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Using A2A Protocol in Agent Networks

The Agent2Agent (A2A) Protocol governs agent-to-agent communication. This protocol powers orchestration, observability, and governance features in agent networks. MuleSoft supports v1.0 of the A2A Protocol.

Review the following about using A2A interactions in agent networks.

Context and Task ID Scoping

In a multi-broker network, each broker generates its own contextId and taskId for the requests it receives. These IDs define the state and scope of a specific conversation between two agents. A taskId is always matched to a contextId, but a contextId can exist without a taskId.

When a client sends a request to Broker_1, Broker_1 generates the necessary IDs for that request. When Broker_1 sends a new request to the next broker or non-broker agent in line, that broker or non-broker agent establishes a unique contextId and taskId for the new request.

Non-broker agents don’t have to generate a contextId and taskId when receiving requests from a client.

Consider a network with a client and two brokers (1 and 2):

  • The IDs used between the client and Broker_1 are independent of the IDs used between Broker_1 and Broker_2.

  • When Broker_1 delegates a task to Broker_2, Broker_2 (acting as a server) generates its own contextId and taskId.

  • Broker_1 maintains a mapping between its own upstream taskId (used to respond to its client) and the downstream taskId it tracks with Broker_2.

  • If Broker_2 requires more information (returns status: input-required), it provides a contextId and taskId to Broker_1. Broker_1 uses these IDs to provide the requested input to Broker_2. The client never sees Broker_2’s internal IDs.

Relationship Role Logic

Client → Broker_1

Broker_1 is server

Generates contextId_1 and taskId_1 for the client.

Agent A → Broker_2

Broker_2 is server

Generates contextId_2 and taskId_2 for Broker_1.

Network broker

Broker_1

Broker_1 maps contextId_1 and taskId_1 to contextId_2 and taskId_2.

For more information, see Life of a Task - Group Related Interactions.

Creating Conversational Memory with contextId

Configure your broker to remember earlier turns in a conversation by reusing a contextId across requests. When a caller reuses a contextId, the broker seeds each new task with the prior conversation history so the agent remembers what was said earlier.

To enable conversational memory, you need an agent network with: * A broker configured with an ingress authentication policy that resolves a stable user identity * A client that supports the A2A v1.0 wire contract

How contextId Works

A contextId identifies one logical conversation. A taskId identifies one turn within that conversation. Every turn produces a new taskId, but all turns that share a contextId belong to the same conversation.

Request 1  (no contextId)   ──►  broker mints contextId=C, taskId=T1  ──►  returns C
Request 2  (contextId=C)     ──►  new taskId=T2, seeded with T1's conversation
Request 3  (contextId=C)     ──►  new taskId=T3, seeded with T1+T2
Reuse the contextId, not the taskId. The prior task is already in a terminal state (TASK_STATE_COMPLETED). Sending a message to a completed taskId returns an error.

Requirements

All three requirements must be met for conversational memory to work.

  1. The broker resolves a stable user identity for the caller.

  2. The caller reuses the contextId across turns.

  3. The caller sends the correct A2A wire contract.

User Identity

Conversational memory is scoped to a user identity derived from authentication at the broker’s ingress. Configure the broker with an ingress authentication policy that yields this identity. Without this policy, tasks are created without an owner and memory doesn’t engage.

The same authenticated caller must be present on every request in a conversation. That identity is the key the broker’s memory is stored under.

Example: Client ID Enforcement with User Context Propagation

A common way to produce this identity is a pair of inbound API Manager policies applied to the broker:

  1. Client ID enforcement authenticates the caller’s client_id and client_secret.

  2. User context propagation derives the user identity from the authenticated client, using the expression #[authentication.clientId].

Apply client ID enforcement before user context propagation. User context propagation reads #[authentication.clientId], which is populated only after Client ID enforcement authenticates the request. If the policies are reversed, the identity resolves empty, tasks are created without an owner, and conversational memory does not engage. No error is returned to the caller; a ListTasks request for the context returns an empty result. Use reorder policies on the broker’s inbound policy list to set the order.

Other authentication schemes can supply the user identity as well. This ordering requirement is specific to the Client ID enforcement and user context propagation pairing.

A2A Wire Contract

The following values must be exact in every request:

Requirement Value Error if incorrect

Version header

A2A-Version: 1.0

-32009 Unsupported A2A version: missing

Method

SendMessage

-32601 Method not found

Role

ROLE_USER (enum, not "user")

-32602 Invalid enum value user

Starting a Conversation

To start a new conversation, send a request without a contextId. The broker generates and returns a contextId in the response.

curl -s -X POST "https://<host>/<broker-path>/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "A2A-Version: 1.0" \
  <auth headers for your ingress policy> \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": "1", "method": "SendMessage",
    "params": { "message": {
      "role": "ROLE_USER",
      "parts": [{ "text": "My favorite fruit is DRAGONFRUIT and my order number is ORD-4521. Please remember both." }],
      "messageId": "g1"
    }}
  }'

The response includes a contextId in result.task.contextId. Save this value for subsequent requests:

{ "result": { "task": {
  "id": "…T1…",
  "contextId": "c740ccdf-b70a-4e81-b9e4-395845b4c6ab",
  "status": { "state": "TASK_STATE_COMPLETED", "message": {
    "parts": [{ "text": "Acknowledged — I have recorded your favorite fruit (DRAGONFRUIT) and your order number (ORD-4521)…" }] } }
}}}

Continuing a Conversation

To continue an existing conversation, include the contextId from the first turn in subsequent requests:

curl -s -X POST "https://<host>/<broker-path>/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "A2A-Version: 1.0" \
  <auth headers for your ingress policy> \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": "2", "method": "SendMessage",
    "params": { "message": {
      "role": "ROLE_USER",
      "contextId": "c740ccdf-b70a-4e81-b9e4-395845b4c6ab",
      "parts": [{ "text": "What is my favorite fruit and my order number?" }],
      "messageId": "g2"
    }}
  }'

The broker recalls facts from prior turns:

{ "result": { "task": {
  "contextId": "c740ccdf-b70a-4e81-b9e4-395845b4c6ab",
  "status": { "message": { "parts": [{ "text": "Favorite fruit: DRAGONFRUIT. Order number: ORD-4521." }] } }
}}}

Referencing Work from Another Conversation

Reusing contextId handles continuity within one conversation. To bring in work from a different conversation, add referenceTaskIds to the message. This field accepts a list of prior task IDs whose conversation is seeded into the current turn.

{
  "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": "3", "method": "SendMessage",
  "params": { "message": {
    "role": "ROLE_USER",
    "contextId": "<this-conversation>",
    "referenceTaskIds": ["<task-id-from-another-conversation>"],
    "parts": [{ "text": "Reuse the itinerary from my earlier booking." }],
    "messageId": "g3"
  }}
}

When using referenceTaskIds:

  • Each referenced task must belong to the same authenticated user (userId). If a referenced task is missing or owned by another user, the request is rejected.

  • Referencing a task already part of the current conversation doesn’t duplicate its content.

  • Use referenceTaskIds only to cross conversation boundaries. Same-conversation continuity comes from reusing the contextId.

Memory Scope and Limits

Conversational memory includes user and assistant messages (the text exchanged between the user and the agent)

Conversational memory does not include tool calls and tool results. The agent remembers what was discussed, not the intermediate tool invocations it made.

Additional limits include:

  • Memory is capped at approximately the most recent 200 messages per conversation. Older turns roll off.

  • Retention is bounded by the configured TTL. After the TTL expires, recall stops.

  • Memory is shared across broker instances. Continuity does not depend on requests landing on the same replica, so sticky sessions or session affinity on your load balancer are not required.

Orchestrator Brokers

If a broker calls downstream A2A agents while handling a conversation, it keeps those downstream conversations continuous automatically. For a given inbound contextId, the broker reuses the same downstream conversation with each child agent across turns so the downstream agents recover their own context on follow-ups. No extra caller action is required beyond reusing the inbound contextId.

Configuring Memory Retention

Set the following variable in exchange.json under metadata.variables to control how long conversational memory persists:

Variable Description Default Notes

OBJECT_STORE_DEFAULT_TTL_MS

How long a contextId memory persists

24 hours (86400000)

Maximum 30 days (2592000000). After the TTL expires, recall stops.

Verifying Your Setup

To confirm the ingress policy is active, send an unauthenticated request. A 401 response confirms that identity is required:

curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}\n" -X POST "https://<host>/<broker-path>/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "A2A-Version: 1.0" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":"0","method":"SendMessage","params":{"message":{"role":"ROLE_USER","parts":[{"text":"ping"}],"messageId":"p0"}}}'

After completing your first turn, use ListTasks to verify that memory is active. An empty result means no user identity was resolved. If you use Client ID enforcement with user context propagation, confirm that the policies are applied in that order:

curl -s -X POST "https://<host>/<broker-path>/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "A2A-Version: 1.0" \
  <auth headers for your ingress policy> \
  -d '{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":"l","method":"ListTasks","params":{"contextId":"<contextId>"}}'

See Also