> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.heisenware.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.heisenware.com/app-builder/build-backend/agents.md). # Agents An Agent is a small piece of Heisenware software that you install on a machine inside a separated network, for example on a factory floor. It executes logic, like connectors for S7, Modbus, or OPC UA, directly where the systems and devices are, and exchanges data securely with your workspace. Agents distribute your App logic: parts of it run in the cloud, parts of it at the edge, next to the machines it talks to.

## How Agents work 1. Build or download an Agent and install it on a machine inside the target network. 2. The Agent connects to the Heisenware Cloud through an outbound-only MQTTS connection on port 8883. No inbound firewall rules or VPNs are required. 3. Once online, the Agent appears in the [Function Explorer](/app-builder/build-backend/functions/function-explorer.md) as its own entry, holding the connectors it carries. 4. Functions dragged from an Agent entry execute on the Agent's machine, directly at the edge. Agents run as system services or containers. They start automatically after reboots and power cycles and stay available around the clock. {% hint style="info" %} #### A function is a function In the App Builder, you never notice that you are working on a machine in a different network. A function from an Agent looks and behaves like any other function: drag it onto the canvas, wire it, configure it. It just runs somewhere else. Only its [address](/app-builder/build-backend/functions.md#advanced-addressing) reveals where. {% endhint %} ## Types of Agents Choose the Agent that matches your edge hardware:

Type	Choose when
Native Agent	You have a Windows, macOS, or Linux machine (including ARM64 industrial PCs). Installs as a background service directly on the operating system. Credentials are built into the installer.
Docker Agent	Your edge infrastructure already runs Docker. Same functionality in an isolated container. Credentials are passed as environment variables at startup.
LXC Agent (Insys)	Your edge device is an INSYS icom industrial router or gateway (MRX, MRO, ECR, SCR series). Distributed as a `.tar` update packet and installed via the router's web interface.

--- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.heisenware.com/app-builder/build-backend/agents.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.