Build a Research Agent with Claude Managed Agents (Part 2 of 4) — Anthropic
Summary
This workshop demonstrates building a sophisticated 'research desk' application using Claude Managed Agents (CMA). The system evolves from a simple console agent to a complex, multi-agent ecosystem capable of performing long-running, asynchronous tasks. Key architectural components include specialized skills (e.g., calling SEC EDGAR filings), subagent coordination, shared memory stores, and a self-supervision mechanism called 'Outcomes,' which uses a rubric and grader to ensure task completion and accuracy. The platform supports enterprise deployment through secure methods like Vaults and MCP tunnels.
Key takeaways
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Multi-Agent Orchestration and Skills
22:21
Agents can be augmented with specialized skills (e.g., SEC EDGAR) and delegate tasks to specialized subagents. The main agent acts as an orchestrator, managing the workflow and coordinating multiple subagents to achieve a complex goal.
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Outcomes for Self-Supervision
29:01
Outcomes define a task, a rubric, and a grader. This mechanism enables asynchronous, long-running tasks by having a subagent evaluate the main agent's work against the defined rubric, allowing Claude to automatically retry until the outcome is satisfied.
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Secure Credential Management (Vaults)
For production use, credentials are managed via 'Vaults.' Instead of injecting real secrets, a placeholder is used, which is swapped out for the real value only at egress on specified host domains, enhancing security.
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Shared, Long-Running Memory
31:45
The system supports long-running memory stores that can be shared across multiple sessions and agents, allowing the application to continuously learn and improve over time (a process referred to as 'dreaming').
Technical details
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Agent Infrastructure and Deployment
1016s
The system can be run on Anthropic's infrastructure, AWS (via cloud platform), or self-hosted sandboxes (e.g., using providers like Burcell or Modal). The communication layer for chat-like applications is built over an event stream (SSE).
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Custom Harness Development
2000s
Developers can build custom orchestration harnesses on top of CMA to manage multi-session interactions, allowing the main agent to delegate work for multiple tickers or tasks simultaneously (map-reduce style).
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Security and Connectivity
Secure data access is achieved through Managed Cloud Platform (MCP) tunnels, which allow connecting private networks without exposing them to the public internet. Credentials are managed via Vaults, which inject placeholders that are swapped out at the point of egress.
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Agent Lifecycle Management
1341s
The process involves creating an agent and an environment (the sandbox template). The agent can be upgraded by adding skills and custom tools, which are treated as live artifacts that can be continuously updated.
Mentioned resources
Channel & topics
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