Agentic AI Reference Architecture

Safety & Security · Software component

Identity Provider

Software componentSafety & SecuritySafety, Security & Governancearc:IdentityProvider

A service that authenticates agents and issues and refreshes secure tokens so only authorised agents access sensitive tools.

Responsibility. Authenticates principals and issues tokens.

Also known as: OAuth provider, Gateway authentication, Enterprise JWT identity provider, API key / OAuth authentication, OAuth 2.0 authorization server

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Direct neighbourhood (hover for relationship types)

Relationships

is invoked by dependency

writes dependency

controls access to control

Design guidance

Classification

Patterns
Token-based authenticationOAuth 2.0 scopesMulti-factor authentication
Technologies
OAuthHardware security keys
Quality attributes
Security (ISO/IEC 25010 | NIST AI RMF: secure and resilient)
Risks mitigated
Unauthorised tool accessExpired-token failures
Frameworks & regulations
OAuth 2.0

Sources

  1. Ch1.2: T. Nguyen, "Core Agent Patterns," in Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam, 1st ed. 2026, ch. 1.2. ISBN: 9798244538229.
  2. Ch3.8: T. Nguyen, "Action Accuracy Metrics," in Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam, 1st ed. 2026, ch. 3.8. ISBN: 9798244538229.
  3. Ch4.2: T. Nguyen, "Deployment and Scaling," in Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam, 1st ed. 2026, ch. 4.2. ISBN: 9798244538229.
  4. Ch6.2B: T. Nguyen, "Production Vector Database Deployment," in Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam, 1st ed. 2026, ch. 6.2B. ISBN: 9798244538229.
  5. Ch6.5: T. Nguyen, "Production RAG Systems," in Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam, 1st ed. 2026, ch. 6.5. ISBN: 9798244538229.
  6. Ch9.2: T. Nguyen, "Action Constraints and Permission Models," in Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam, 1st ed. 2026, ch. 9.2. ISBN: 9798244538229.
  7. Ch9.7: T. Nguyen, "GDPR and Data Protection Regulations," in Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam, 1st ed. 2026, ch. 9.7. ISBN: 9798244538229.
  8. Ch10.5: T. Nguyen, "Human-over-the-Loop," in Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam, 1st ed. 2026, ch. 10.5. ISBN: 9798244538229.
  9. Ref7.03: NVIDIA, "Overview," NVIDIA NeMo Guardrails Library Developer Guide. Accessed: Sep. 27, 2026. [Online]. Available: https://docs.nvidia.com/nemo/guardrails/about-nemo-guardrails-library/overview
  10. Ref9.08: "Safety Incident Response for AI Systems," unpublished reference note (08-Safety-Incident-Response.md), Mastering Agentic AI Systems: Guide for the NVIDIA NCP-AAI Exam supplementary materials, 2026. unpublished note