Microsoft Agent Framework: Middleware

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Middleware in Microsoft Agent Framework

Middleware is a powerful feature in the Microsoft Agent Framework (MAF) that enables you to intercept and modify the execution flow of your workflows. By injecting custom logic before or after an executor runs, you can implement cross-cutting concerns elegantly and efficiently.

Why Use Middleware?

Middleware provides a clean, reusable way to handle common patterns across your workflows:

  • Logging and monitoring: Track execution flow and performance metrics
  • Input validation: Ensure data integrity before processing
  • Output transformation: Modify results based on business rules
  • Error handling: Implement consistent error management strategies

Because middleware operates at the workflow level, you can define it once and reuse it across multiple workflows, promoting maintainability and reducing code duplication.

A Simple Example: Flight Booking with VIP Privileges

To illustrate middleware in action, we'll build a flight booking workflow that automatically upgrades gold members to priority boarding. This demonstrates how middleware can modify behavior based on user context without cluttering your core business logic.

Implementation Overview

Our example implements the following flow:

  1. Define the data model: Create a `BookingResult` model to represent flight booking outcomes
  2. Create the booking agent: Build an executor that handles flight availability checks
  3. Implement privilege middleware: Develop middleware that detects gold members and automatically grants priority boarding
  4. Wire up the workflow: Connect the components and apply the middleware
  5. Verify the results: Run the workflow and observe the middleware's impact on booking outcomes

Demo

Check out the complete implementation: https://github.com/dennisseah/maf-workflow/blob/main/samples/middleware.py

Video Walkthrough (view in fullscreen, no audio)

 



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