Glossary
Definitions of key terms used in the Agent Connect documentation
This glossary provides definitions for key terms used throughout the Agent Connect documentation.
A
Agent
An autonomous software entity powered by AI models (typically LLMs) that can perform tasks, make decisions, and interact with users and other agents. Agents typically have specific capabilities, knowledge, and roles.
Agent Card
A JSON object that contains metadata about an agent, including its name, description, capabilities, and provider information. Agent cards are returned by the Agent Discovery endpoint.
Agent Connect
IBM Agent Connect is a partner program that offers independent software vendors (ISVs) the opportunity to collaborate with IBM. The program extends the technical benefits of the framework by fostering strategic partnerships that drive business value and innovation within the watsonx Orchestrate environment.
Agent Connect Framework (ACF)
A framework that provides specifications, APIs, and tools for developers to seamlessly integrate AI agents with IBM watsonx Orchestrate.
Agent Discovery
The process by which agents can discover and learn about other agents in the ecosystem, including their capabilities and how to interact with them.
AI Gateway
A component of the Agent Connect Framework that provides centralized access to AI models and coordinates telemetry across agents.
C
Chat Completion
An API endpoint format that follows the OpenAI chat completions style, allowing agents to communicate through a standardized interface.
Collaboration
The process by which multiple agents work together to solve problems or complete tasks, often involving the sharing of information and coordination of activities.
M
Multi-Agent System
A system composed of multiple interacting agents that work together to solve problems that may be beyond the capabilities of individual agents.
O
Orchestrate
IBM watsonx Orchestrate is a platform that enables the coordination and management of AI agents, providing enterprise features for security, governance, and scalability.
S
Server-Sent Events (SSE)
A technology that allows a server to push updates to a client over a single HTTP connection. In the context of Agent Connect, SSE is used for streaming responses from agents.
Stateful Agent
An agent that maintains state across multiple interactions, allowing it to remember previous conversations and context.
Stateless Agent
An agent that does not maintain state between interactions, requiring all necessary context to be provided with each request.
Streaming
The process of sending partial responses incrementally as they become available, rather than waiting for the complete response before sending anything.
T
Thread ID
A unique identifier used to correlate requests to long-running message threads, enabling stateful conversations.
Tool
A function or capability that an agent can invoke to perform specific tasks, such as retrieving information, performing calculations, or interacting with external systems.
Tool Call
A request from an agent to invoke a specific tool with certain parameters.
Tool Response
The result returned after a tool has been invoked, which can then be used by the agent to continue its processing.
W
watsonx
IBM’s enterprise AI platform that includes various AI and data capabilities, including watsonx Orchestrate for agent coordination.
watsonx Orchestrate
A component of the IBM watsonx platform that enables the coordination and management of AI agents in enterprise environments.