select the storage boundary and lifecycle required by their compliance policies.
- Neutral: AgentServer still manages protocol-level Responses persistence in regular agent mode, according to the outer
request, but does not replay that transcript into the model.

## Decision Outcome

Add `history_source: Literal["agent_server", "agent"] = "agent_server"` to `ResponsesHostServer`.

With `history_source="agent_server"`:

- load-enabled `HistoryProvider` instances are rejected;
- an agent-level default `conversation_id` is rejected;
- the configured response provider transcript and current input are passed to the agent;
- clients advertising `STORES_BY_DEFAULT=True` receive a downstream `store=False` override;
- for other clients, an explicit agent-level `store` option is removed and no storage option is forwarded;
- a restored `service_session_id` is cleared before the run;
- a client that still returns a service ID fails the response and the contaminated session is not saved; and
- a transient `InMemoryHistoryProvider` supports intra-run function calls but is removed before session persistence.

With `history_source="agent"`:

- only current request input is passed by hosting;
- load-enabled history providers are allowed;
- downstream storage options are not changed; and
- normal `Agent` behavior selects service storage, an explicit history provider, or automatic in-session history.

The AgentServer response provider continues to control Responses API persistence and retrieval in both modes, according
to the outer request. The session-store provider also remains independent. Consequently, regular agent mode can combine
`InMemoryHistoryProvider` with the default `FoundryAgentSessionStore` to persist model history in Foundry without using
the AgentServer response transcript as model input.

## Developer Experience

```python
# Default: AgentServer response history is model history.
ResponsesHostServer(agent)

# Regular Agent history and downstream storage behavior.
ResponsesHostServer(agent, history_source="agent")
```

Passing `store=None` or omitting `store` continues to select the environment's default AgentServer response provider.
It does not disable response persistence.

## Consequences

- Good: existing applications keep AgentServer history as their default.
- Good: applications can choose service-side, session-backed, or external history storage to meet data-governance
requirements.
- Good: the API does not introduce a second history-selection state machine.
- Bad: default mode mutates the supplied `RawAgent` by installing a transient history provider.
- Neutral: a `ResponsesHostServer` owns its supplied agent instance; reusing that agent with another host or invoking it
directly after server construction is unsupported.
- Bad: regular agent history and AgentServer response history may differ, which response-oriented evaluations must
document.
- Neutral: switching an existing conversation between modes may require resetting its persisted session/history.

## More Information

- [Issue #7955](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework/issues/7955)
- [Closed Python PR #7957](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework/pull/7957)
- [Merged .NET PR #7525](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework/pull/7525)
- [Merged .NET follow-up PR #7572](https://github.com/microsoft/agent-framework/pull/7572)
2 changes: 1 addition & 1 deletion dotnet/Directory.Packages.props
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<!-- Console UX -->
<PackageVersion Include="Spectre.Console" Version="0.49.1" />
<!-- AWS -->
<PackageVersion Include="AWSSDK.Extensions.Bedrock.MEAI" Version="4.0.101.8" />
<PackageVersion Include="AWS.Bedrock.MEAI" Version="1.0.0" />
<!-- Test -->
<PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.TestHost" Condition="'$(TargetFramework)' == 'net8.0'" Version="8.0.22" />
<PackageVersion Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.TestHost" Condition="'$(TargetFramework)' == 'net9.0'" Version="9.0.11" />
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</PropertyGroup>

<ItemGroup>
<PackageReference Include="AWSSDK.Extensions.Bedrock.MEAI" />
<PackageReference Include="AWS.Bedrock.MEAI" />
</ItemGroup>

<ItemGroup>
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# Agent with Memory Using Valkey + Amazon Bedrock

This sample demonstrates using Valkey for persistent chat history with the Agent Framework, powered by Amazon Bedrock via the `AWSSDK.Extensions.Bedrock.MEAI` adapter.
This sample demonstrates using Valkey for persistent chat history with the Agent Framework, powered by Amazon Bedrock via the `AWS.Bedrock.MEAI` adapter.

## Components

- **ValkeyChatHistoryProvider** — Persists conversation history across sessions using Valkey lists. Works with any Valkey or Redis OSS server (no search module required).
- **Amazon Bedrock** — Provides the LLM via `AWSSDK.Extensions.Bedrock.MEAI`, which implements `IChatClient` from `Microsoft.Extensions.AI`.
- **Amazon Bedrock** — Provides the LLM via `AWS.Bedrock.MEAI`, which implements `IChatClient` from `Microsoft.Extensions.AI`.

## Prerequisites

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42 changes: 42 additions & 0 deletions python/packages/foundry_hosting/README.md
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This package provides the integration of Agent Framework agents and workflows with the Foundry Agent Server, which can be hosted on Foundry infrastructure.

## Conversation history

`ResponsesHostServer` uses AgentServer response history as the model's conversation history by default:

```python
server = ResponsesHostServer(agent)
```

In this mode, the configured AgentServer response provider supplies the prior transcript. Hosting rejects
`HistoryProvider` instances with `load_messages=True` and agents configured with a default `conversation_id`, adds a
transient in-memory provider for function-call loops, and clears restored downstream service IDs. For clients that
advertise `STORES_BY_DEFAULT=True`, hosting forces downstream `store=False`; for other clients it removes an explicit
agent-level `store` option and does not forward one. These safeguards ensure the model receives the transcript once
without sending unsupported storage options.

`ResponsesHostServer` owns the supplied agent instance and may add hosting-specific context providers. Do not reuse that
agent with another host or invoke it directly after constructing the server.

To preserve the agent's regular history and service-storage behavior, select the agent as the history source:

```python
server = ResponsesHostServer(agent, history_source="agent")
```

Hosting then passes only current request input, allows load-enabled history providers, and does not override the
agent's downstream `store` option. For example, `InMemoryHistoryProvider` stores messages in `AgentSession.state`, which
the default `FoundryAgentSessionStore` persists in Foundry:

```python
agent = Agent(
client=client,
context_providers=[InMemoryHistoryProvider()],
default_options={"store": False},
)
server = ResponsesHostServer(agent, history_source="agent")
```

The `store` argument remains independent: it selects the AgentServer response provider used for Responses API
persistence and retrieval. Omitting it or passing `None` selects the environment default. With
`history_source="agent_server"`, that response provider also supplies model history; with `history_source="agent"`, it
does not.

## State store

### Local persistence
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