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Agent Frameworks & Patterns

2-Week Nanodegree Module

Module Overview

This self-paced 2-week module provides comprehensive instruction on building production-ready AI agents using 2025 state-of-the-art frameworks and implementing the five core agentic patterns: Reflection, Tool Use, ReAct, Planning, and Multi-Agent Collaboration. Through hands-on tutorials and progressive implementation, you'll master cutting-edge agent development with performance breakthroughs (CrewAI 5.76x faster execution), enterprise production capabilities, and modern protocol standardization (MCP, A2A, ACP, ANP). You'll develop skills to create intelligent, adaptable agents using both bare-metal approaches and established frameworks optimized for 2025 production environments.

Agent Frameworks Architecture

Prerequisites

  • Python programming experience (intermediate level)
  • Basic understanding of LLMs and API interactions
  • Familiarity with JSON/REST APIs and HTTP protocols
  • Experience with virtual environments and package management
  • Understanding of software design patterns and object-oriented programming

Week 1: Core Agent Patterns & Framework Foundations

Session 0: Introduction to Agent Frameworks & Patterns (Self-Study)

Content: Understanding the five core agentic patterns, framework landscape, and architectural considerations Materials: Session0_Introduction_to_Agent_Frameworks_Patterns.md Self-Check: 15-question multiple choice quiz covering agentic patterns and framework concepts

Session 1: Bare Metal Agents (Pure Python Implementation)

Content: Building agents from scratch using pure Python, understanding core agent mechanics Materials: Session1_Bare_Metal_Agents.md + Session1_Bare_Metal_Agents-solution.md Self-Check: Multiple choice quiz covering agent fundamentals and implementation patterns

Session 2: LangChain Foundations & Tool Integration

Content: LangChain architecture, agent types, tool ecosystem integration, LangGraph integration patterns, and production deployment strategies Materials: Session2_LangChain_Foundations.md + Session2_LangChain_Foundations-solution.md Self-Check: Multiple choice quiz covering LangChain agents, LangGraph integration, and production deployment patterns

Session 3: LangGraph Multi-Agent Workflows

Content: Building complex workflows with LangGraph, state management, agent orchestration, orchestrator-worker patterns, and enterprise-grade features for production systems Materials: Session3_LangGraph_Multi_Agent_Workflows.md + Session3_LangGraph_Multi_Agent_Workflows-solution.md Self-Check: Multiple choice quiz covering workflow patterns, orchestrator-worker architectures, and enterprise state management

Session 4: CrewAI Team Orchestration

Content: Hierarchical multi-agent systems, role-based collaboration, task delegation, CrewAI Flows for advanced workflows, and performance advantages (5.76x execution speed improvements) Materials: Session4_CrewAI_Team_Orchestration.md + Session4_CrewAI_Team_Orchestration-solution.md Self-Check: Multiple choice quiz covering team orchestration, CrewAI Flows, and performance optimization patterns

Session 5: PydanticAI Type-Safe Agents

Content: Type-safe agent development, structured outputs, validation patterns, streaming validation capabilities, and multi-provider support for enterprise deployments Materials: Session5_PydanticAI_Type_Safe_Agents.md + Session5_PydanticAI_Type_Safe_Agents-solution.md Self-Check: Multiple choice quiz covering type safety, streaming validation, and multi-provider agent architectures

Session 6: Atomic Agents Modular Architecture

Content: Modular, composable agent architecture with atomic components, lightweight patterns, composable tool systems, and modular multi-agent coordination bridging individual frameworks and enterprise patterns Materials: Session6_Atomic_Agents_Modular_Architecture.md + Session6_Atomic_Agents_Modular_Architecture-solution.md Self-Check: Multiple choice quiz covering atomic patterns, component composition, and modular architecture design

Week 2: Production Frameworks & Enterprise Integration

Session 7: ADK Enterprise Agent Development

Content: Google's Agent Development Kit for production-ready agent systems Materials: Session7_First_ADK_Agent.md + Session7_First_ADK_Agent-solution.md Self-Check: Multiple choice quiz covering ADK architecture and enterprise patterns

Session 8: Agno Production-Ready Agents

Content: Agno framework for scalable agent deployment, advanced monitoring, enterprise integration patterns, and production-grade observability systems Materials: Session8_Agno_Production_Ready_Agents.md + Session8_Agno_Production_Ready_Agents-solution.md Self-Check: Multiple choice quiz covering enterprise deployment, advanced monitoring, and production observability

Session 9: Multi-Agent Patterns & ReAct Implementation

Content: Advanced multi-agent architectures, ReAct reasoning patterns, coordination strategies, enterprise communication protocols, and production-grade pattern implementations Materials: Session9_Multi_Agent_Patterns_ReAct.md + Session9_Multi_Agent_Patterns_ReAct-solution.md Self-Check: Multiple choice quiz covering enterprise patterns, advanced reasoning, and production coordination strategies

Session 10: Enterprise Integration & Production Deployment

Content: Advanced containerization, cloud deployment, enterprise monitoring, modern protocol integration (MCP, A2A, ACP, ANP), performance benchmarking, and production-grade scaling strategies Materials: Session10_Enterprise_Integration_Production_Deployment.md + Session10_Enterprise_Integration_Production_Deployment-solution.md Self-Check: Multiple choice quiz covering advanced deployment, protocol integration, and enterprise scaling patterns

Capstone Project: Multi-Framework Agent Ecosystem

Project Overview: Build a comprehensive 2025 state-of-the-art agent system demonstrating all five agentic patterns using multiple frameworks with modern protocol integration

Requirements: - Implement Reflection pattern for self-improvement with enterprise observability - Create Tool Use agents with external API integration and MCP protocol support - Build ReAct agents for complex reasoning chains with performance optimization - Develop Planning agents for multi-step task execution using orchestrator-worker patterns - Deploy Multi-Agent systems with hierarchical coordination and A2A/ACP protocols - Design atomic agent components using modular architecture patterns - Implement composable tool systems with plug-and-play component integration - Integrate with enterprise systems using modern monitoring and protocol standards - Demonstrate performance improvements (measure against CrewAI's 5.76x benchmark) - Implement streaming validation and multi-provider support

Deliverables: - Complete source code with comprehensive documentation and 2025 best practices - Working deployment with advanced monitoring, observability, and protocol integration - Architecture documentation and 2025 framework comparison analysis - Performance benchmarks demonstrating 2025 optimizations and improvements - Enterprise integration patterns with modern protocol implementations - Production-ready deployment with container orchestration and scaling strategies

2025 Technology Stack & Performance Benchmarks

Modern Protocol Standards

  • Model Context Protocol (MCP): Standardized LLM-application integration
  • Agent-to-Agent (A2A): Direct inter-agent communication protocols
  • Agent Communication Protocol (ACP): Enterprise agent coordination
  • Agent Network Protocol (ANP): Multi-system agent federation

Performance Breakthroughs

  • CrewAI Performance: 5.76x faster execution with new flow architecture
  • LangGraph Optimizations: Enhanced state management and parallel processing
  • PydanticAI Streaming: Real-time validation with multi-provider support
  • Enterprise Observability: Advanced monitoring with OpenTelemetry integration

2025 Framework Comparison Matrix

Framework Performance Enterprise Ready Learning Curve Production Focus 2025 Features
LangChain Good ⭐⭐⭐ Moderate High LangGraph integration, enhanced tools
LangGraph Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Moderate Very High Orchestrator patterns, enterprise state
CrewAI Outstanding ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Easy Very High 5.76x speed, Flows architecture
PydanticAI Very Good ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Easy Very High Streaming validation, multi-provider
Atomic Agents Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Easy High Modular components, lightweight patterns
Google ADK Excellent ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Moderate Extreme Enterprise integration, Google Cloud
Agno Good ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Moderate High Production monitoring, observability

Enterprise Integration Technologies

  • Container Orchestration: Kubernetes with Helm charts
  • Monitoring Stack: Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry, Jaeger
  • Message Queues: Redis Streams, Apache Kafka for agent communication
  • Database Integration: PostgreSQL, MongoDB with connection pooling
  • API Gateways: Kong, Ambassador for agent service mesh
  • Security: OAuth 2.0, JWT tokens, rate limiting, audit logging

Comprehensive Resource Library

Core Documentation

Video Tutorials

Hands-on Tutorials

Advanced Reading

Code Repositories

Learning Outcomes

By completion, students will be able to:

Technical Skills

  1. Implement all five agentic patterns (Reflection, Tool Use, ReAct, Planning, Multi-Agent) with 2025 best practices
  2. Build agents using multiple frameworks with performance optimization and appropriate framework selection
  3. Design multi-agent systems with orchestrator-worker patterns and enterprise communication protocols
  4. Deploy production-ready agents with advanced monitoring, observability, and streaming capabilities
  5. Integrate agents with enterprise systems using modern protocols (MCP, A2A, ACP, ANP) and external APIs
  6. Optimize agent performance through benchmarking, profiling, and 2025 performance enhancements
  7. Implement multi-provider support for enterprise flexibility and vendor independence
  8. Apply performance breakthroughs including CrewAI's 5.76x execution improvements

Architectural Understanding

  1. Compare 2025 framework trade-offs including performance characteristics and enterprise readiness
  2. Design scalable agent architectures for production environments with modern protocol support
  3. Implement proper separation of concerns between agents, tools, orchestration, and enterprise integration layers
  4. Plan for fault tolerance and recovery in multi-agent systems with advanced observability
  5. Apply enterprise integration patterns for production-grade system architecture
  6. Understand protocol standardization and its impact on agent system design

Industry Readiness

  1. Follow 2025 framework best practices and cutting-edge design patterns
  2. Debug complex agent interactions using advanced observability and monitoring tools
  3. Monitor and maintain production agent systems with enterprise-grade tooling
  4. Evaluate and select appropriate frameworks based on 2025 performance benchmarks and enterprise requirements
  5. Deploy enterprise-grade solutions with proper scaling, monitoring, and protocol integration
  6. Apply performance optimization techniques and modern architectural patterns

Self-Assessment Structure

Knowledge Checks

Each session includes multiple choice quizzes to verify understanding of key concepts: - Session 0: 15 questions covering agentic patterns and framework fundamentals - Sessions 1-10: 10-12 questions per session covering specific implementation topics - Capstone Project: Self-evaluation checklist for project completeness

Practical Validation

  • Code Examples: Each session provides working code examples with solutions
  • Progressive Complexity: Build upon previous sessions for comprehensive learning
  • Framework Comparison: Compare implementations across different frameworks
  • Self-Check Activities: Verify implementations work as expected

Progress Tracking

  • Complete all session materials and quizzes to demonstrate mastery
  • Successfully implement and test all code examples
  • Build and deploy the capstone project following provided specifications

Development Environment Setup

Required Software

# Python environment (3.11+)
python3.11+

# Core framework dependencies (2025 versions)
pip install langchain langchain-community langchain-openai
pip install langgraph
pip install crewai crewai-tools
pip install pydantic-ai
pip install google-adk

# Enterprise and production tools
pip install fastapi uvicorn
pip install pytest pytest-asyncio
pip install prometheus-client

# 2025 Protocol and Integration Support
pip install mcp-client  # Model Context Protocol
pip install asyncio-pool  # Performance optimization
pip install opentelemetry-api opentelemetry-sdk  # Advanced observability
pip install redis  # State management
pip install kubernetes  # Container orchestration
  • IDE: VS Code with Python extension and Jupyter support
  • API Testing: Postman or curl for testing agent endpoints
  • Monitoring: Prometheus + Grafana for production monitoring
  • Version Control: Git with proper branching strategy
  • Containers: Docker for deployment and isolation

Development Workflow

  1. Local Development: Use file-based persistence for rapid iteration
  2. Integration Testing: Test agent interactions in isolated environments
  3. Production Deployment: Container-based deployment with proper monitoring

Completion Requirements

To successfully complete this nanodegree module: 1. Study all session materials (Sessions 0-10) 2. Complete all multiple choice quizzes with satisfactory scores 3. Successfully implement all code examples and framework integrations 4. Build and deploy the capstone project demonstrating mastery of all five agentic patterns

Completion Recognition: "Agent Frameworks & Patterns Nanodegree Module Certificate"

Self-Study Support

Available Resources

  • Comprehensive Documentation: Each session includes detailed explanations and examples
  • Solution Code: Complete implementations provided for all exercises
  • Framework Comparisons: Side-by-side analysis of different approaches
  • Community Resources: Links to official documentation and developer communities

Learning Path

  1. Week 1: Master core patterns through framework-specific implementations including atomic/modular approaches
  2. Week 2: Explore production frameworks and enterprise integration
  3. Capstone: Integrate all patterns in a comprehensive multi-framework system with atomic components

This module provides comprehensive, self-paced instruction on 2025 state-of-the-art agent frameworks and the five core agentic patterns. You'll gain practical experience building intelligent agents that can reflect, use tools, reason, plan, and collaborate effectively in production environments using cutting-edge performance optimizations, modern protocol standards, and enterprise-grade deployment strategies. Master the latest technological advances including CrewAI's 5.76x performance improvements, advanced observability systems, and modern protocol integration (MCP, A2A, ACP, ANP) for enterprise-ready agent systems.