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.2</version>
</dependency>

Environment Variables

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

Authentication

import com.azure.ai.agents.persistent.PersistentAgentsClient;
import com.azure.ai.agents.persistent.PersistentAgentsClientBuilder;
import com.azure.ai.agents.persistent.*;
import com.azure.ai.agents.persistent.models.*;
import com.azure.core.http.rest.PagedIterable;
import com.azure.identity.DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder;

String endpoint = System.getenv("PROJECT_ENDPOINT");
PersistentAgentsClient client = new PersistentAgentsClientBuilder()
    .endpoint(endpoint)
    .credential(new DefaultAzureCredentialBuilder().build())
    .buildClient();
String modelDeploymentName = System.getenv("MODEL_DEPLOYMENT_NAME");
PersistentAgentsAdministrationClient administration = client.getPersistentAgentsAdministrationClient();
ThreadsClient threads = client.getThreadsClient();
MessagesClient messageClient = client.getMessagesClient();
RunsClient runs = client.getRunsClient();

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 = administration.createAgent(
    new CreateAgentOptions(modelDeploymentName)
        .setName("Math Tutor")
        .setInstructions("You are a personal math tutor.")
);

2. Create Thread

PersistentAgentThread thread = threads.createThread();

3. Add Message

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

4. Run Agent

ThreadRun run = runs.createRun(new CreateRunOptions(thread.getId(), agent.getId()));

// Bound polling; a terminal non-success state is not a completed answer.
long deadline = System.nanoTime() + java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit.SECONDS.toNanos(60);
while (run.getStatus() == RunStatus.QUEUED || run.getStatus() == RunStatus.IN_PROGRESS) {
    if (System.nanoTime() > deadline) {
        throw new IllegalStateException("Run polling timed out; inspect/cancel the owned run separately");
    }
    Thread.sleep(500);
    run = runs.getRun(thread.getId(), run.getId());
}

Check the resulting status before reading a final response: requires_action needs an authorized tool-output handler; failed, cancelled, expired or other non-success states must be reported explicitly. A polling timeout does not cancel the cloud run.

5. Get Response

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

6. Cleanup

threads.deleteThread(thread.getId());
administration.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 exampleAgent = administration.createAgent(
        new CreateAgentOptions(modelDeploymentName).setName("Example").setInstructions("Answer briefly"));
} 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

Use when implementing or maintaining Java persistent-agent threads, messages, runs and administration with the preview SDK. The reviewed example uses beta.2 subclients, not direct CRUD methods on PersistentAgentsClient.

Limitations

• Operations create billable cloud resources, send prompts and retain thread data. Use an authorized project/model and explicit budgets; delete only resources created for the current run, preserve IDs on failure, and redact message/credential logs.
• Snippets are sequential fragments inside application code, not a standalone compiled program. API shape was checked against Microsoft’s beta.2 sample and preview reference; no cloud run was performed. Add compatible azure-identity and required dependencies using the project’s reviewed Azure BOM.
• 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.