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AI Agent Management Control Plane: Evaluation Guide for Infrastructure and Operations

Learn how to put rules, risk management and financial controls around AI agents that act on your infrastructure.

Inside the report

AI agents now provision resources, manage backups and respond to incidents. This complimentary Gartner® research is written for heads of infrastructure and operations and the cross-functional teams that select and run AI agent management platforms.

What you'll discover
  • A three-layer requirements framework for agentic AI platforms
  • Identity, scope, runtime guardrail and kill-switch requirements for infrastructure-facing agents
  • How to match governance platform architecture to your operational risk profile

Frequently asked questions

Are AI agents already running in our infrastructure?

Often, yes, through automation tools, SaaS features and team-built pilots. The Gartner report explains where to start when you need to find and govern them.

Who should own governance for AI agents that touch infrastructure?

Ownership is one of the first decisions to make once agents can change production systems. Get the report for guidance on how responsibilities should be divided.

How do you stop an AI agent that acts on infrastructure in the wrong way?

A tested way to halt an agent matters as much as its permissions. The report covers the runtime controls that keep agent actions contained.

How should organizations justify investment in AI agent governance?

Governance is easier to fund when it is framed in terms the business already tracks. The report explains how to make that case.

Figure1GartnerAIAgent

Figure 1: A Three-Layer Requirements Framework for Agentic AI Platforms. Reference screenshot only; official file requested from Gartner. Use the official file exactly as supplied, with “Source: Gartner” and the graphic disclaimer directly below: This graphic was published by Gartner, Inc. as part of a larger research document and should be evaluated in the context of the entire document. The Gartner document is available upon request from Rackspace Technology.

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According to Gartner, “The right posture is a controlled yes: I&O establishes the guardrails, defines the authorized scope, and approves agents for deployment within those bounds.”

(Gartner, AI Agent Management Control Plane: Evaluation Guide for Infrastructure and Operations, Chandra Mukhyala, 16 July 2026)

According to Gartner, “AI agents should be treated as a distinct category of operational risk, with the same rigor applied to human error, hardware failure, or cyberattack."

(Gartner, AI Agent Management Control Plane: Evaluation Guide for Infrastructure and Operations, Chandra Mukhyala, 16 July 2026)

We feel this report is an essential read for heads of infrastructure and operations, CIOs, CISOs and AI leaders.

Enjoy this copy, on us!

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