Choose an Integration Pattern
Choose the right integration pattern for how your agents, pipelines, and external applications communicate. The pattern you pick determines who initiates the call, how data flows, and whether the interaction is synchronous or event-driven.
After reading this page, you will be able to:
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Choose the integration pattern that fits your use case
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Apply appropriate authentication for internal versus external integration
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Select the right communication protocol for your integration scenario
Integration scenarios
ADP supports three primary integration scenarios based on who initiates the call and where the caller is located:
| Scenario | Description | When to Use | Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
Agent needs capabilities |
Your agent invokes MCP tools to fetch data, call APIs, or access external systems on-demand |
Agent-initiated, synchronous, interactive workflows |
|
Pipeline processes events |
Your Redpanda Connect pipeline invokes agents for each event in a stream using the |
Event-driven, automated, high-volume stream processing |
|
External system calls agent |
Your application or agent (hosted outside ADP) calls ADP agents using the A2A protocol |
Backend services, CLI tools, custom UIs, multi-platform agent workflows |
Common use cases by pattern
Each integration pattern serves different scenarios based on how data flows and who initiates the interaction.
Agent needs capabilities (MCP tools)
Use MCP tools when your agent needs on-demand access to data or capabilities.
The agent decides when to invoke tools as part of its reasoning process. It waits for responses before continuing.
This pattern works well for interactive workflows: customer support lookups, approval flows, or context-aware chatbots.
Avoid MCP tools for high-volume stream processing or automated workflows without user interaction. Use pipeline-initiated integration instead.
For implementation details, see How MCP Servers Work.
Pipeline processes events (a2a_message)
Use the a2a_message processor when your pipeline needs to invoke agents for every event in a stream.
The pipeline controls when agents execute. This pattern is ideal for automated, high-volume processing where each event requires AI reasoning.
Common scenarios include real-time fraud detection, sentiment scoring for customer reviews, and content moderation that classifies and routes content.
For implementation details, see Integrate with Redpanda Pipelines.
External system calls agent
Use external integration when your applications, services, or agents hosted outside ADP need to call ADP agents.
External systems send requests using the A2A protocol and receive responses synchronously. This works for backend services, CLI tools, custom UIs, and agents hosted on other platforms.
Common scenarios include backend services analyzing data as part of workflows, CLI tools invoking agents for batch tasks, custom UIs displaying agent responses, CRM agents coordinating with Redpanda agents, and multi-platform workflows spanning different infrastructure.
To learn how the A2A protocol enables this integration, see Connect Agents with A2A.
Pattern comparison
The following table compares the two primary internal integration patterns:
| Criterion | Agents Invoking MCP Tools | Pipelines Calling Agents |
|---|---|---|
Trigger |
User question or agent decision |
Event arrival in topic |
Frequency |
Ad-hoc, irregular, as needed |
Continuous, every event |
Latency |
Low (agent waits for response) |
Higher (async acceptable) |
Control Flow |
Agent decides when to invoke |
Pipeline decides when to invoke |
Use Case |
"Fetch me data", "Run this query" |
"Process this stream", "Enrich all events" |
Human in Loop |
Often yes (user-driven) |
Often no (automated) |
Security considerations for external integration
When integrating external applications with ADP agents, protect credentials and tokens.
Protect service account credentials
Store the client ID and secret in secure credential stores, not in code. Use environment variables or secrets management. Rotate credentials if compromised and restrict access based on the principle of least privilege.
