Microsoft tests migration from Python agents to a managed Foundry harness
Microsoft published an experiment showing which responsibilities can move from custom Python agent wrappers into a Foundry-managed Copilot harness.
The demo retains a fictional sales-research scenario using Fabric data and product knowledge, while native research, source connections and managed tool orchestration replace parts of the original application-controlled workflow.
The local web application still owns authentication, streaming, conversation ownership and download authorization. Focused tests were promising, but the author explicitly says they do not establish complete feature parity or production readiness.
Load testing, larger semantic models and write-back scenarios remain questions for further investigation.
Partner briefing
- What it is
A practical migration experiment using a Foundry-managed Copilot harness.
- What’s changing
Moves selected orchestration and source integration responsibilities out of custom wrappers.
- Why it matters
Documents retained application responsibilities and the limits of the demonstrated tests.
- Who it affects
Developers evaluating managed harnesses alongside existing Agent Framework implementations.