Taking Microsoft Foundry Agents to Production

What does Foundry Agent Service provide?

Microsoft Foundry Agent Service offers managed capabilities for building, deploying, and operating agents. It supports configured prompt agents and code-based hosted agents. The choice affects how much application logic the team controls and maintains. Confirm current regional support, feature status, and cost for the design you intend to release.

Select the operating model deliberately

Use the business task to decide how much custom code and coordination is necessary. A simpler configuration may be easier to support, while a specialized workflow may justify a code-based approach. Document which responsibilities belong to the platform and which remain with the application team, including data quality, business rules, and user support.

Test tools as carefully as answers

An agent that writes a good explanation can still perform the wrong action. Validate tool inputs, limit access, and check the result of each important operation. Prevent retries from creating duplicates. Test malicious instructions in retrieved content, unavailable systems, and changes to user permissions. Keep high-impact actions subject to explicit authorization.

Create a release evidence pack

Maintain representative test cases and agreed acceptance thresholds. Record the model, instructions, tools, and configuration used for each release. Include results for ordinary tasks, edge cases, and failures. Review cost per successful task as well as response time, and make the evidence understandable to the business owner approving the rollout.

Prepare support and recovery

Name the team that will investigate incidents and communicate with users. Provide traces that explain which step failed without exposing unnecessary sensitive content. Define when the workflow should stop, request help, or use a manual fallback. Release to a limited group and expand when real operating evidence supports the decision.

Frequently asked questions

Does managed hosting remove application responsibility? No. The organization still owns its workflow and outcomes. Should production use every new feature immediately? No. Validate suitability and release status. What proves readiness? Tested quality, controlled actions, recovery procedures, and accountable operational ownership.

Published September 18, 2026. Microsoft Foundry Agent Service overview. Related: Microsoft Agent Framework: An Enterprise Guide.