Skip to main content

A2A Operations And Security

The safest default is a loopback listener with authentication enabled. Public network exposure needs explicit TLS termination, client enrollment, rate limits, replay controls, and firewall review.

Local Commands​

The current CLI includes operations for:

axiowl a2a agent-card
axiowl a2a capabilities
axiowl a2a discover --url <url>
axiowl a2a import --url <url>
axiowl a2a send --to <agent> --body <text> --from <agent>
axiowl a2a get-task --id <task-id>
axiowl a2a list-tasks
axiowl a2a push drain
axiowl a2a auth add-client ...
axiowl a2a auth list-clients
axiowl a2a serve ...
axiowl a2a self-test

Use axiowl a2a capabilities to inspect the route-owned capability manifest instead of assuming every A2A feature is enabled.

Durable State​

The user-scoped A2A state includes task history, client registrations, imported Agent Card audit records, push configurations, pending callbacks, delivery logs, and dead-letter records. Authentication tokens are hashed or referenced indirectly; outbound secrets are not copied into registry aliases.

Inbound Authentication​

Authentication is required by default. Clients have stable IDs, sender identities, nodes, and scopes. No-auth mode is for bounded local development only.

Public Service​

The optional Windows MSI feature installs:

  • axiowl-api-service.exe as the automatic AxiOwlApi Windows service;
  • axiowl-relay.exe as a separate relay-capable executable;
  • machine-scoped service configuration and feature markers.

The feature is unchecked by default. Installing the runtime alone does not enable an always-running public A2A listener.

The current MSI does not package the interactive user broker required for protected provider delivery through the LocalSystem service. Treat direct axiowl a2a serve operation and public Agent Card routes separately from the incomplete service-to-user delivery path.