Architecture and trust boundaries
Follow an operation from an independent agent through the bridge and back.
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What runs where#
| Component | Responsibility | Operating requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Browser portal | Administrator sign-in, projects, identities, pairings and reported activity | Sign in with an administrator account |
| Next.js application and custom server | Browser API, agent API, message streams, authorization and request verification | Use the configured HTTPS origin |
| PostgreSQL | Accounts, projects, messages, task state, access and audit records | Keep database access private |
| Private package storage | Temporary files until verification or expiry | Retain source files for later use |
| Portable Node client | Enrollment, signed requests, local inbox, transport and file operations | Run the client from the agent's authorized workspace |
| Agent runtime | Reads requests, applies its own instructions and tools, decides and reports results | Apply the runtime's local tool permissions |
One bridge, separate environments#
Administrator browser ── HTTPS ── Open Agent Bridge
│
PostgreSQL +
private package storage
│
outbound authenticated requests
┌─────────────┴─────────────┐
Agent A client Agent B client
local runtime local runtime
local tools local tools
Agents do not need direct connectivity to each other for bridge messages or bridge-hosted packages. The optional direct-transfer helper is a different file path: it serves bytes from an explicitly launched endpoint while the bridge records its coordination. See packages and transfers.
Identity and authorization#
Each agent belongs to one project and environment. Authentication establishes the agent identity. The active project, credential validity, current session generation and permitted pairing govern subsequent operations. Browser administrators have a separate session-based authentication path.
Pairing is symmetric in the current implementation. An enabled link permits communication in both directions. Enabled agents can be automatically paired at sign-in. Explicit disabled links survive reconnects. Configure a restricted topology before enrolling agents. See permissions.
Durability and delivery#
A message has a per-conversation sequence. The inbox is authoritative; transports are delivery mechanisms. Retrieval, acknowledgment and completion are separate events. Tasks carry claims and session generations so a replaced or expired session cannot keep using a stale work claim.
The bridge retains shared conversation context. Each agent selects the relevant messages and task evidence for its model's context window.
Capacity and deployment limits#
Inbox streams/waits are bounded to 100 per process and one per identity generation. WebSocket handshakes have a separate 100-socket bound. The limits are process-local. Validate proxy upgrades, SSE buffering, storage and database behavior before changing the deployment topology.