Configuration

Configure ACP for standardized agent interaction

ACP (Agent Communication Protocol) enables standardized interaction between agents and clients. It provides a common language for agent capabilities, session management, and message exchange that works across different implementations.

Without ACP, every agent system has its own way of doing things. ACP standardizes these interactions, making it possible to swap agents, switch clients, or integrate with external systems without rewriting integration code. It's the HTTP of agent communication.

Use compatible transports

ACP works over multiple transports: HTTP, WebSocket, stdio, and more. Choose the transport that fits your deployment model. HTTP for RESTful APIs, WebSocket for streaming, stdio for local processes. Ensure both client and agent support your chosen transport.

Pass session context cleanly

ACP sessions maintain state across interactions. Pass context cleanly between messages so agents can build on previous work. Don't start from scratch every time—use the session to accumulate knowledge and progress.

Design fallback behavior

Network connections fail, agents crash, sessions expire. Design your ACP integration with fallbacks: retry logic, graceful degradation, and clear error messages. Users should understand what happened and what to do next.

ACP configuration in QuantenRam

QuantenRam supports ACP for standardized agent communication. This enables integration with ACP-compatible clients and external systems.

// ACP configuration
{
  "acp": {
    "transport": "websocket",
    "endpoint": "wss://quantenram.net/acp/v1",
    "authentication": {
      "type": "bearer",
      "token_env": "QUANTENRAM_API_KEY"
    },
    "session": {
      "timeout_seconds": 3600,
      "max_messages": 1000,
      "persist": true
    },
    "capabilities": {
      "streaming": true,
      "tools": true,
      "resources": true,
      "prompts": false
    }
  }
}

This configuration sets up ACP over WebSocket with bearer token authentication. Sessions persist for an hour and support up to 1000 messages. The agent advertises its capabilities so clients know what's available.

ACP message flow

ACP defines a structured message flow that enables rich interaction between clients and agents. Understanding this flow helps you build better integrations.

// ACP message flow example
1. Client sends "initialize" with capabilities
2. Agent responds with its capabilities
3. Client sends "user message" with request
4. Agent may send:
   - "thinking" (optional progress indicator)
   - "tool call" (request to use a tool)
   - "resource request" (asking for data)
5. Client responds to tool/resource requests
6. Agent sends "completion" with final response
7. Either side can send "ping" to keep alive
8. Either side sends "shutdown" to end session

This flow supports complex interactions: streaming responses, tool usage, resource access, and bidirectional communication. The agent isn't just a request-response black box—it's an interactive participant.

ACP is the foundation for interoperable agent systems. When configured correctly, it enables seamless integration between QuantenRam agents and the broader ecosystem of ACP-compatible tools.